cross-posted from: https://midwest.social/post/7076150
this post was submitted on 02 Jan 2024
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If you want to talk alienating people there's clear differences between the two parties as well. Let's assume you're correct that Democrats are alienating coal miners and basically anyone else that makes their living from fossil fuels. Who are the Republicans alienating?
The Republican argument has always been that even though they (obviously) hate or at least don't give a shit about all these classes of people their (non-existent) economic policies will benefit them somehow. Economic studies as well as basic measures of social health have all shown repeatedly that this is untrue. The actual (partisan) laws enacted by Republican majority in each state as well as federally have had negative impacts both economically and on the general well-being being of their constituents.
For incredibly obvious examples, the Texas Republican legislature banned municipalities from instituting mandatory water breaks for workers. Georgia's banned handing out water bottles to people waiting to vote. Florida is banning books with any sort of sexual theme (including biology books and books on sex education!) and the mere discussion of anything related to LGBTQ topics in schools.
In what universe are these good policies? They're not. From an economics standpoint Republicans are the kings of unnecessary licensing requirements (aka "job killing regulations") and placing unnecessary restrictions on job seekers as well as welfare programs in the form of mandatory drug testing (which has no purpose; do we really care if some disabled veteran is doing drugs from time to time?), extremely flawed citizenship checks (because there's no national database regular citizens are being denied), and banning necessary medical care (abortion, which is a human right according to the UN).
These are definitely not good policies. What I’m arguing for is that the fact that the poorest states are voting Republican, not because the voters benefit from Republican policy, but because they’re unhappy with how things are going in general in their part of the country.
The problem is that both parties are alienating the poor and rural populations. Just the fact that Hillary Clinton did run for president is a warning bell. One shouldn’t expect to see two presidential candidates from the same family. This is also true for the Bush family. This just shows that it’s a small and privileged elite that runs the US. Of course people are upset and of course they will vote for the opponent of a political dynasty.
No one seems to listen to rural and poor voters and therefore they vote for the most extreme and outrageous candidate that they can find. I’m arguing that they do not vote based on suggested policy. If Americans were rational, that’s have a social democratic party like most countries in Europe have.
You're wrong, though. One side is literally performing a hostile takeover of the government, trying to kill our democracy, openly hates anyone who isn't a rich white male, and tries to dismantle any and all social safety nets.
Rural areas pretty much only vote republican because they've been brainwashed into voting against their own best interests. Republicans have been dismantling the education systems in these areas for decades for just this reason. Many of these people need legitimate cult deprogramming.
So no, both parties are not the same by any stretch of the imagination.
Since WV was brought up earlier, I feel the need to point out that WV was a Dem safe state until 2000.
WV voted Dem because unions, and started voting GOP when the Dems started openly attacking the largest union industries in the state.
See, this is the problem. They’re called brainwashed when they’re protesting a system that failed them. Both parties are bad in that they are runned by wealthy elites that do not share the everyday worries of ordinary folk.
The problem is the wide gaps in society with billionaires that try to go to mars while spouting conspiracy theories at the same time as a single mom can’t feed her children while working two jobs.
I will maintain that the Republican Party is way worse than the Democratic Party but both are bad. What the US would need is an overhaul of the political system, with a removal of the electoral college and the first-past-the-post system. There is also a need for new parties that take the side of ordinary people.
You left women off your list.
This isn't some special unique ban. Giving anyone anything of any value for voting (even if it's just in general and without regard to who they claimed to vote for) is illegal and has been for a long time.
Anyone engaging in political messaging giving anything to anyone (or advertising in basically any fashion) within so many feet of any polling place (which includes the line) has also been illegal for a long time.
You could still probably get away with this anyways by setting up some kind of bottled water giveaway to anyone who wants some, regardless of if they are in line or even thinking about voting, so long as it also contains no reference to any candidate anywhere on it (because otherwise you couldn't do it near the line). But you'd have to absolutely avoid politicking whatsoever and you wouldn't be able to limit it to just voters. Which probably significantly reduces the desired impact.