this post was submitted on 13 Dec 2025
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"It wasn’t because Biden voters shifted to Trump—but because so many of them stayed home."

We must not repeat this same mistake again. Remember to always vote in every election and consider volunteering to knock on doors. It can make a difference. There are elections that are decided with just a small number of votes.

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[–] snooggums@piefed.world 56 points 1 week ago (3 children)

If the next Dem presidential candidate would refrain from getting buddy buddy with Republicans it would be a lot easier to put in the effort to overcome voter suppression.

[–] Eldritch@piefed.world 15 points 1 week ago

Well, I think there's definitely good reason to reach out to voters of all stripes. Including Republicans. But voters are different than politicians. By reaching out and inviting the politicians who enable the damage in amongst them. They just make themselves complicit.

Democrats would do much better if they reached out to their own voters at all. Not just dismiss them and pal around with other out of touch politicians.

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[–] frisbird@lemmy.ml 52 points 1 week ago (15 children)

And WHY DID PEOPLE STAY HOME?

I assure you that it is the party's job to inspire people to vote and not the people's job to inspire the party.

[–] BremboTheFourth@piefed.ca 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Eh, really there should be a sort of virtuous cycle happening in that regard. But for sure it is the fault of the party here for choosing big money over its constituents

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[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (8 children)

And it's the people's responsibility to vote.

Both failed. I definitely blame the losers who didn't show up as much as anyone else, though.

[–] frisbird@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 week ago (4 children)

You blame the poorest working class people and not the party that spent a billion on their campaign and still couldn't convince anyone they were worth voting for?

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[–] jj4211@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

Well keep in mind those "losers" might have a job that conflicts with their polling hours and have restrictive absentee ballots. It's much easier for, say, retirees to vote than working poor.

[–] BoycottTwitter@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Voting should be mandatory. I read about how other countries handle their elections and I notice that people in Australia and Brazil have far great satisfaction with their system. Part of it is they have laws that make voting easy and secure. Since voting is mandatory they receiving time off to vote.

Another advantage of making voting compulsory is it helps reduce conspiracy theories about people voting twice. Everyone knows that everyone gets one vote and they must use it.

Also jury duty which is also compulsory is much more of a burden than voting so if they can force you to do jury duty we can have everyone vote.

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[–] michaelmrose@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

It is literally the people's job to keep an insane lunatic from running the country. Because we didn't the loss of USAID is going to net 5 figure deaths including many kids. Tell the thousands of kids you whacked sorry.

[–] frisbird@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 week ago

The country has been run by insane lunatics who kill hundreds of thousands for decades. Read your history. Both parties are part of the death cult that is necrocapitalism and they oversee the death machine. Biden had toddlers in solitary confinement at the border. Obama killed so many people in drone strikes. Reagan oversaw arms smuggling and death squad deployments. Bush obviously did Iraq. Obama and Hilary did Libya. Biden oversaw Gaza going off.

Voters didn't end USAID. Voters stayed home partly because they realized that no matter who they voted for the government was going to kill hundreds of thousands of people in their name anyway. That kind of government doesn't deserve a popular mandate.

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[–] nymnympseudonym@piefed.social 31 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Kamala's not Good Enough

So you get Trump

"With every mistake We must surely Be learning "
-George Harrison

[–] velindora@lemmy.cafe 8 points 1 week ago

Have the day you voted for.

[–] StayDoomed@lemmy.world 28 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Maybe have a fucking primary and people won't stay home.

[–] kmartburrito@lemmy.world 27 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Or, you know, vote, because fucking LUCIFER is on the ballot.

[–] Stern@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I can appreciate not wanting Lucifer to win but the average person doesn't get motivated by lesser of the two evils, its not enough. The other guy has to make them want to get off their ass. Obama made people want to get out and vote. Trump did too, as much as I don't like to admit it.

[–] timbuck2themoon@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

And that just means we Americans get what we deserve.

It's a civic duty. The only people to blame are ourselves.

[–] warbond@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I don't think that puts enough blame on the assholes with money who are taking advantage of the system and intentionally tipping the scales

[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

And one way they tip the scales is by pusing the message that, if the Democratic Partty candidate is less than perfect, don't vote. And meanwhile, corrupt, bloodthirsty criminals on the R side get a free pass. And the purists are too stupid to see that.

And I say this in full awareness of the DNC's role in gutting the effectiveness of the Democratic Party as an agent of change.

Vote the lesser evil if that's all there is. But also organize and drive corporate shills out of the party leadership.

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[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 week ago (6 children)

the average person doesn’t get motivated by lesser of the two evils

A huge number of choices in life are just that. So suck it up, Buttercup.

This person isn't saying it's not enough for them personally, they're saying it's clearly, obviously, per all evidence, not enough for MANY people - objectively enough to turn an election. So if you want better leaders you must motivate voters by giving them something to vote for. Lesser of two fascists pisses me off but I'll hold my nose and vote. However, I also recognize this is a piss poor strategy since so many will not.

[–] I_Jedi@lemmy.today 7 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Your attitude isn't very inspirational.

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[–] ninexe@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 week ago

Why can't you tell the people nominating corporate puppets to suck it up and fall in line?

Why does it always have to be the working class that suffers so rich people can be richer?

Why can't you people be smarter?

