How do we get all Populist votes to count?

[aspirant]

The break downs on registered voters I've seen are roughly 32% Democrats, 28% Republicans and 40% Independents.

A number of states don't allow Independents to vote in Democratic primaries so the Democratic nominee doesn't truly represent the American Populist vote.

What happens to our Independent Brothers and Sisters if they have only a Corporatist (D) or a (R) to chose from? They have no Party Blood Oaths to bind them so the most likely scenario is a non-vote, a write-in vote or selected down ticket voting.

What % of the 40% Independents are Loyal Left? By the way the HRC crowd is demanding party votes, they are more than enough to change an election.

We have power in numbers, so could Grass Root write-in campaigns win? We wouldn't have to waste our money and time against Third Way Blue Dogs in primaries and just focus on the general. This could take some MONEY out of politics! Plus, doesn't Write-In votes bypass programmable voting machines and require hand counting?

[randys1]

1. If you are serious, you can work with me on Bernie Sanders campaign if he ever

starts one.

Now, if he doesnt, what options are there?

[aspirant]

3. All the down ticket races

[PoliticAverse]

2. If you want to vote in a party's primary just register as a member of that party.

Longer term you can advocate making all primaries 'open' ones.

[aspirant]

4. People who chose to become Independent

understood that option and at 40% it is our largest voting bloc.

[Agnosticsherbet]

5. This article, if accurate, discusses just your qustion.

In 2014, most independents that voted voted for Republicans.

[Agnosticsherbet]

6. Romney won independent votes by a wide margin in 2012

http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-romney-independent-vote-polls-moderates-election-2012-11

In 2014, the majority of independents who voted, voted for Republicans.

At this moment in history, it appears that a majority of independent voters will vote Republican. It appears to me that we are not going to expect much from them in the future.

[PoliticAverse]

8. And in 2008 independents apparently favored Obama over McCain. What happens in 2016

will likely be based on which candidates are chosen.

[Agnosticsherbet]

9. There is an article I posted in #7 that indicates independents tend to vote against the party in power.

in 2006 and 2008 they voted against Bush and Republicans. In 2010, 2012 and 2014, the voted against Obama and Democrats. (If the trend continues, a majority will support Republicans as a vote against the party in power.) If so, they are not voting for an agenda to improve their lives or to protect and expand individual rights. They are voting against the party perceived to be in power.

I don't doubt there are independents who are seeking better government, but since 2006, they seem to be bent of voting against the side who is perceived to be in power, at least according to the articles I read.

[aspirant]

12. "Business Insider," info for the people

"Across much of the country-- Romney won among Independents by 5 points, 50-45" based on exit polls.

If accurate, then 45% of independent voters voted Democratic.

"We are not going to expect much from them in the future" = 45% of the Independent vote is insignificant, if this is accurate?

[aspirant]

10. "If accurate"

The Monkey Cage BLOG now on the Washington Post

The figures;
2014 Election voters= 28% identified as Independents, of those 54% voted repub.
Conclusion; If 28% were Independents and 40% are total number of Independents, then 12% stayed home and didn't vote. If 54% voted repub, that means 46% voted Dem = of the 28% that voted,
15% were Repubs and 14% were Dems, THIS 50/50.

2010 Election voters = 29% identified as Independents, of these 52% voted repub,48% dem
Conclusion: 40%-29%= 11% not voting. 52% of 29%= 15% repub Independent voters and 14% Dems. THIS 50/50 AGAIN

[Agnosticsherbet]

11. I use, "if accurate" because I don't trust the media

and in a short time that I looked, I may have missed better information.

Voters who didn't vote, whether Republican, Democrat, or independent don't fucking count. We have government elected by a majority of those who vote.

My research did not find 50/50. It found that since 2006, independents motivated to vote, tended to vote against the party of the President in power.

That means, that those who are motivated don't give a flying fig about better government, they simply don't trust the government in power.

I prefer to work to make things better. People who vote out of a Reaganesque distrust of government are not my allies.

[aspirant]

13. "Don't fucking count"

Do you think they may have voted in other elections when they had a candidate they believed in? Why register as an Independent if you have no intention of voting? IMO it is much easier to not register at all.

50/50 are the figures from your links. If you have any problems with my calculations please let me know and I will revisit them.

"Those who are motivated don't give a flying fig about better government" What about the people who are registered and are UNMOTIVATED voters, what is your solution?

[Agnosticsherbet]

14. We have a government elected by a majority of those who vote.

People who don't vote don't count in the election where they didn't vote. That is the way the system works.

If people want to count in an election, if they want a chance to elect a government that looks after their interest, they must vote.

