How can we make sure people vote? (and vote democrat)

I'm new to DU...and have a mostly singular motive.

In 450 days Americans go to the polls to elect a president.

Let's make sure it's a NEW president...

Talk to EVERYONE you know or come in contact with. IF they are like-minded in their political views (ie. Bush must go) then STRESS to them how important it is that they get out and vote for their favorite democratic candidate next year.

Think of any and all elderly people you know. Find out what their political views are. If they are against Bush then offer to assist them to the polls or arrange for a ride.

The next year and a half are absolutely critical for us. We can't keep moaning about how disorganized or rudderless the democratic party is. Stop talking about that and focus on one thing only:

Bush must go.

You could spend time trying to convince repukes to switch.....maybe after several days of explaining the dismal Bush track record and a brain transplant you MIGHT convert them.
OR you could spend time making sure that every liberal person you know or even don't know understands how important it is that they vote!!!

Please VOTE!!

Note to mods: Sorry about CAPS infraction in the recently locked thread......will be more careful.
Can you move the responses there to here??

To all who responded in locked thread "I'm going to be a pest", THANKS FOR THE WELCOME!

Those who wanted to thank me can do so by voting!!

that I take voter reg. cards to concerts and festivals, and also leave them around coffee-shops and bookstores and things like that.

Is it illegal to staple a short list (hard to compile, I know...) of Bushies f@#$-ups to those cards?

Or would that be bad taste?

I probably wouldn't do it, though. BUT---I have put up flyers of Bush's aggressions at school in the past, and hung a packet of voter reg. applications right next to it.

I find it's more helpful to be just a LITTLE subtle. It makes a better point, IMO :)

To tell you the truth...I'm Canadian. I don't know what the laws are there, but that doesn't sound like it would be illegal to me.

You will probaly not like what I say but I would rather have a 75% voter turnout then a democrat elected with less then a 60% voter turnout. Just the fact that everybody goes out and vote is what makes this country great.

with your statement but be careful I made posting like that before the midterm election and was promptly banned.

I just posted your basic idea on another one of those argument threads. We do need to get a NEW president! As I've said more than once, I would prefer having Kucinich or Moseley-Braunn, but I know that will never happen. However, 2004 is the time to vote democratic no matter what and to stop in-fighting because this just might result in such anger that people stay at home! That just can't happen; not when this time there is so much at stake . . .

sad, isn't it?

This is a MOST crucial year. The vote is most important. It's time to focus on something. At least voter registration should be something we can all agree on and act quickly : )

I'm going to bring this up at the next Dean MeetUp - and stop by my county office and pick up some blanks to carry with me too! thanks! (at least I can be doing something)

and make sure it's democrat. Bush is 'tres bad.

and has been shown to me to work; don't start the discussion specificly about politics make it about issues that the person/s is interested in. chances are the issues that are important to said person will be best represented by the DEMs.

draw them out. If they're obviously Bush-lovin' war-mongrin' repukes then they'll jump all over something as innocent as "How do ya think the war's goin'?"
Then you can just nod and walk away.

If they're possible swing voters you can try to enlighten them by softely throwing out a few key points.

Qualifying the best "few key points" that can be quickly thrown out would be worthwhile!
They'd have to be unbiased observations demonstrating Bush&Co. stupidity or dishonesty...shouldn't be hard to do.
And be prepared for swing-voter debate or questions.

Maybe this is a problem peculiar to Asheville, and our laid back hippie culture. But I do know many people who hate bush, but cartegorically refuse to involve themselves in anything conventional.

Last November I was in the local brewpub, when the ghastly election returns were coming in. The hippie types in there got pissed when Liddy won, but I knew that not ONE had bothered to vote. I told them they had no right to say a word... They got pissed at that, but none of them would agree that they would ever vote. I will waste no more time on them.

:shrug:

that should be targetted.

each of those apathetic citizens has at least one issue they care about.

it is finding this issue,if it is only one, and getting them interested in doing something about it that,imho experience can make a difference.

when i lived in NY, the issue of SuperFund sites became a huge issue because there were two near the area where i lived. the amount of discussion and changing of minds,especially about Bush, was like nothing before.

But to them, VOTING is not an option. They would no more register to vote, than they would run for office.

A few months after Liddie won, a group of them was spreading the word, that the spiritual 'guides' were going to force bush to resign, using crystals!! And, the Iraq invasion would be prevented. It was going to happen in a few hours! I suggested that instead, they email members of Congress, protesting the war. They looked at me as if I were crazy: "Oh, MAN, THEY are the ones doing the War, MAN..."

