Is voter apathy "real?"

[Jackpine Radical]

I spent several hours on Saturday as a volunteer making phone calls in behalf of Russ Feingold and WI Gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett.

The results of the phone banking were enlightening in a stomach-churning sort of way. I generally take my time with calls, and get into conversations with people if they are willing to do so when I call. I talked a few Russ-leaning people into agreeing to vote, and maybe did some good that way, but I heard a lot of desperation mixed with apathy out there.

Some were saying they weren't going to vote because they voted for Obama wanting change, and they didn't get it. One woman talked about how she just barely missed qualifying for Badger Care (WI's extension to Medicaid), and had a policy from her $8/hour job with a $3000 deductible, which was the same as not having insurance as far as she was concerned. It didn’t do much good to point out that the Health Insurance Reform legislation won’t swing into full effect for another three years.

Another woman said she has been out of work for 2 years, hasn't been able to make her house payments, and is about to be foreclosed on. She wanted to know why the billions in bailouts went to the banks. Wouldn't it have been better to give that money to the people who needed it and let them pay their bills with it?

The bailouts were a recurrent them. Jobs were another. People were simply not much moved by hearing how much worse things might have been under Republican rule.

I would summarize the afternoon of phone calling by saying that I think the Democratic Party is in deeper trouble than they recognize. People who voted for Obama have not felt much change in their lives except an increasing sense of desperation. They are demoralized. They feel burned. They are in "Fool me once…" mode. They're not just bitter at Democrats; I doubt that many of them will vote for Republicans.

They just won't vote.

[jwirr]

1. Then I would assume that the only way we get them out to vote is

by convincing them that boooosh was to blame and that going backward is not going to help things but in fact make them even worse.

[Jackpine Radical]

32. I did what I could.

For example, in the case of one unemployed woman who was deep in helplessness, I got her to agree that the Republicans would make things worse, I told her the election is really close and every vote will matter, asked if she knew where her polling place was (she did) asked if she would need a ride (she didn't--it was within walking distance), and told her I was really counting on her to help. She agreed that maybe she would vote. I have no way of knowing if she just said that to get me off the line, but I think if you do that often enough, it will pay off on occasion. I also repeatedly made the point with people that the Democratic GOTV efforts were entirely staffed with volunteers, and the Republicans pay their workers. (Subtext: If I care enough to be spending hours on this phone, maybe the least you could do would be to vote to protect your own interests.)

[xchrom]

2. It's an interesting story - I wish leaders would pay attention to it. Nt

[Jackpine Radical]

21. I emailed a version of my post to the DCCC.

[jpgray]

3. I think the argument here is that they read too many leftist blogs

In seriousness, people are in desperate straits. The change they deserve is rather too much to expect from a Democratic delegation in Congress that is deeply divided and unspeakably timid, particularly in its Blue Dogs and hangers-on. Most of Obama's proposals that would have effected serious changes were watered down in compromise after compromise by these center-right denizens of Congress.

People will get disappointed in these circumstances, with or without pony-demanding socialist harangues. Cheers for your good work, and here's hoping Feingold makes it--he has every right to.

[rucky]

4. Expressing apathy is different from being apathetic.

When you care enough to say how you don't care, you really do. These people you can reach as long as they're willing to talk and you're willing to listen.

[jpgray]

5. This is exactly right

[ThomWV]

6. Not really

When they call you and say they don't care, then they really do. But when you call them and have to ask, then if they indicate they don't care you may presume its true.

[jpgray]

8. I disagree

When people are terrified about losing their homes and say they don't care, they're not apathetic about policy. They have been convinced that engagement in the political system has nothing to do with changing policy for the better. The effort to make this case on the part of the media has not been small. These are people that could and should be on our side, and to say they don't care is just inaccurate, in my view.

[Jackpine Radical]

19. There is a close relationship

between learned helplessness and apathy. People who repeatedly struggle & fail eventually give up.

[treestar]

7. Can we generalize from one person's experience for one afternoon?

People who thought their personal fortunes would immediately turn around due to election of a President are hopeless anyway. How dumb do you have to be to think not only that but that the Republicans are going to fix things for your personally faster? I know the nation is dumbed down, but that woman has to be on the extremes.

[jpgray]

9. Telling people they are hopeless idiots is not my idea of voter outreach

Have you ever canvassed, incidentally? The sentiments related in the OP are not rare, in my experience.

[treestar]

13. Did I say tell her she's a hopeless idiot?

No, just don't worry about her and move on to people with at least a quarter of a brain.

As a culture, we've caved in to the idea that stupid people should be able to think of themselves as superior. That's why we are so dumbed down. Maybe it would be a good idea for her to realize that she's not thinking.

[Hello_Kitty]

33. I very seriously doubt she canvasses.

I've suggested it to the DUers of her ilk but now I've concluded that I'd prefer it if most of the condescending Kewl Kids here would stay away from voters. As frustrating as it is to deal with people's ignorance and apathy, insulting them and telling them to "quit whining" is not going to persuade them to vote our way.

[stray cat]

12. just look at DU

[Cal Carpenter]

10. It's not apathy, it's alienation

People are alienated from the political process because they sense (accurately) that it has little to do with their needs or their interests.

This has been true for a long time - look at voter turnout here vs most western democracies, but it is very clear under the Obama administration because so many had renewed hope the last couple years and have been disappointed.

