• snooggums
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    6 months ago

    Why would I want to vote in the primaries for a mediocre party?

    • bolexforsoup@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      6 months ago

      I was with you until this one. You can’t expect better quality quality if you don’t participate in the primaries to try and get somebody high quality nominated.

      • snooggums
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        6 months ago

        That assumes I like any of the choices or that I think a party that regularly ignores their voters would positively change based on my vote.

        I just use them to oppose fascists.

        • bolexforsoup@lemmy.blahaj.zone
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          6 months ago

          that assumes I like any of the choices

          No it assumes you actually take the time to vet them or potentially volunteer/work for a campaign to get them on the ballot. Be the change you want to see and all that. Jeering from the sidelines won’t get you anywhere.

          • snooggums
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            6 months ago

            So I should vet the single Democrat on the primary ballot for anything other than US president in a state that hasn’t given an electoral college vote to a Democrat since the 1964 election?

            That seems worth my time since I’m going to vote for them anyway!

            • bolexforsoup@lemmy.blahaj.zone
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              edit-2
              6 months ago

              There are more elections than just the one for president every four years. If that is the only time you become politically engaged then there is a much larger discussion to be had tbh

              • snooggums
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                6 months ago

                So I should vet the single Democrat on the primary ballot for anything other than US president

                This is true for EVERY ELECTION. Unless I personally run for office this will continue to be true, and I am too honest to be in politics.

    • PugJesus@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      6 months ago

      So that way you have a say in which of the two viable choices (in most elections) are presented to the electorate?

      Unless you’re part of some locally competitive party that has primaries, in which case I understand.

      • snooggums
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        6 months ago

        I am a member if no party because I fundamentally disagree with political parties in first past the post electoral systems for the same reason I oppose communism. When it scales up a party makes it far too easy for the party leadership to abuse that power and institutionalizing that power means that positive change is more difficult to enact.

        • PugJesus@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          6 months ago

          Registering for primaries at least when there are primary candidates that are prominently championing ranked-choice voting might be worth considering.

          • snooggums
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            6 months ago

            Nope, the state Democratic party sucks and I don’t live in the one district that ever goes Democrat for state representative. All of our national stuff is Republicans and has been for decades.

            I only vote because we sometimes get elect a Democrat for a governor.

      • snooggums
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        6 months ago

        I am a member if no party because I fundamentally disagree with political parties in first past the post electoral systems for the same reason I oppose communism. When it scales up a party makes it far too easy for the party leadership to abuse that power and institutionalizing that power means that positive change is more difficult to enact.