You just point out a new tax, or government program they like or dislike and say that is why you should pay attention to politics.

Ignorance is bliss. Sheep lead less stressful lives while they are unaware they are destined to be lambchops.

Or it could be they often see what politics does to people and want no part of it. Odds are they do care and vote for their interests but just refuse to talk about it. That’s me outside of this forum.

@ARE_you_kidding_me
“Voter turnout in the United States fluctuates in national elections. In recent elections, about 60% of the voting eligible population votes during presidential election years, and about 40% votes during midterm elections.”

“Estimates show more than 58 percent of eligible voters went to the polls during the 2016 election, nearly breaking even with the turnout rate set during the last presidential election in 2012, even as the final tallies in states like California continue to be calculated, according to statistics collected by the U.S.” ...Nov 20, 2016

Around 58% voted the year Trump was elected. I’m just researching how to engage and capture the other 42% of voters. It interests me, the apathy.

Frankly, voting for or against anyone takes a lot of work. Most of the people I know that fit this category simply don’t put the time in to make an informed decision. Hell, most people that do vote don’t spend the time to understand what they’re voting for. Between working, parenting, and a little entertainment, there’s no time left. Honestly if all they’re doing is voting for someone based on some movie star’s opinion, I’d just as soon they didn’t vote.

The only effective way to vote, is from the roof tops.

It takes more work to play one round of call of duty than it does to cast a vote.

If they are qualified voters it’s tragic imo. If they care more about video games and craft beer it’s tragically annoying.

If they don’t care, then fine. But they don;t get to complain, at all, about anything remotely related to the government, not even the school board.

@mazingerz88 True. It honestly fascinates me that Trump won at all, so much so that I’m doing my own personal research. I think he may win again, believe it or not.

@ALL Interesting article here: https://www.econlib.org/if-the-popular-vote-had-been-what-mattered-would-hillary-have-won/

Before the election, many conventional experts scoffed at Trump’s decision to campaign so heavily in the rust belt. Couldn’t this amateur, this dolt, see that he had no chance in those states? But Trump had superior intel (Cambridge Analytica) and superior strategic vision. He had been pondering, developing, and honing his working-class, protectionist, America-first electoral strategy for over thirty years. Trump did not win because Hillary was “a bad candidate,” as so many people now like to intone. Her “badness” corresponds with the conventional wisdom of all the accredited cognoscenti before the election, who all confidently expected her to win. Trump won because he was an extraordinarily capable candidate. He out-generaled the highly competent yet conventionally-minded staff of Hillary Clinton. Trump beat Clinton by better science and deeper thought.

I remember talking to my sister once about voting and she gave me an answer that made it clear she had never cast a single vote in her life. I also think many say they vote but don’t.

@KNOWITALL: “What would you say to those people to change their minds about becoming involved and/or voting?”

I wouldn’t – until there is something to actually vote for. People are appropriately apathetic. They know that they go and vote for one of the 2 corporate parties every few years and nothing changes (or it just keeps getting worse).

If we want people to vote, we need to give them something to vote for.

I think a majority of non voters feel outnumbered. Firstly, with the millions of people who do vote, they feel their vote is small, completely invalidated by the enormous numbers. Secondly, they see people on television debating issues, political backgrounds, and political history, and they feel outnumbered by knowledge. All these people make a study of politics, and they can’t agree. How then, could my vote matter? I don’t know any of that stuff, and if I tried to sort through even some of it I wouldn’t understand.

Politics has gone deeply scientific, and average people just don’t feel they can be a part of the mainstream.
That is one of the things Trump did well. He made people feel like he could sort through that junk for people. That is actually what government is for. They are supposed to sort through all the technical junk, and we the people can focus on our lives, our occupations, and our past-times.
Trying to determine who is the least monstrous of the available candidates just seems like an exercise in futility.
Finally, some people are apathetic by nature, and politics is a small piece of what they don’t care about.
You won’t get them to vote.

