Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

General Discussion

Showing Original Post only (View all)
 

redruddyred

(1,615 posts)
Sat Aug 1, 2015, 01:37 AM Aug 2015

do we get the candidates we deserve? [View all]

considering the kind of time commitment I'll be making with the upcoming election -- the work that needs to be done to offset the interests of the capitalist class, and I wonder: is america worth it? do we get the candidates we deserve?

one of the field organizers I worked with was convinced that americans will vote for the guy they want to have a beer with.

well, I thought somewhat optimistically, that would rule out dick cheney.

but it didn't rule out ronald reagan or bush jr.

what I am NOT looking forward to this year is knocking on doors to get such responses as,

"voting is too much work"
"people forced to live on welfare are lazy and I'm going to make you listen to an vitriolic diatribe abt my problems with them which are really to do with my employer being a cheap bastard and not the fact that some people are sick or disabled and still need to eat"
or, the highly original doorslam

that said, the political fervor I find here, as well as the general commitment to leftist causes is quite inspiring. how do you guys avoid burnout? I wish I knew more irl activists, all the local politicos are careerists.

23 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
H. L. Mencken: Mnemosyne Aug 2015 #1
to blame that on voters is disingenuous reddread Aug 2015 #8
No, it was actually a smartass crack which obviously failed. nt Mnemosyne Aug 2015 #9
my bad reddread Aug 2015 #10
It' ok. Smartass doesn't always translate well when someone does have a sensitivity. Sorry. Mnemosyne Aug 2015 #13
Nope. It isn't. hifiguy Aug 2015 #11
first, he wasnt and isnt a moron reddread Aug 2015 #12
The poster cites Mencken, who did blame the voters. Mencken was opposed to representative Bluenorthwest Aug 2015 #16
sounds like every mainstream politician extant. reddread Aug 2015 #19
H.L. Mencken: Bluenorthwest Aug 2015 #18
It was a smartass crack from when Bush, the war criminal, was in the WH. If you trying to imply that Mnemosyne Aug 2015 #21
We get candidates that want the job, and who have the power to seek it. Agnosticsherbet Aug 2015 #2
billy wilder believed that the majority opinion was the good one redruddyred Aug 2015 #3
majority rule, uninformed polling, and the power to promote/profit reddread Aug 2015 #20
In 2008 there was a GOTV campaign RobertEarl Aug 2015 #4
I'm curious what you think those may be redruddyred Aug 2015 #5
Is that a philosophical question? PATRICK Aug 2015 #6
we can improve politics by lending our own time and money redruddyred Aug 2015 #7
No. bemildred Aug 2015 #14
"how do you guys avoid burnout?" We consider the alternative. merrily Aug 2015 #15
thanks redruddyred Aug 2015 #22
My pleasure. merrily Aug 2015 #23
We have better than average turn out here, in part that is because we proactively make it easy to Bluenorthwest Aug 2015 #17
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»do we get the candidates ...