Country is greedy and nasty towards their fellow man. The poor can eat shit and die as far as most of this country is concerned.

and I wonder the same thing.

are professing patriotism. I don't think they care at all. It's not their thing so they have no idea what is actually happening to their/our democracy.
It's left to those who participate and the weight right now is heavy. We need someone to alert the rest of the nation as to what is actually going on.

I don't know what that looks like other than a general strike and/or sustained massive protests. Those demonstrations should be about holding Republicans to account (including Trump). We need to send the Republicans the message that the American people demand they resign for their destruction of our Democracy. It needs to be loud. It needs to be serious.

that several certain somebodies resign before letting up.

But it would never happen willingly. The coup is well on the way. I remember during Shrub's reign when we here on DU were all shouting, "regime change begins at home", and this was 15-20 years ago.

be taken seriously it's all about WE THE PEOPLE. Let's give them hell.

They are normalizing Trump's corruption

Most people are completely tuned out.

they might be willing to join in. A lot of people just can't think of what would be effective. If they have an idea that a bunch of other people have, they would be more likely to participate.

That said, I think a lot more people are waking up about their survival being at stake. Look at the ratings for viewership of the debate. We just won't be hearing about it in the MSM.

but many of us are old. It really falls on the younger people, as it is THEIR country now. But I fear that they are so hung up on their phones, and well, simply surviving, that they don't have time for 'politics'. Americans as a whole are very complacent, and Putin saw that very clearly. Nature abhors a vacuum?

fuck that ideology??? Whatcha gonna to do????? This is about our democracy, if these bastards get in again Americans lives will never be the same, kiss all your rights away.

I blame self absorbed Americans who care more about how many "likes" they got on social media than they do about real issues that effect their lives. I am glad I chose not to have kids since this country is too fucked up for words.

That's to the tune of roughly 100-million people. They are a third-party in themselves: The, "I Don't Vote Because it Doesn't Matter and I am Making Sure to Prove That!" party.

When polled, they tend to be more progressive, as well. To be fair, they do have: reasons. I can understand why, but if they knew what this General Election is really about, they might take a break from non-participation and perform a real civic duty for the benefit of everyone this time, even the Stockholm syndrome base, who don't know it is for their benefit, too.

It's a this is not like that, in regards to past elections. It is all or nothing, really.

I think if it actually was to sink in that they are losing their democracy and their environment they would start to freak out and seek the truth. The question is how to get through their vail of ignorance and their apathy.

Well, if you know any, you could approach it first from a non-partisan view and just mention what appears to be at stake. Maybe ask them what they think about that possibility.

If they find it unacceptable, proceed from there with a few points about what is happening under the grotesque shadow of Trump and then let them know there is really only one way to prevent the outcome that we can extrapolate from the data we have.

It is possible that, if you don't make it just about democrats, but about the country and democracy, they might perk up and get with it. It's like, hey, this is your chance to save something for real and consider what it would be like if what you value and care about was at stake or taken away completely.

Also, you could let them know that when you lose something as fragile as democracy and fall under tyranny it is next to impossible to get it back again, unless some other country defeats your tyrant and liberates you, which is not looking like a thing these days, at least for us.

in agreement and then go back to their apathetic existence until the next time you see them. And they've done nothing to educate themselves since the last time you saw them. It's kind of the old saying about leading a horse to water but can't make him drink.

I think most of these people don't change apathetic behavior until they themselves have been affected. Or think they will be affected, which makes me wonder if a scare campaign of some kind would be a way of getting through to the masses of the 49% non voters. Scare campaigns sure worked with Republican gun humpers and socialist boogeyman fearers. How can we make this the model for people who fear losing something real, like food stamps, or health care, and tet them to turn out in record numbers to vote?

There are probably a small number of non-voters who can be reached. The confirmation bias is strong with them. It is not just certain kinds of people, but the tendency to filter reality based on our biases, preferences and past experience. That can be useful, but it also proves to be a detriment to change and in the face of a crises like this.

Finding out their underlying beliefs and reasons leads to their values, (the former support the latter). From what I have found, some feel that the system does not work at all for them and that goes across a spectrum from disgruntled to conspiracy theory stuff. If people feel marginalized or insignificant, that is going to translate into a bias that is often confirmed by various factors. For instance, the ones I vote for rarely get elected, my party loses often, they say one thing and do another, etc. Consider how you see polls more often about what a majority favors or disagrees with, (that would be democracy) and then how it is pretty much ignored. There are other reasons like distraction, lack of concern and just plain apathy.

I like your question, but I think the answer is complicated and variable. I could call a host of items wedge issues, (which the Republicans utilize all the time to distract their constituency from important issues and from self-interest). In my opinion, we have several crises brewing and they are, amazingly, being ignored and are coming to bite this society hard. As you said, if people can't relate to them in their own lives, then their bubble will be sustained until something pierces it and it pops fast and hard. We have a tendency to cling to our comfort zone and what is familiar, so I would consider all these factors rather than going with personality or generalizations.