If you would like the experience of arguing with STUMPS, go right ahead, and engage these people.

about your fringe group encounters. OK?

If you're not willing to engage people in an effort to encourage non-bush votes then don't. Maybe that's not your style.
However...
You're not helping this effort or this discusion with your personal stories about messed up and apathetic non-voters you've met.

Think, act, and speak P-O-S-I-T-V-I-V-E!!!

some even say they "don't want jury duty", talk about your sheeple.

But I have serious reservations about people in their 40s or 50s, who have never bothered to learn the issues and vote. Once dragged inside the booth, there is no telling what criteria they might use, when pushing the buttons.

And I know many people here who hate bush and everything he stands for. But will they vote??? Oh, noooooooooo.... That would be, like, man, 'playing the game'.

If you know people with that attitude then call them to the mat. Get the political talk going and in the middle of all their outrage ask them if they're going to vote in '04.
When they say "Hell ya!" make them promise you on their mothers' eyes!

As for the people in their 40s and 50s who have "never bothered to learn the issues and vote", try to identify them and educate them on the issues and try to stress how critical it is they DO vote!

Your mandatory idea is insane, btw!

That is my point. And, read my post above, before advising me to 'talk' to those people.

The ones I am thinking about, will NOT vote in '04, believe me. They are PROUD they have never voted, and will tell you so; sort of a badge of honor, opposing the 'man', or whatever. Our town is full of that type: hippie wannabes.

If you're against mandatory you should have just said so. I never brought it up and am not really interested in it.

Lighten up and just make sure you VOTE MAN!!!!

finally old enough. We had to be 21, back then.

Look what staying home in 2002 cost us. We might have impeachment proceeding or at the very least, meaningful investigations, if it weren't for a gop lock on congress.

I would hope people could use a thread like this to post new and creative suggestions for ways to pull this off. This is just too damn important. I have committed myself to convince 5 people who never vote to do so this year, I know a LOT of them, so I'll have a large pool to choose from. It will be a challenge but I am hoping their general anti-bush sentiment will encourage them to do the right thing.

Everyone should try to set a goal like that.

Convince 5 people (left-leaning people preferably!) to vote.
If the goal is reached.....keep going!!

and there parents with bush's economic resulting in no SS anymore.

The party does not need someone that will not win against Bush. He should quit while he is ahead. Take his chips and wait another 4 years or use the chips he has to place his bets on Clark who without doubt will win the election by huge numbers.

Now is not the time for anyone to "drop out" or even talk about it.

Bush is the negative focus.

People can step back and give blessings to other campaigns later....for now bushie and his messed up administration is the focus!

draw them out. If they're obviously Bush-lovin' war-mongrin' repukes then they'll jump all over something as innocent as "How do ya think the war's goin'?"
Then you can just nod and walk away.

If they're possible swing voters you can try to enlighten them by softely throwing out a few key points.

Qualifying the best "few key points" that can be quickly thrown out would be worthwhile!
They'd have to be unbiased observations demonstrating Bush&Co. stupidity or dishonesty...shouldn't be hard to do.

And be prepared for swing-voter debate or questions.
With everything that's going on it should be easy to stop swing-voters from swinging right.

Soros' Americans Coming Together is plotting a huge turnout drive in 17 states - all targets in the 2004 election. ACT will spend at least $75 million in its efforts to oust Bush. Here are the states ACT will target:
AZ/AK/FL/IA/ME/MI/MN/MO/NV/NH/NM/OH/OR/PA/WA/WV/WI.

here's what I propose:
1) Determine which precincts most strongly went for Al Gore in 2000.
2) Comb-over those districts, door-to-door, with voter registration teams about three months before the election. Get people registered to vote. Set-up booths in grocery stores and malls also.
3) About one week before the election, comb over the Democrat strongholds once again. Go door-to-door once - but this time with absentee ballots. Get people to vote early - as many people as possible!

Step #3 is crucial. If we get people to vote early in this manner, several things are accomplished.
A) Turnout in Dem territory vs turnout in GOP territory is much more impressive.
B) A paper trail of voters is created.
C) Traffic at the polls in Dem districts is considerably lightened for the actual Election Day. This enables more people to vote if they hadn't already.

I like this plan. Whaddya think?

Most people of voting age have given up on the system. They think that all politicians are in it for themselves.

difference, pro-working-class, to SmirkCo.

That's Dennis Kucinich. He's the one whose policies need the fewest 'explanations' and apologies.

No other candidate speaks to/for the people like Dennis K.

TWL