3 ms·

Young people continue to not vote or donate to campaigns, so this is probably not a winning strategy

Spivak 4y ago
You have it backwards, groups that vote at high rates are basically a lost cause because the name of the game isn’t to get anyone to switch sides but to mobilize your base. People who self-identify as independent voters are basically noise. Any group with a 100% rate of voting is a group you don’t even have to bother to appeal to. They’re locked in. Your avenue for growth is populations that have low turn out which is why a bunch of republicans threw a hissyfit over Gen Z during the midterms and proposed legislation to raise the voting age.
- pyuser583 4y ago
  People who identify as independent voter make up a growing part of the electorate. In some one-party states, “independent” is effectively the opposition.
  - iudqnolq 4y ago
    The problem is that Independents aren't actually independent. They strongly identify as neither Democrat or Republican, but they consistently support one or the other. 80% of Independents identify as leaning Democrat or Republican. Independents who identify as Democrat-leaning are just as likely as regular Democrats to hate the Republican party, and visa-versa. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2019/03/14/political-independents-who-they-are-what-they-think/ https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2019/03/14/political-in...
    - apercu 4y ago
      100% agree that independents are not "independent" but in the US system there are only two viable parties (by design, apparently) so you have to vote for one of the parties or you lose any agency whatsoever (the US doesn't have coalition governments like the UK or Canada).
      - iudqnolq 4y ago
        Agreed, but I'd expect a real independent to be less partisan than a party supporter. They would do things like split the ticket, for example.
        apercu 4y ago
        Fair, but it's not always easy in "winner take all" politics like in the US. Also, I am not sure that American voters (at least) are actually very educated in issues, or candidates.

You have it backwards, groups that vote at high rates are basically a lost cause because the name of the game isn’t to get anyone to switch sides but to mobilize your base. People who self-identify as independent voters are basically noise. Any group with a 100% rate of voting is a group you don’t even have to bother to appeal to. They’re locked in. Your avenue for growth is populations that have low turn out which is why a bunch of republicans threw a hissyfit over Gen Z during the midterms and proposed legislation to raise the voting age.

pyuser583 4y ago
People who identify as independent voter make up a growing part of the electorate. In some one-party states, “independent” is effectively the opposition.
- iudqnolq 4y ago
  The problem is that Independents aren't actually independent. They strongly identify as neither Democrat or Republican, but they consistently support one or the other. 80% of Independents identify as leaning Democrat or Republican. Independents who identify as Democrat-leaning are just as likely as regular Democrats to hate the Republican party, and visa-versa. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2019/03/14/political-independents-who-they-are-what-they-think/ https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2019/03/14/political-in...
  - apercu 4y ago
    100% agree that independents are not "independent" but in the US system there are only two viable parties (by design, apparently) so you have to vote for one of the parties or you lose any agency whatsoever (the US doesn't have coalition governments like the UK or Canada).
    - iudqnolq 4y ago
      Agreed, but I'd expect a real independent to be less partisan than a party supporter. They would do things like split the ticket, for example.
      - apercu 4y ago
        Fair, but it's not always easy in "winner take all" politics like in the US. Also, I am not sure that American voters (at least) are actually very educated in issues, or candidates.