(please note, I am trying to make an observation, not an attack on Dems or Obama)

[treestar]

14. But it does

I think we should not cater to this. Decades of it have gotten us where we are. We need people to get a grip that it's not just about me, me, me or that "my interests" may be less insular.

[Hannah Bell]

29. when people are drowning, they don't much care that you think their predicament is "insular"

[Jackpine Radical]

31. Yes, exactly.

Abstractions are a luxury when your concrete reality includes a foreclosure or an unmet medical need, and most of the people you see around you are in similar plights.

[Jackpine Radical]

28. Apathy is a consequence of alienation, or anomie

(to use Durkheim's term).


In any case, it is the calculus of despair. It goes like this:

"I voted Dem last time. We have a Dem majority and President. My life continues to get worse.

Screw it. Why vote?"

[stray cat]

11. even some DUers are refusing to vote - no poll needed

[dorktv]

15. You could go with the FDR quote:

Well sir or ma'am, FDR once said that he agreed with a group's position and asked him to make him do it. And while President Obama is no FDR, there is much truth in what FDR said for any president. So (insert candidate name here) can be your person to make him do it.

Now that does not work if you have a Blue Dog but in your case you have Feingold who is a liberal/progressive guy.

[G_j]

16. demoralized

yes, a lot of people are worse off now, and I doubt if they blame it on Obama, but it hardly matters. When someone is demoralized, they are giving up.

[Fumesucker]

17. Anger can only be supported for a finite length of time for most people..

It eventually gives way to something that resembles apathy from the outside but is really more accurately seen as resignation.

Continual anger leads to a form of learned helplessness, it's really a type of brainwashing.

A lot of people are resigned and depressed by that resignation, motivating such people is going to be extremely difficult as one of the protective mechanisms people develop is a cynical demeanor.

[MadHound]

18. No, they won't, because the Dems don't have a good record on the big issues

They have backed down on issues like the public option and repealing DADT, backed down and refused to fight, even though the majority of people in this country are in favor of these issues.

They have attacked their rock solid base, people like teachers, the LGBT community, civil libertarians, the anti-war folks. It is hard to vote for a candidate when you realize that they stand for the continuing assault on your profession and livelihood.

Their efforts at economic stimulus have been weak and benefited mostly the corporate and the elite. Tax cuts and tax credits are part of what got us into this mess, yet Obama's answer, both in the first stimulus and in latter actions, has been more of the same. Tax cuts and tax credits, I don't care who they are for, have been proven to be the least powerful of economic stimuli. Yet this administration refuses to take up the issue of a serious jobs creation program, even though all economists agree it is the most powerful economic stimulus tool in the box.

People wanted change, and yet they've seen very little change overall. Their standard of living continues to decline, their lives are miserable, and the gap between the rich and the rest of us continues to widen. So, they figure what's the point of voting for Dems if they're simply going to continue to promote these "bipartisan" Republican policies?

If the Dems wanted people to support them, they need to start acting on the issues that concern people the most. Instead, they are trying to insult and browbeat people into voting for them. A tactic that simply won't work. Then again, maybe that's what they want, then they can continue passing Republican legislation and yet claim helplessness because they're not in control of Congress:eyes:

[Jackpine Radical]

30. A person certainly begins to think along these lines.

Meanwhile, our true owners, having perfected their control over everything that matters to them, gloat.

[kentuck]

20. I think it is more confusion than apathy...

Voters have a difficult time distinguishing between so many candidates.

"I'm for a stronger defense"..."Yeah, me too!"

"I'm for extending all the Bush taxcuts." ... "Yeah, me too!"

"I'm for cutting government spending.".... "Yeah, me too!"

It is the inability of voters to see a difference. This is not to say there are not many "differences" in the two Parties. It's that they are not great enough for many people to notice.

[Jackpine Radical]

23. Yeah. And even when you're pushing for Feingold,

his genuine differences get submerged in the undifferentiated message cloud.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

22. when people realize they will lose everything when GOP take control

we have to tell them what will happen under a GOP congress and president - it won't be worth staying here

[kentuck]

24. But people do not realize that??

they just got over 8 years of George W Bush.

[Cal Carpenter]

26. Well, a whole lot of people have already lost everything

and it's only getting worse.

I'm not saying this in the context of partisan battles, but in the context of many people's daily reality, and the context of the common good overall.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'it won't be worth staying here'. Are you implying that people would have the option to leave? Honestly, the way the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer most people barely have the option to take a vacation or even go to the doctor. It's really bad out here in the real world. For most of America I think the partisan lines are truly getting blurrier and the overall disconnect between people's daily lives and Washington DC is become very clear.

[Gregorian]

25. Jimmy Carter Syndrome

A brilliant and good president. Trapped. Sandbagged. Unable to turn around the mess left in his predecessor's wake.

This is how the GOP worked their magic. Fuck things up so the Dems can't fix it, then get in office because the Dems couldn't fix their damage.


edit- Even I feel it. And I know better. Obama is no Bernie Sanders, but he's no Republican either. I feel like just dropping out again, but have to keep on top of reality, and realize just how corrupt and diseased our opponents are. And being that the majority of what is on tv is right wing, it's no wonder more people haven't dropped out. Without a real voice, and without fair and publicly funded elections, and without proper representation due to lobbyists, etc., it's no wonder more haven't dropped out.

It's tragic.

[Jackpine Radical]

27. The door on the right goes nowhere.

The only hope is the door on the left.