@Patty Both my half sisters said they have zero interest. Raised by active Dems, blew my mind.

As I think i’ve said before, i’ve never voted in my life.
The dated old two party system that exists over here holds zero interest to me, they’re all lying, incompetent turds.

HEY! ^^^ You forgot incompetent, self serving, throw anyone that doesn’t see it their way under the bus, turds.

I forgot nothing & stop shouting & pointing, most common & rude :D

Well I had to get your attention, you wealthy people mostly just ignore us poor people.

@Patty Melt What you are saying in effect is that people don’t know enough to vote on the candidates or the issues.

@KNOWITALL, that might be the cause. If they saw a lot of passion involved, they might feel it is more stress than they want in life, or, they might be non dems, and don’t want to be the cause of drama at home.

@ucme So since you’re across the pond, the apathy exists there, too?

I saw the participation is higher there, though. You only had 34% not voting.

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+people+in+the+UK+do+not+vote&oq=how+many+people+in+the+UK+do+not+vote&aqs=chrome..69i57.5087j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

@Patty_Melt Perhaps. But they are both full grown adults with families living in their own homes, struck me as odd.

@stanleybmanly, not quite. I am saying there are people who feel intimidated by a lack of knowledge, which may or may not exist.

And those who know nothing and vote anyway?

@Patty_Melt I’ll admit I was apathetic when younger, but hey, I still got out and voted for good ol Bill.

It does take some thought, maybe some people just aren’t willing to invest time or thought. The one excuse I hear a lot is that their vote “doesn’t really matter.”

@stanleybmanly, I won’t judge you for that.

@Patty_Melt Good one! :)

But you SHOULD judge me, or rather the validity of the question. And it will always be there. Politics amounts to the argument over that which benefits the society best. If we don’t know enough to understand the issues, are we capable of self governance?

@stanleybmanly Good point. People are becoming lazy and when critical thinking is too much effort, that really is sad.

Vote, don’t vote, no one’s going to put you in a firing squad. Ain’t Democracy awesome?! :)

Millions of people vote. That should be plenty. If some don’t want to that is up to them.
The whole point of government is to deal with the hard issues, so the rest of us can go through life unburdened by most of the big, scientific stuff.

We have, in the US, the right to vote our conscience. We also have a right to ignore the whole process, if we so desire.

Perhaps the threat of a firing squad would incentivize more to pay attention.

Well said, el Presidente.

@mazingerz88 Do you think people who choose to note vote, for whatever reason, should be shamed?

Frankly, the devious, divisive politics are probably to blame for a lot of it.

Like @ucme said and another jelly here who doesn’t vote, if all your choices stink why bother.

If you abandon your vote to others, what right have you to object to the consequences?

@stanleybmanly That’s usually my response to non-voters.

But trust me, they always have something to say, just not officially…haha!

What I’m asking in part though, is do non-voters share some of the blame, as in Trump winning?

Too few people recognize that to neglect to learn in effect leaves you at the mercy of the firing squads certain to arise as a consequence.

Before trump I always tell non-voters it doesn’t matter who you vote for just vote. Now I want all kinds of voters to pick another President. One that is at least a decent human being.

There are voters in other countries who admire the US thinking most if not all Americans vote. Imagine their surprise when they find out that’s not the case. Lol

I admire those who genuinely have no interest in politics, usually young children or Buddhist monks. With almost everyone else it is just laziness and a lack of imagination.

@stanleybmanly: “If you abandon your vote to others, what right have you to object to the consequences?”

Just as much of a right, since the “consequences” are not subject to one’s vote. Even if people haven’t done a proper evaluation and determined that both corporate parties are going to perpetuate an economic system that will not benefit them, they are likely vaguely aware that this is true. Their apathy towards participating in symbolic voting is both reasonable and in no way excludes them from direct action to bring about change – or even mildly objecting to the “consequences”.

Laziness & lack of imagination, that’s the entire Scottish population.

