I mean we unironically allow (Christian) churches to act as polling locations for the majority of the US and hardly anyone I know sees an issue with that. We aren’t a nation of very smart people.
What choice do they have, literally. First past the post voting automatically leads to a two party system, and if you are not booked to one side, you have to choose your candidate based on some metric.
It certainly can seem like that, but the biggest problem is our voting system makes it work like that.
With a winner takes all voting system, and only two effective parties in power, everyone is basically stuck with “horrible monster who wants to kill everything in know and love” and “someone close to what I want kinda”.
So people tend to vote among party lines because that’s all they can do.
For example, where I live, both candidates have been anti trans. One’s way worse about it and the other is, in my opinion, probably just saying some rhetoric to try to appeal to some voting base she normally can’t reach. So I am going to have to choose the lesser of two evils, because the person running against her is from a party that actively wants to exterminate trans people, even though the other candidate sucks.
In short, Americans don’t vote for, they vote against.
Most register either as republicans or democrats and they vote same.
It’s really a team sport.
This! They seem to be programmed from birth to only vote one way. I get the impression they would be ostracised by family and friends if they voted for the other party.
It’s the only explanation as to why they keep voting the same candidate in. Even when the candidate continually votes against raising the minimum wage, cheaper healthcare, gun control or anything else that would improve the lives of the people they represent.
If only votes were anonymous and their friends and family didn’t have to know how they vote
Do most Americans vote… without any thinking…
Yes. It’s rare for a US citizen to be in a different political party or religious denomination than their parents. <- not happening by accident
Also, most people I try to have good faith discussions with speak solely in soundbites they heard in their favorite news ecosystem. No critical thought occurring at all.
Colin Woodard has written several interesting books on this idea through US cultural geography tying back to colonization.
He’s research blog/project is: https://www.nationhoodlab.org/
What a great site!
I added them to my reading list. It’s not mentioned on the site AFAIK but the RSS feed is https://www.nationhoodlab.org/feed/
Thanks for the RSS!
American Nations is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Nations Apart extends his model to modern political issues.
Guess I have to become MAGA to prove I’m a free thinker
Yes, single-issue voters exist. For many, just saying that you’re anti-abortion is enough.
Or pro gun. I know many people that would never vote Democrat because of guns.
Or anti-minority. Actually, I think most of the other issues are smokes green these days for people who just hate minorities.
I used to be anti-abortion, but then Republicans kept trying to say what I could do with my body while denying me healthcare coverage and I’m like… “Damn this must be what ciswomen go through.”
Yup. Bodily autonomy is non-negotiable. Abortions should be legal for the same reason organ donation is opt-in, not opt-out. Nobody, fetus or otherwise, has a right to the use of your body without your ongoing consent.
Once you’ve donated something you cannot take it back, sure, but you cannot be forced to continue donating against your will.
Could you imagine if someone argued “you agreed to donate plasma on an ongoing basis, and the recipient needs it to live, so you’re not allowed to stop donating, even if it could kill you”?
Oh you sweet summer child
This isn’t even just an US American issue. Source: the current governnent of Finland.
A few days, maybe a week ago, my uncle said, in desperation, “but they promised to fix the fuel prices!” Without thinking I sort of muttered to myself, “and you believed them like a fucking moron.” Good thing I’m a bit bigger than him, I’m pretty sure he would have punched me if I were any smaller lol.
I live such a sheltered life, I don’t have these kinds of events in my life.
Just be happy that you don’t have moron uncles :D
I’m going to go with ‘yes’ based on an interaction with someone I knew during Trump’s first term. She told me she’d voted for him so I asked “Why? You’re working class, female and Mexican. You’re literally everything he loudly hates and will actively be against your best interests”. She said “Because he said he was going to fix taxes”.
Imagine the dumbest person you know… Millions of voters are dumber than that person. Millions. Why do you think so much money is spent on mud slinging ads and culture war bullshit?
This is exactly true, but never forget that its by design. It’s not that the majority of humans are hopelessly stupid and only a special few are smart enough to vote for who will actually improve their life. The education system in the usa has been intentionally gutted and people are fed propaganda telling them they deserve to be rich but [insert minority here] is ruining things for them. This same thing has either already started happening in many other countries or is being planned. Remember education is the foundation of democracy. Support and protect your schools
Most voters are making their choice based on some combination of inane nonsense and personal greed.
I would venture to say so. I don’t know many people that have time to research the 50 candidates on the preliminary voting sheet. Then the list is still long on whoever gets on the main ballot. And don’t forget researching the policies you’ll be voting on. Most voters just parrot what they’re told and have no idea what they vote for. And adding in, there’s no repercussions for candidates that state what they represent and then vote against it after being elected.
Do many people vote on candidaes for all the wrong reasons? YES
uhhh…I like money
Honestly I generally vote against, not for. There is not usually anyone I feel really good about voting for. So I vote defensively. It hasn’t worked lately.
You vote for the person you want in office in the primaries, and you vote against the person you don’t want in office in the generals.
I registered Republican to vote in their primaries
It’s gonna be a cold day in hell before I vote for one in the generals
But I’m hopeful that I can try to head off the worst of the crazies in the primaries before it gets to the general
