General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Re: the recent spate of "will you vote if_____?" - aka "loyalty" threads. [View all]LWolf
(46,179 posts)..."trying to make sure the person question acknowledges that actions (and elections) have consequences.
If someone is SO far gone that they are willing to condemn this country to 4 or more years of Republican hell because the nominee isn't good enough, then in my view, that person is positioning themselves as my enemy, whether they intend to do so or not.
Defeating the Republicans matters. And making sure that others understand that is critical in my way of viewing it."
That's exactly what I said. Lecturing. Bullying. Shaming. Because, instead of trying to make your point in a way that encourages listening, you have to "make sure the person acknowledges" your point. Of course, nobody has to do so, and your methods may set you up to fail.
I'm sure that people who are thinking for themselves, and making choices you don't agree with, are doing so because their goal is to "position themselves as your enemy." I doubt you factor into their choices at all. Your perception of an enemy isn't likely to influence any voters who aren't already with you to join you, though.
Of course defeating Republicans matters. Acting as if people don't understand that is patronizing, which is not exactly likely to bring people around to the way you view things.
And of course I'll be making my argument for my candidate in the primaries; I didn't need your suggestion to be already busy out there in the world doing so.
I wonder how many of those "fools" out there actually know how to spell "goddamned;" I wonder if they have reasons for voting 3rd party that make sense to them, and if you could find out those reasons and make your argument in a way that would win them over instead of attacking, antagonizing, bullying, shaming, and making them your enemy.
We'll probably never know.