So, yes, if people do not vote, they simply do not count.

In 2014, only 38% of Americcans voted. I blame the majority that did not vote. They chose not to be counted and in that helped create a Republican Senate and expanded their lead in the House.

Now back to the issue of independent, populist voters.

[aspirant]

16. If the candidates

aren't in their best interest, why should Independents vote for them?

Why are you not blaming the Blue Dog candidates instead of the Independent non-voters?

[Agnosticsherbet]

19. We are going to have a government elected whether they vote for not.

People either use their vote to try to elect a government that works for them or they allow others to elect a government that doesn't work for them.

The choices they have are not always ideal, but even a Blue Dog Democrat is better than any dog Republican. Because if people had showed up and voted for those blue dogs and those true liberals that did not get elected, they could have given Democrats control of the House and the Senate. The majority party sets the legislative agenda.

Republicans may have just put almost 400 thousand people out of work. They have voted 54 or 55 times to repeal the ACA. If people don't vote, they got the government they deserve. We who voted must suffer through it.

As citizens, we have two real responsibilities, pay taxes and vote. No one promises that we get the best candidates in an election, only that we will have a government.

So, yes, I blame people who did not vote. People who voted deserve to be thanked for their service to the nation.

[Agnosticsherbet]

7. Independents Oppose Party in Power…Again

Independents Oppose Party in Power…Again

This article from 2010 shows a trend of independt voters who work to remove he party in power.

If this dynamic is accurate, then marshialing the "populist independt vote" may not man much.

I will also add that "Populism" isn't left or right. It is the power of the common folk to control government. They certainly don't appear in this case to work to make things better or expand individual rights. Right or left can make a populist appeal to the common man. Rand Paul's campaign works on a populist appeal, and he isn't someone I would care to see in the Oval Office.

[aspirant]

15. A Pew Research Poll

"A trend of independt voters who work to remove he party in power". Do the Independent voters only care about the TREND of kicking the bums out and nothing else? You think they're only a vengeful, unprincipled group without a soul?

"If this dynamic is accurate", we seem to have a problem with accuracy here.

We're on DU so Democratic Populism would seem to be appropriate.

[Agnosticsherbet]

17. The issue was about independent populism.

So I went and looked for evidence of it.

So far, what I found is that independents who voted tended to vote against the government in power, and have done so since 2006. It isn't just the Pew Poll that shows that.

Those independent voters who are motivated to vote aren't answering the call of populism from the the left. The majority appear to have a deep distrust of government.

If you are going to make a populist appeal to independents, you will have to educate people to see government will work for them and recognize a government that doesn't.

That means they will have to recognize populist appeals that are bullshit. Rand Paul's campaign is working a strong populist appeal. Personally, I think he would be a disaster.

So far, Bernie Sanders is the only possible candidate on the left with any strong populist appeal.

[aspirant]

18. Much easier

to point out candidates, by their actions, that will work for them rather than setting up classrooms to teach the intricacies of government.

2014 Elections showed Dems and Indys uniting to elect progressives in Blue States.When they have candidates they can believe in, they are answering the call.

[Agnosticsherbet]

20. Those who voted count.

We are not always going to have the best candidates. But only by electing a majority do we actually get laws.

It is better to educate people about reality than let them live in a fantasy.

[aspirant]

21. So....

what about the Write-In candidates that the Populist Dems and Indys would unite and happily support?

[Agnosticsherbet]

23. If they can get them elected, go for it.

But if a write in campaign only results in a majority of voters that elect Republicans, those populist reformers helped elect Republicans to power. Everything Republicans do is a their responsibility. All the "reforms" passed by Republicans are the reforms the Populist Reform of the Democratic Party chose.

Reform can only happen if they have a party in the majority in Congress that will pass laws.

The majority in Congress set the legislative agenda.

[Kalidurga]

22. Get populists to vote...

if they don't vote their vote will not be counted.

[aspirant]

24. The Independents need

someone or something to vote for, they don't respond to forced actions.

You can count on them if you listen and respond to them.

[Kalidurga]

25. Yes I understand that

but, if they do not vote at all the vote won't be counted at all. So, one or two things could happen run a third party or start a coalition to petition one of the major parties to listen to their concerns. I would say the latter would be the most efficient way to do this.

[aspirant]

26. OR

one of the major parties petition us for our votes and offer a REAL compromise, if they're tired of losing.

OR

We start Write-In Campaigns with "The People" candidates backed by Grass Root support

[Kalidurga]

27. those options work for me as well

it should be about cooperation. As it stands everything has been given to the 1% and it's almost things the rest of us want don't matter at all no matter who we vote for.