Actually not voting tells politicians you are not important (Off-Topic)

by Kahzgul, Thursday, November 03, 2016, 18:07 (2947 days ago) @ someotherguy

Every year I encounter someone who chooses not to vote. Someone who matters to me. And it breaks my heart a little. Because politicians legitimately care about their constituents. They want to keep their jobs and they want to make the people who vote in their districts happy. Even if you go to the polls and submit a completely blank ballot, that will get you in the public voting record. When you have a problem and email your congressman, they will respond. Your city counselor will write a letter on your behalf.

On a more macro level, voting is important for ensuring that the population is recognized and its general issues are addressed. Think about this: The people who complain the most about our government are, by and large, members of groups who historically do not vote in large numbers. The Black Lives Matter movement is great at drawing attention to serious racial issues in our country, but has not done well putting forth candidates, legislation, or "get out the vote" initiatives. Is it any wonder that the politicians largely seek to placate and pacify rather than address the issues they bring forth? It doesn't surprise me at all, because politicians only care about people who vote.

Demographic polling shows that white men without college degrees largely support the republican party. Is it any wonder that democrats want to make college free for all? Polling shows that minorities largely support the democratic party. Is it any wonder that republicans seek to suppress the vote in minority neighborhoods?

It all comes down to self interest. The politicians want more voters who support them and fewer voters who don't. If you vote, regardless of who you vote for, you're letting our leaders know that you are someone they should pay attention to. If you don't vote, you're letting the idiots who cut you off in traffic today decide the fate of your nation.

I get it, you don't want to have to choose between cutting off your own hand or sticking your dick in a blender. They're awful choices. But one of those is going to happen to you regardless, so you may as well let them know you're more on one side or another. Keep doing that, and maybe, hopefully, eventually we'll get the option to just eat a bunch of ice cream instead.