We might want to avoid biting off too big a chunk and abstracting too far out or it just gets overwhelming and increasingly complicated. For non-voters, a bit of Socratic message, (ask questions that lead them to the answer you want) is a good strategy and I bet we can think of some that might be effective with different folks.

I know that may be more vague than you were shooting for, but I tend to try to put aside the contents, (variables: who, what, where, when) and consider the place where change is more possible and effective: the process, or HOW.

I guess, the dark humor would be, "Well then, I will see you at the camps and we can have a good chat about it there if we aren't too weak from labor and hunger, that is. Oh, I promise not to say I told you so."

I'm just being sarcastic.

and I am thinking about that segment that falls into the lack of concern/apathetic bucket that are similar in their reason for not voting, which in both cases is they just don't care.

The marginalized tended toward Trump/Sanders in 2016 because both played straight to those voters bias that the establishment was victimizing them. Many Sanders voters only became non-voters after the primary. Their party's establishment candidate to them just represented more marginalization. I have a feeling more of them will vote for whoever the democrat general election candidate is this time around whether its Bernie or not, having now seen the horrific alternative. That should translate to some incremental vote in 2020 we didn't get in 2016.

To me the question is how to reach those who don't care, and convince them it's in their personal best interest to start caring. I don't know that this group has a lot of political bias, they are ignorant. They don't watch or listen to any political shows, don't read, don't really get much of anything in terms of political news except what they might pick up on their local 6:30 PM programming. They watch regular TV shows, movies, etc. Most of them couldn't name the attorney general if you asked them who it is, or even know what the attorney general does.

In short, I'm talking about people who don't know there's anything wrong in our country. Is there a way to shock them into waking up out of their stupor and vote for our candidates in November? If we could get just some of them it might be enough.

You have a good grasp on that.

There are probably many ways to achieve more turnout, but that can be a complex topic and we can only deal with case-by-case.

One suggestion is to not assume that they don't care. What I mean is, even if they appear to be poorly informed and apathetic, there may have been something that influenced them and contributed to a sense of giving up or powerlessness. So, that would underlie the reaction and is a sort of caring enough to not care, if you get my drift. I mean, when you get results, a boost, a feeling of reward from something you tend to care about it. When you don't and the conditioning is negative, it can actually feel better to just put it aside and focus on what matters in your life and that you can get positive rewards from.

I would hope that other users read and think about that huge block of non-voters because I feel that attempting to reach them is just as valuable as getting registered voters to turn out, so we are in full agreement about how significant a small percentage of untapped political power could impact the GE in several ways. If more of us were to approach a few people we know who don't vote, then that would be excellent if we succeeded. There obviously should be more exposure about this and it should be brought up often here and elsewhere. Why miss out on a real potential resource like that in order to win?

We just have to be creative, ask them questions and appeal first to their emotional aspects of a negative outcome, then fill in some facts if they respond to that. It doesn't take hyperbole to get across how critical this is for everyone. Among things I say is that, normally I wouldn't ask you to do this, that is, if this were a typical election. They then might ask why it's not. We can point out some features that emphasize that and get it to stand out more and try to be a little more non-partisan or you just sound like it is only about "your side" winning and that would be manipulative.

I am just adding some ideas here.

your little comforts such as free speech including access to your phones and social media will be curtailed and limited. Wake up America (excluding DU'ers).

why doesn't "Congress" do something, with no awareness of the dynamics going on between the House and the Senate, or how much the GOP has mucked things up.

affect them personally it will be too late for them.

I've pleaded with my 4 sons to get involved in the political process, because their lives depend upon it, but it goes in one ear and out the other. Their father is a former Dem, now Trumper, ugh. It kills me that they are so uninterested.

...Bigfoot is real. Only 21% of Canadians believe in the creature, and I understand that’s where he probably lives.

and I vote.

TV. Apathy. Propaganda/brainwashing. narcissism. lack of critical thinking. organized religion. addiction to social networking.

that covers a pretty big slug of our populace.

Sad.

We've been dealing with this since 2001. Nothing really has gotten better. It is sad.

at 64.

I promote your book at every Farmers Mkt I go to in North Texas. You dear sir, i might suggest are very in touch. And of course you are older. No escaping.
Peace.

This has been happening for a long time.

the cessool politics has become and they don't want to get anywhere near the stinking mess. Trump and the obstructionist republiCAN'TS on one side, and Democrats tearing each other to ribbons on the other. Dark, dirty money creeping into every aspect of politics, and still nothing gets done for normal working people, only the wealthy. So there's that.

and this is the most important election I'll ever vote in.

She had nothing to say. Really doesn't care, and isn't registered to vote. More interested in reality tv. I'm dumbfounded, considering I've voted since I was younger than she is.

It's not unique.

vote aged 23 and 27 do vote, I have drilled this in their heads, and we vote by absentee ballots.

so what if Trump (name any of many corrupt things he has done).

