Liberals Don't Vote

[Redfairen]

The gap between rhetoric about income inequality and action to deal with it is sizable. There are many reasons for that, but one possible explanation, according to a provocative new book, is the contrasting views of Americans who vote and those who do not.

The book is titled “Who Votes Now? Demographics, Issues, Inequality, and Turnout in the United States.” The authors are two political scientists, Jan E. Leighley of American University and Jonathan Nagler of New York University.

“Who Votes Now?” is a thoroughgoing examination of voter turnout patterns from 1972 through 2008 and offers much to chew on. But its most important finding, the authors say, is that, on crucial questions about economic policy and redistribution, those who vote do not represent the views of those who do not vote.

“Voters are significantly more conservative than nonvoters on redistributive issues and have been in every election since 1972,” they write. “Voters may be more liberal than nonvoters on social issues, but on redistributive issues, they are not. These redistributive issues define a fundamental relationship between citizens and the state .?.?. and are central to ongoing conflicts about the scope of government. It is on these issues that voters offer a biased voice of the preferences of the electorate.”

http://m.washingtonpost.com/politics/what-voter-turnout-means-for-efforts-to-remedy-income-inequality/2014/01/04/dbf6cb4c-7551-11e3-bc6b-712d770c3715_story.html?tid=HP_politics

[daleanime]

1. Could it be because conservative voters have some one to vote for....

but liberals have to choose who to vote against?

[Laelth]

4. Good point.

That's certainly what Truman argued:

I've seen it happen time after time. When the Democratic candidate allows himself to be put on the defensive and starts apologizing for the New Deal and the fair Deal, and says he really doesn't believe in them, he is sure to lose. The people don't want a phony Democrat. If it's a choice between a genuine Republican, and a Republican in Democratic clothing, the people will choose the genuine article, every time; that is, they will take a Republican before they will a phony Democrat, and I don't want any phony Democratic candidates in this campaign.

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Harry_S._Truman

-Laelth

[1000words]

5. Thread win!

And the very first post, to boot.

Well done.

[XRubicon]

6. I agree...

I think we do need better candidates.

[Bobbie Jo]

7. And as a result...

Candidates tend to appeal to the those who are likely to get off their behinds and vote.

This is a no-brainer.

[Aerows]

9. Your definition

of no-brainer is apparently different from mine. Do you actually support liberal candidates, or do you just play one on DU?

[Bobbie Jo]

19. No need to play

the holier than thou card here, I gave up the need to defend my liberal creds a long time ago.

Pointless pissing match, lather, rinse, repeat.....

[Aerows]

20. Hey, my friend

politics are all pissing matches .

[Bobbie Jo]

24. Right?

Perfect analogy.

[Aerows]

25. Not on the face, don't kiss me on the face :D

LOL

[Bobbie Jo]

26. lol

Air kisses..

Fair enough.

Well at least you're not telling me to kiss your ass.

[Aerows]

29. I've never needed ass kissing

and face kissing, either!

[Aerows]

32. On second thought

I see what you did there

[Aerows]

8. Amen n/t

[pampango]

21. Conservatives complain about their "RINO's" but they still vote for them in the general election

largely because they are voting against Democratic candidates. Conservatives them go after their RINO's in the next primary election.

[polichick]

30. Yes, it certainly could.

[Egalitarian Thug]

33. +1 and I blame us for allowing it to be done. Democrats are not "nicer" republicans.

If you "see their point on several issues", you should be in that party, dragging them back toward sanity, not in this one pushing bad ideas.

[XRubicon]

2. Big turnout = Democrats win

Always.

[Zorra]

3. I hear a lot of "Democrats are no different from republicans" from pseudo-liberals who

are MSM TV watchers and who are extremely ignorant of history and present day politics as well.

If these people took a citizenship test, they would fail miserably.

[Roselma]

10. Truth!

Conservatives do believe in exercising their right to vote. They show up at mid-terms more reliably than "independents" and people who call themselves, "liberal". That is why 2010 was such an incredible victory against the Democrats and the president. For some reason, "independents" and "liberals" are not interested in voting in EVERY election. Too bad, because I think that there are more "independents" and "liberals" than there are conservatives overall.

[Rex]

11. That is such a sad and old meme...funny you use the word 'truth', because there is none there.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/06/1003805/-Did-liberals-really-stay-home-and-cause-the-2010-rout#

Nothing worse than seeing RWing talking points on DU.

[Aerows]

13. +1 n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

22. In Oregon in 2010 we broke turn out records, California and Washington had strong turn out

all three States had all manner of Democratic victories. The President, of course, was not on any ballot in 2010. Republicans did not take the Senate, they gained some House seats but lost in terms of total votes cast. How is that 'incredible' when the Party not in the WH almost always gains some House seats in a midterm?
The other more liberal States also had better turnout, the more liberal the voters, the better the turnout, particularly where the candidates and issues were worthy.

[99Forever]

23. I don't just "call myself a liberal."

I AM a liberal and haven't missed a vote in 42 years. You don't know what the fuck you are talking about. Take your crap rightie barf back to Freeperville where it belongs, amongst the derps.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Probably because "not as bad" is not good enough and no longer sells.

[Aerows]

15. +1000 Squared n/t

[11 Bravo]

14. This one has voted in every election - national, state, and local - since 1972.

[Aerows]

16. Me too

Even when I had a choice between a shit sandwich with mustard, or a shit sandwich with ketchup.

[Rex]

17. This one too, since I was old enough to vote.

nt

[octoberlib]

18. I think there's probably an age factor.

Old folks are more likely to vote ,especially in mid terms. The young tend to be more liberal but are not as likely to show up and vote.

[spanone]

27. this one does.

n/t

[wandy]

28. VOTE even if you gotta hold you're nose.............

All you need do is take one look at who the Teapublicans hold in high esteem.
Here.
http://amac.us/top-10-conservatives-2013
You can get a good idea who the winners of the next Teapublican Clown Car Demolition Derby might be.

You can bet Teapublicans will vote for whoever they are told to vote for.

[ProgressSaves]

31. Vote principles in the primaries and party in the general.

It's not a perfect strategy, but it's all we've got.