GOTV is the cure for this, but it takes a lot of work.

That doesn't mean I don't agree with GOTV, but it is pathetic that the U.S. has the lowest turnout for voting in most Western democracies

don't know why they should, frankly. Since I'm an active election canvasser, I see that every election. My job is to tell them the reasons they need to go to the polls. It works, at least some of the time. I always manage to convince some people that voting is essential.

I'm just one person, though, and I only canvass in my own precinct. We need much more help with this. We always need that. Candidates, too, can make voting arguments part of their campaigns, too. I don't see that often enough. Most campaigns are arguments between two people about issues. Democrats should spend more time telling people that they need to vote and why it's so important for them to do so.

You're right. Our turnout is dismal. Many potential voters think their vote doesn't matter. We need to tell them why it does matter. We can't do that on DU, though. Everyone here is a voter, pretty much. That's not who we need to be talking to, frankly.

All these posts about the demise of the republicans....and yet the repubs get stronger each election.

To me, what it says is that propaganda works, and people can be brainwashed into voting for failure.

and completely reject the conclusive evidence to the contrary.

1) It's a reddish purple state by voter turnout, although I wish there was another color on the palette to indicate the strength of libertarian teaparty jihad. The anti-Keynesian tax-bashing & public service cutting message of 'me before my community' is strong among disintegrating white working class raised on 'family values'. The belief that accepting any form of welfare is a mark of shame, and that taxes used for welfare are an unfair taking from 'hard-working honest people' prevails not just as a common thread in midwestern attitude but as a governing principle. The legislature has been in the hands of two brothers whose mission in life is to 'correct' the wrongs of Wisconsin's socialist past from public education to worker's rights to organize.

2) Statistical analysis published in academic journals and verified by independent researchers show evidence that is indistinguishable from vote theft. Wisconsin doesn't rely on electronic voting machines, but on paper ballots counted by what have been demonstrated to be easily hackable software. Because voter turnout in WI is -very- purple, we have had close elections that create the necessary conditions to facilitate hiding thiis sort of theft.

traditionally blue, have seemed to turn purple. Even in California, where I am from, it appears mostly blue, however, it did elect Ronald Reagan, Pete Wilson, Arnold, and other republican governors which is troubling, and the state was hurt by some of those governors.

bad times and fear promote self-protection. All of those are powerful cognitive motivators toward conservative behavior.

Depending how a person looks at it, it's been 'bad times' since before Nixon put on the wage and price freeze to deal with stagflation.

The brand may be tarnished but every time a head is cut off it grows 2 more.

elections, these states are going to continue to go Red. I keep saying state and local politicians can screw with your life a whole lot more than those in the !hite House and in Congress. Now they are working to swing all of the state supreme courts their way, crazy stuff. If you don't vote in all elections, you don't vote as far as I'm concerned.

They'll all retire in luxury for stealing the Commons, lowering wages to adavantage theis bosses, making fortunes for their cronies and consolidating their power for generations to come. They've all been a great success.

Only the ones who lose see a failure.As they saying goes, 'shit's getting real' or the gloves are coming off. Until enough people wake from their dream state of self-righteous or self-indulgence or their media created waking nightmare, which are all the same in the end, they'll enable this to the point of no return.

Then they won't have a voice anymore and can scream in their heads or bleat in public, as much good as either will do, which will be nothin. No one will be hear it. They had their chance.