• alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml
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    2 days ago

    republican voters put the fear of the primary in their elected representatives

    Not just that, they don’t expect blind loyalty like the democrats. I have never seen a republican tell their base after the primary “Eat shit. You’re gonna vote for me anyway, otherwise you’re a democrat” and then get indignant when nobody shows up to vote for them.

    • LovingHippieCat@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      It’s both. The Republicans expect the Republican voters to come out and always vote and always vote Republican. Which they do. And the Republican voters expect the Republican representatives to adhere to their beliefs through the fear of the primary.

      The problem is Democrats only have some of it. They have the democratic representatives expecting Democrats to always come out, but the voters don’t. Because of the democrat voters not coming out, because of them not putting the fear of the primary in the representatives, Democrats don’t have to adhere to their constituents as much as Republicans. If we want Democrats to cater to us, we need to both always come out in the primary and the general. But also force primaries to kick out Democrats who don’t follow the base. Because if we don’t always come out and vote, Democrats have to cater to the people who DO always come out and vote. Which are Republican voters.

      • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Because if we don’t always come out and vote, Democrats have to cater to the people who DO always come out and vote. Which are Republican voters.

        Except republican voters don’t vote for democrats. They’re not gettable. But the alternative involves treating the left wing of their party like people with agency instead of hostages to be beaten until votes fall out.

        • LovingHippieCat@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          Totally agree about their votes not being gettable. But they still always vote. They’re reliably going out there and doing their civic duty, not staying at home and complaining about policy. But if democrat voters reliably voted, they’d be catered to. Democrats need to always vote because not voting is not a punishment for anyone but ourselves by taking away any representation we have.

    • Sunshine (she/her)OP
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      2 days ago

      The candidates wouldn’t act like at all with the single transferable vote proportional representation electoral system because then the blue voters can just vote the nearest party adjacent to their values.

      • alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml
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        2 days ago

        That is why neither party would ever permit electoral reform. What next, are you going to suggest we get rid of gerrymandering? Lobbying? Insider Trading for congress members?

        • LovingHippieCat@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          Democrats have put forward voting reform laws that get rid of gerrymandering and citizen unity and have supported getting rid of insider trading for Congress members (although that one has less support). There hasn’t been the proportional voting reform put forward in Congress but the only party fighting for that on the state level is Democrats. Maine got it passed because of Democrats campaigning for it. So saying that Democrats wouldn’t do any of what I talked about is BS.

        • Sunshine (she/her)OP
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          2 days ago

          New Zealand got electoral reform and Canada got rid of gerrymandering. It can be done if there’s enough pressure.