A Bit of a Hissy Fit
Quit doing that.
I need to speak to the people who run around during school board and municipal elections using social media and leadership positions to tell people “Vote! Don’t forget to vote. Please vote!”
Quit it. You’re not helping. Seriously. You’re creeping me out.
Plus, you look like idiots when you whine, whine, whine that people don’t show up for local elections. Hey, quit whining. Whining is not going to get people to the polls and encouraging people to “just vote” hurts those of us working our hineys off for Democrats to win these municipal and school board races.
I am going to type this very slowly so the Just Vote Clowns can read it.
The fact that not many people show up for local elections is to Democrats’ benefit. We always have less money than the Republicans. All we have to do is give our people a reason to vote and then get them to the polls. Low turnout is your best tool. It. Helps. You.
Shame doesn’t work. Saying, “vote or you can’t complain” is damn silly because, oddly enough, there is no law against complaining. I’m not saying that the Legislature shouldn’t pass one. I’m just saying that until they do, you sound like an idiot when you say that.
Numero Uno: You have to give our base a reason to vote. Even saying “Vote for Mary Brown” doesn’t cut it. When you are trying to win, you say, “Vote for Mary Brown because those sumbitches running against her have sold out to developers / want to destroy public education / are lower than a snake’s belly in a gully / she will fight hard to keep the dump out of your backyard / is the only candidate to oppose toll roads.” I don’t care what you say, but you have to say something to make them inspired or mad, and mad is a helluva lot easier. Mad people vote.
Our phone bankers in the last election called the Democratic base said, “Hi, I’m Cletus and I’m a proud Democrat. Democrats are voting for Mary Brown because she has promised to ….” And here’s where you tell them something specific that’s important to them personally. You cannot say “because she is nice.” Tell them about the dump, that the opponent is part of the religious right who want to take education backwards, or, hell, that we want a Democrat on city council to greet the President if he comes to town.”
I know this is elementary school politics but you would not believe the Democrats telling people to just vote. An uneducated voter – even a Democrat – at the polls is our worst enemy. At least tell them who to vote for. And if you can’t think of a good reason for voting for that candidate then maybe you’re backing the wrong candidate.
We have a frighteningly unstable Lyndon LaRouche candidate in my county who wins the Democratic primary because people have been told “just vote.” She has a nice sounding African American name and she wins because of it.
One other thing. And, golly damn gee, if there’s only one race on the ballot, having someone stand at the polling location to hand out push cards is dog dump dumb. People showing up for that one race already know who they are going to vote for. If you have exhibitionist volunteers who just have to stand in front of polls or on a damn street corner waving signs because getting honked at is ego-feeding, at least hand them a cell phone and call list.
Thank you. I feel better.
Amen. You go girl.
1I adore you, Juanita. This post spoke to my very core, and I am so glad to be in this blessed state with you and learn how to navigate all the stuff we have to, in order to keep moving forward. Some day I hope to navigate without messing up my hair (like you), for now I am content to sit at your feet and learn.
I mean it. 🙂
Whining is a form of privilege. Less whining, more working, no?
2Nice to hear Juanita. City and school board elections are won by the small percentage that show up. I saw Pearland change for the better because Scott Sherman got elected to the City Council in an election that had less than 2% of voters participate in the runoff. Once he was in, Scott has done such an outstanding job he was easily reelected.
3Juanita Jean, that was a good, worthwhile hissy fit. Sometimes that is the only thing that works. It has worked for me several times.,
4Okay, I’ll stop doing that.
5Well, whadya know. No harm meant, but I was one of those “just go vote” Democrats. Your hissy fit is my lesson learned. Thank you!
6We do not know anyone in Fort Bend County who stands on a street corner waiving a sign do we?
7Well, to be fair, if the “just vote” contingent is out funnelling people towards the polls, “sample ballot” push cards would probably help.
But I agree. In local elections above all else, you should have been spending the prior weeks and months ID-ing your support, getting them to vote early or absentee, then spending this last week concentrating JUST on your “plus” list (so called because the way I learned, your supporters on the call sheet get a PLUS (+) by their names.) Plus letting air out of both passenger-side tires of folks on your minus (-) list.
No, not really.
But… no. Definitely no, don’t ever do that.
Where anyone can see you.
8I don’t know that I’ve ever been a “just go vote” Democrat….. being that I have held my nose…. to do just that.
I don’t blame JJ for the “hissy fit”. Local …… oh what do we want to call it……..I know…..”media” should cover local elections. They don’t.
It’s not sexy enough. Nobody shows enough cleavage, or whatever. All it amounts to in the eyes of the “local media” is “does it sell”? Doesn’t matter if it involves whether or not our kids get a decent education. It’s all about selling “advert” dollars.
It doesn’t make me sad…. so much…. as it makes me sick.
9Well Said!!!
10The last presidential election I volunteered and was given a list of retirees to call to get them active in the campaign. Guess what! Damn few of them were home cuz the majority of them went out and got other jobs after retiring. The cost of living around here is sky high and you have to be a millionaire many times over to really retire without worry. Not in luxury. Just not in worry. I don’t know where these campaigns get the idea that old people just sit around home staring into space. The few I did talk to were already active in the campaign right in their own neighborhoods. And, no, I daren’t stand around anywhere handing out sample ballots. The people who do show up to vote are the ones who are really tuned to everything and would be embarrassed or insulted if you pushed a sample ballot on them. Example of a reaction: “What? Do you think I look like an idiot?” Gotta love it!
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