[–] Stern@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

If the voting public could be convinced of that Republicans would cease to be a viable party due to overwhelming voter turnout. But, well, Gestures to the last potus election

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[–] butwhyishischinabook@piefed.social 24 points 1 week ago (14 children)

THEN STOP FUCKING RUNNING CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRATS WITHOUT MEANINGFUL PRIMARIES

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[–] RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Trump won because he ran unopposed.

[–] KelvarCherry@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Trump had a primary that he led in consistently. Kamala ran a weak campaign, but in the end, Kamala's name was on the ballot. Also, neither Kamala nor Trump could impact policy without the permission of Congress, which is occupied primarily by Republicans who each ran for that seat.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Also, neither Kamala nor Trump could impact policy without the permission of Congress

I submit to you: the entirety of 2025.

[–] KelvarCherry@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Republicans gave Trump his "Big Beautiful Bill" which included his ICE budget. Republicans could impeach Donald Trump at any point. A minority of Republicans could join Democrats in the House and Senate, and remove this entire administration from office, permanently. Republicans are following Trump because their Speaker of the House and Head of Senate say to. Speaker Mike Johnson and Head of Senate John Thune are supporting Trump because former speaker Kevin McCarthy was miserably removed by MAGA Republicans in part because he did not support Donald Trump's Big Lie

It sucks to think about, but I prefer truth over ignorance. Trump is the symptom, not the problem. If Vance, Trump, Miller, etc. were all shot dead, it would help by striking some fear into our reps, but it wouldn't solve the problem.

[–] tomatolung@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago

Way to Win pointed to three main problems that cost Democrats last year: Voters were upset not just about rising prices but about longer-term economic trends, and wanted change; Republicans and the far right have a built-in media advantage, thanks to years of investments, which made it harder for Democrats to break through; and movements on the left around issues like Gaza, racial and economic justice, and immigration weren’t aligned with the party.

Yea... Close...Not quite though. Basically, YOU HAVE TON FUCKING ACT YOU DIP SHITS! Do real things people can fucking believe in.

As it stand I still want both sides out of all the offices. When you actually represent me and the voters.... Not some corporate lobby group, PAC, or persons with more money than sense but "We The People", then I might vote for you.

Mamdani is a good start... If he follows through.

[–] ninexe@sh.itjust.works 17 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

If you want me to vote, then you need to stop nominating corporate puppets.

I've showed up at every primary, for example.

[–] BoycottTwitter@lemmy.zip 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

I guarantee you that for whatever district or race if you compare the Democrat and the Republican running in that race you'll find that the Democrat is less corporate and cares more about the people than the Republican in that race does. Voting for the Democrat even the one who wasn't your first choice in the primary brings you closer to where you want to be and helps shift the Overton window. Primaries typically happen every election cycle and eventually by electing enough Democrats flipping every seat you can will either result in the Democrat you believe is too corporate to shift their beliefs or will result in their ouster with someone who is less corporate.

[–] anarchiddy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 week ago

if you compare the Democrat and the Republican running in that race you'll find

This is the fucking problem, right here.

People dont make """"rational"""" choices when they're driven toward frustration and desparation, and democrats marketing themselves as 'not republicans' in lieu of offering any significant change is a massive source of that desparation.

[–] I_Jedi@lemmy.today 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The primaries are basically over by the time they reach my state.

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[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 1 week ago (2 children)

“It wasn’t because Biden voters shifted to Trump—but because so many of them stayed home.”

I'm sorry but that is bullshit. That's like saying that the protestor died because the gun released a bullet, completely forgetting that the police aimed at them in the first place.

Voters stayed home because they felt uninspired by whatever democratic candidates tried to represent. The thing is, i'm in europe and i do follow the news, but i barely ever heard any specific plans from Kamala. i never got the "oh wow that's a good idea" thought, because there was poor communication, no exposure, etc. It's all a bubble. If you're inside it, it seems like there's a lot of communication. But that communication doesn't leave the bubble because it doesn't speak the other's language. It refuses to communicate with people who are not already on the same page. That's why a lot of commenters are gonna reply to my comment, saying "no, actually, Kamala's messaging was great". Because they experienced it like that, because they actively seeked out the communication, and found it. But to the typical voter, who's not specially politically involved, and not specifically seeking out the communication, they don't get exposed to it.

On top of that what i'm strongly considering is that our political stances need to recognize that people really just want to live, both now and in the future. They want to have the economical perspective that they can buy nice stuff, and that the world is somehow gonna develop into a better tomorrow. A political party is gonna win exactly if it can provide these two to the people. That's what we need.

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[–] int_not_found@feddit.org 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (5 children)

I just skimmend the article and the accompanying report. But the analysis of what happened is contrary to my understanding. As far as I'm aware voter turnout in swing states (aka the ones that are actually important) was actually higher in 2024 compared to the few last election cycles.

Compared to Clinton and Biden, Harris was able to draw from the not-voting pool in states, where it mattered. Just Trump did it better.

The conclusion, that following the populist narrative of your enemy instead of drafting your own looses you votes, may be right, but I think the analysis, how they got to that conclusion is not what actually happened.

Not a US citizen or particularly versed with US politics, so I would be happy to hear something contrary.

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[–] Rhoeri@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (6 children)

These comments clearly show that people are completely fine to repeat the same mistakes that opened the door for a fascist to take up the throne.

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We've known since the day after election day something like 33 million fewer people voted, though.

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