mid-terms will see historical turnout.
(so how 'bout we just cut to the chase and have historical turnout this Nov?)

Presidency and then send them into the meat grinder.

I suspect that here it is a combination of things.

Several of the important things that get mentioned are long waiting times in line that make it hard for people with multiple part-time jobs and family responsibilites.

Other things that get mentioned include...state and local politics are seen to work very well for inner city voters.


So, -some- of the them don't. It's not an all or nothing thing. It's a drop in turn out that can run above 5% of the Dem vote.

The GOP deploys these issues every midterm whether they intend to do anything about them or not. They build it up -- they put stuff on the ballot, and they get their base out.

For whatever reason, the Dems have not developed the same kind of reliable red-meat issues for our base. Suggestions?

They show up again for the next presidential election, complain about the candidates. Fall in love with the most extreme candidate then threaten to take their ball and leave after that extreme candidate loses. About half of them do, then none of them show up for the mid terms in two years.

Rinse.

Repeat.

My personal theory is they NEVER EVER vote in municipal and county elections, which have the most effect on their daily lives.

Those of us that were hoping to see some change in the system have gotton over the primary and will support our Democratic nominee and work to elect her and to defeat Trump. Why do feel it's important to try to alienate people?

This happens EVERY Election cycle.

I am not the one re-fighting the presidential primary, but it looks like you are.

The snark at the end of your post was not necessary.

and you know it. Furthermore this poster is habitually denouncing and ridiculing anyone left of center, just read their posts. Snark? No, it's truth.

... WHY, and pay attention when polls show who it is who is bailing on the chance to elect a Congress that SUPPORTS the Democratic POTUS.

If the answer is "people on the left," then that's not "ridicule," that's what's known as an answer, and maybe "people on the left" should look in the mirror.

Likewise, if they SAY they are staying home because one pet project of theirs was inadequately dealt with (out of hundreds if not thousands the POTUS is trying to address) then they should not let their feelings get hurt if Dems with a broader agenda refer to that as a "pony." ESPECIALLY if it results in the Democrats losing the House and/or Senate, which exponentially diminishes the likelihood that anything at all will get done.


JURY: This is emphatically NOT about the primaries. It's about how the demonstrable behavior of Democratic voters during midterm election cycles hurts the Democratic/progressive agenda, and hopefully looking for a way to address that issue.

EVERY TIME!

You are the one rehashing the primary.

Not me.

which takes place every 4 years. The mid-term election is more a local election which doesn't lend itself to a national apparatus that Democrats have built since the 1980s. Some heads of the DNC have focused on doing better not just nationally but regionally and some haven't.

The other likely problem is the Conservative base (odler, white, males) has the time resources to focus on local, regional, and national elections on a regular basis. The Democratic base don't have the resources to afford that luxury. Clearly in places where Democrats have a stronger base they do just fine in mid-terms. But in regions where their base is marginalized they tend to be extremely deficient in resources.

Especially young people and PoC.

Dammit. There has got to be a way to change that.

because turnout is everything and there are far more liberals and progressives in this country than republicans and libertarians but our voices are not being heard in most elections.

Moreover, our leaders have learned to move to the center to get votes because the base does not show up, if we want more progressive candidates all we need to do is start showing up.

We created this oligarchy and we can end it.

Thanks for the perspective. I take your point.

When we have control of both chambers and the WH, we see little getting done. 2008 to 2010 is a prime example. People get elected and the first thing they do is start running for reelection.

The a second reason is lack of national support from the DNC. The first thing the RNC does after any election is start looking how to get more seats, thus leaving their elected officials to do the things they say they're going to do.

Finally, our elected officials do little to help the cause. They allow themselves to be bogged down into six month hearings on Benghazi and emails instead of fighting Republicans on key issues.

Our base is full of low-income people, many of them POC, who work multiple jobs and simply don't have time to get to the polling station and wait in line and can't afford to take time off to vote.