• electric_nan@lemmy.ml
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    7 months ago

    Maybe they ought to? There’s quite a lot of potential votes out there. Also want to add that I always vote, and politicians never consider my opinion anyway.

    • TipRing@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Reliable demographics or voting blocks get preferential treatment over fair-weather voters. If you want to know why even the GOP won’t overtly kill social security or medicare (unless they include a way to keep current recipients on benefits), it’s because old people vote very reliably. Though with the modern day cultists this isn’t as true anymore since MAGAs will happily let the GOP take everything from them if they think it will hurt their perceived political enemies.

      This is just useful expenditure of political capital. As a politician you want to stick your neck out for groups that are definitely showing up.

      • electric_nan@lemmy.ml
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        7 months ago

        Seems like a good way to ensure you have low turnout elections, with only die-hard party-heads participating. That way, elections are won or lost on how jazzed up you can get your base, and you never have to attract anyone new. That sounds bad enough, but I think who the politicians actually listen to are their donors. Anytime there is a conflict between what the donors want, and what the constituency wants… voters can get fucked.

        • someguy3@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          Believe it or not, there are people in the center that switch votes. That’s who they go after.

            • someguy3@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              It’s not die hards as you put it. They are swing voters. Every one counts double because you get a vote and take one away from the other party. Elections are won from the centre.

              • electric_nan@lemmy.ml
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                7 months ago

                Sure, but I’m saying that in addition to the ‘swing’ voters, there is a huuuge pool of people that never or rarely vote. These are potential voters, many of whom could be energized by the right policies.

                • someguy3@lemmy.world
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                  7 months ago

                  Ok let’s say you gamble and try to get those guys by say doubling gas taxes.You just lost the center (worth double) on the hope that some of the people who never vote magically vote. See the problem?