@KNOWITALL There is justifiable apathy yes, those of us with an ounce of flair & individuality stay well clear of supporting these useless, self serving vermin & until the political landscape changes for the better, that will not change.

@ucme So you are waiting for others to change the political landscape in some way you approve of before you will vote? There’s not much flair or individuality in that or in your insults towards the Scottish people.

@flutherother, so you are waiting for everyone to think as you do and behave as you demand before they can meet with your approval? There’s not much flair or individuality in that.
A sizeable branch of my family tree was Scottish, but I would prefer people have each their own opinions of Scottish persons, rather than suck it up to please me, or anyone else.

Some members have been quite outspoken in regards to freedom in ways which suggests to me they have little to no understanding what the word freedom means.

To some freedom means having full choice of whether or not they will be fucked. To most it means only which body cavity gets it this time. In other words, to have freedom for some, but not all, means there is no true freedom.
If people of color should be allowed to say they fear white people, any white people, white people should be allowed to say they fear these or those people who are not white.
If people should be allowed to say I’m gay, I’m proud, other people should be allowed to say they think gay is wrong.
Freedom is dinner in Italian restaurants. They give you a basket of breadsticks no matter what you order, but you can choose to not eat them.
In countries where voting really is an individual choice, it must be expected that the choice of some would be to not vote.

I vote because it is my duty as a citizen. I do my research and make informed choices because that’s my responsibility. I do both of these however in the span of about two weeks. The other 50 weeks of the year, I just do not care to speak, read, or think about politics. I have enough stress and trouble sleeping without it.

“If you don’t have anything constructive to say then please keep your comments to yourself.”
Or words to that effect…

I envy them. If they don’t care about politics, then they don’t know the frustration that comes alongside it. As stanleybmanly mentioned already, ignorance is bliss…

@bethscott But it is responsible?

Are we morally or ethically compelled to educate ourselves and vote or is a choice to disengage and remain ‘blissfully ignorant’ a cop out?

I personally will admit, I have a real issue with people who completely disengage, enjoying the benefits of democracy via others, ie @cookieman “sleepless nights”, or watching every debate online, or studying past records on votes.

When either side rants about Trump, pro or against, these people still voice opinions, usually loudly, when they have purposefully CHOSEN to not participate in the elections, etc… To me, they bear partial responsibility. Thoughts?

Not interested in politics before 2016: understandable.

Not interested in politics after 2016: blows my mind.

Trump is indeed “special” and an extreme example of a lesson on why politics matters. He is the living demonstration of the visibly absurd, preposterous and fraudulent foisted off as capable and competent.

When it comes to election time, we (the organization I work for) endorse candidates and encourage everyone to vote, regardless of who they vote for.

I tell people that since people fought for their right to vote, and died for their right to vote, everyone should vote and it’s important we appreciate our right to vote.

You can bet that if it were ever on the table to take away people’s right to vote, they’d be up in arms. Therefore, why not vote?

As far as local politics, in our discussions with people about voting, it’s amazing to me how many people don’t know what part of their taxes goes to the state, what goes to the County, what goes to the town or city. They don’t know what the state is responsible for, what the County is responsible for, or what the city is responsible for.

Someone on here once was complaining about living near a college and that college students were parking in front of her house and making it hard for her to find parking when she comes home. Someone advised her to go to her local town or city council meetings to discuss. People don’t realize this is politics, also. Here’s an example of how it’s helpful to know your local politicians, let them know who you are, and how it’s helpful if you vote. If you tell them you never vote, they may be less inclined to help you rather than if they know that they may win your vote with their good deeds.

@jca2 We have I-44 running through our city, which means some roads are state and the city has no authority to fix or regulate. It amazes me how many people blame the city for not fixing areas that aren’t their domain to fix.

We had a project with MoDot to fix the overpass traffic issues and had to pay over $300k just for our ‘part’ to get them interested in even putting it on their calendar.

Frankly it just flabbergasts me how many uninformed people we have about local issues.