<shrug> from large percentage of population as long as he keeps on bashing immigrants and such.

Many people have reached the end of their rope. The expectations society places on people to be successful, to get by without an overload of stress is above and beyond the intellectual stamina, physical stamina, and the ability to maintain a firm grip on mental well being.

A lot of people are falling by the way side. And from the looks of what transitions and changes that are rapidly coming upon us economically and socially - we better come to terms with the fact that some people just can not cope with changes coming at the speed of light.

Compassionate social engineering is long past due to take these realities into consideration or more and more people on the lower tiers of our society will be getting crushed into dust by the weight of those on the totem pole above them.

You want to create more Nazis real fast,.. try ignoring those on the bottom. Then let a demagogue like djt take these poor souls under his loving(?) wings. Presto-chango abracadabra magic you have got more white nationalists, white supremacists, and Nazis than you know what to do with.

It is happening now slowly,.. but soon this is about to get much worse and at a far greater and more rapid, quickening, and worsening pace.


*~*~*~*~
It is very similar to planetary weather changes and temperature rise caused by hydrocarbon emissions. Ignoring it is good for the capitalists, allow them to continue apace building world economies by continued exploiting resource extraction is good for investors. We must not upset that apple cart.

No remedial actions taken to address global warming.
Solar, wind, hydro are ignored and de-funded.
Some have the nerve to promote coal, nuclear, and fracking with horrendous methane leakage to the atmosphere, as the golden calves to serve and save employment, the economy, the stock markets, and the protection of the environment.
*~*~*~*~

We need a non selfish and less greedy approach to solving our social, political, and economic problems. We have to be smart enough to keep in front of these issues before they mow us over and crush us.

Sustainability, honesty, truth telling, ethics, compassion, and non-corrupt practices seem to be the next issues and direction our Democracy needs to head. We have to talk up these issues and bring them to the political forefront and bring absolute shame to those who ignore these basic tenets.

But we keep marching deeper and deeper into the darkness - and the warm(?) embrace of Fascism. While our Democracy is rapidly fading into and over the distant horizon soon to be beyond our reach and our grasp, or ability to save it for ourselves or the generations that come after our demise.

The clock for Democracy is about to run silent - if we don't do something decisively and quickly.

"something" as an non violence or violent measures.

. The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

persecution or perceived insult, I will be quick to tell them, Too Fucking Bad. I DON'T GIVE A SHIT.

Sounds like a good idea for a fashion statement.... Oops, too late, already taken...

People have to actually realize that it is going to affect THEIR lives. As their friends get fewer, their circle of associates slowly get smaller, they are included less and less in activities, and they wonder why, THEN when they are told "WE don't give a shit", it may actually register.

I'm surprised that a large percentage of our population would be happy to be governed by a reality TV "Caesar." But, here we are today.

And political engagement. I chalk it up to the economy being perceived as being OK and our field of presidential candidates, for the most part, failing to inspire.

Trump being president alone should be sufficient enough to get a lot of people's piss hot enough to spur action, but we aren't seeing it so far. Once we get a candidate, I'm thinking that will help lots.

I don't think that racism and religious fervor are driving this situation. Trump's hardcore supporters are most certainly driven by those things but they are a relatively small group that is way over represented.

Most Americans are just not paying attention. They watch reality shows, sitcoms, and sports. They are typically not engaged in political activities until very very close to the election.

We see it everyday because we engage with it.

I have had conversations with people who know all about why the Chiefs beat the 9ners and what the prospects of both teams are going into the next season with injuries and trades etc... but cannot tell me who their State and Federal representatives are or their Senators, or likely who is running for President on the Democratic side. There is a lot that you can immerse yourself in that will block out any noise about politics.

A sizable chunk of people see politics as boring or so complex and out of their hands that they don't care.

The racism, religion stuff I said really refers to the 40% who support him, rather than those that are ignoring what is happening.

There have always been about a 3rd of the population that believes in the things that Trump is spouting (Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Religious intolerance) There have always been a minority (though sizable) of people who embrace White Male Christian Supremacy. That, to them, is the natural order of things. They see all of the problem in the US as a result of minorities getting extra rights and feminists screwing up the natural order of things. They have not always been Republicans, but they have ALWAYS been conservatives. Before the Civil War, they were Democrats who argued for the rights of the states to determine what to do about slavery, a dying institution, but one that preserved the natural order. When the Democratic Party embraced the rights of workers and the rights of minorities, those conservatives switched over to the Republican Party because the Republicans began to use coded language to signal that they supported the old hierarchies and the Democrats were "gone crazy" with their new Civil Rights message.

Trump just took out some of the coded language and started talking like George Wallace or the "states rights" conservatives of the past.

Or at least starts to tank.

A scary number of Americans can't name the current VP at any given time. You think they're sweating the details of this corrupt administration? They're not. Plus, we're battling against right-wing media and millions of propagandized Americans.