cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/22680392

Thinking of red states vs blue states is busted. Plenty of good visualizations of this over the years, but this election in particular feels really important to point out “We” did not chose this.

When I say we I mean registered US voters, but even less so citizens, and even less so again residents.

Even of the voters who did vote for the GOP candidate, who can say how many really wanted him or his policies vs they just didn’t want more of the status quo Dems.

The popular vote tallies in this graphic are out of date too, He definitely didn’t win in a landslide the way it can appear with red and blue maps. His win in the popular vote was also pretty small now that more votes have been counted. https://www.thenation.com/…/donald-trump-vote-margin…/

So, what if Biden used broad immunity SCOTUS granted to declare a crisis of democracy - That between massive disinformation campaigns by enemies both foreign and domestic, voter suppression, as well as many other factors, the will of the people can’t be discerned from our recent presidential election. That it would be a dereliction of duty both to the people and to his oath to defend the constitution to hand over power to someone whose clear and declared intent is abuse the power of the office to fundamentally reshape or demolish our republic based on this highly suspect and incomplete result (remember, most people didn’t even vote)

Here is my off the cuff proposal for what to do after that

A new election, everyone must vote. Trump and Harris on the ballot, but each major party must offer 2 candidates, and we’re using Ranked Choice Voting. 1st place gets presidency, 2nd place gets VP.

Biden almost certainly won’t do anything like this. He is clearly a coward with a stupid sense of optimism - a “things will be just fine, no need for any drastic measures” ever, mentality, and despite some rhetoric has shown no signs that he thinks there is anything to actually be concerned about from the party which has veered hard towards fascism. But, hey, a guy can dream.

  • PhilipTheBucket@ponder.catEnglish
    59·
    1 month ago

    Major political parties: Absolute shameless corruption and self-dealing while a thriving economy that could support families and rewarding living, sharing the unimaginable wealth of the modern world pretty equitably among any working person, collapses into an Uber-driving no health insurance hellscape. Give vote pls tho

    Voters: Man fuck this

    Major political parties: Shocked Pikachu face

    Voters: Don’t really care about news or politics or really anything except video games and vape, I heard on social media that Biden is bad for the economy and Facebook has never lied to me in the past. I’m going to sit home and whack off instead of trying to effect some positive change in our politics

    Trump: Hey just so you know, I’m going to have the military start shooting people I don’t like, pretty much the instant I’m back in power

    Voters: Shocked Pikachu face

    Edit: Typo

  • hornface@fedia.io
    36·
    1 month ago

    The people who didn’t vote may not have actively contributed to this, but they certainly did make a conscious choice to allow it to happen when they had the power to stop it.

  • tiredofsametab@fedia.io
    13·
    1 month ago

    A new election, everyone must vote.

    This alone is a huge hurdle. There are people who have no form of ID and we have no free national form of ID, so that rules out any state that hard-requires voter ID. One also cannot assume that these people have the documents required (shitty parents, house fire, homelessness) nor the time and money required to get a state ID. Good luck trying to do a national ID as it brings out the crazies. So there would need to be programs on a per-state level to not only identify these people (as in knowing that there is a person like this in x location right now) but also identifying these people (as in their actual identity) and getting them an ID. This ignores that there are plenty of people who do not want to be identified.

    1. identify all potential eligible voters and their current location for the required parts of the duration of the project
    2. getting them proper ID as per state requirements
    3. getting them to a place to vote
    4. coming up with and enforcing some punishment for those that don’t

    Edit: Some of the timing hurdles I mention are also people who work two jobs (or more) with basically no time to themselves just to survive, let alone do all of the above (particularly when there is poor or no public transit and they don’t drive). I lived out of a car for several months when I was 19 or so and a lot of people are a single paycheck away so don’t think it’s a non-issue.

    • Kbobabob@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6·
      1 month ago

      money required to get a state ID

      Why wouldn’t this be considered a poll tax. There has to be a way for everyone that is legally allowed to vote to do so for free.

      • tiredofsametab@fedia.io
        1·
        1 month ago

        Would need to check each state and verify their state IDs are free. I seem to think before I could drive I got an ID in my state and it was not free, but that was nearly 30 years ago so I don’t know what it looks like today

    • Szyler@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      1 month ago

      Make getting an ID free then? Isn’t that what both sides want? Fewer undocumented (by definition) for republicans, and more people voting for Democrats.

      • tiredofsametab@fedia.io
        1·
        1 month ago

        The ID being free helps (and maybe it is, based on what another poster mentioned; my knowledge is dated/local), but it still doesn’t solve all the issues of getting the person to the place with the documents to get the ID.

  • cmeu@lemmy.worldEnglish
    11·
    1 month ago

    The presumption here is that all the non voters would’ve voted against Trump - but even among motivated voters, that wasn’t true. So who’s to say more voters would’ve materially altered the outcome? What makes it likely there’s a different outcome with more voices…? As I remember, it seemed like Kamala was behind all along

    Also, the electoral outcomes don’t change much if the yellow state was already aligned to your preference 🤷‍♂️ my vote wouldn’t change the outcome of my state, years of voting on principle for independent and non incumbents have proven that to me, so why bother voting for the pres?

    Especially when it is literally giant douche v turd sandwich - neither option represents a win.

      • M0oP0o@mander.xyzEnglish
        5·
        1 month ago

        What, and please tell us the point that is being made?

        Is it that the election was not valid? Is it that the Democrats are somehow not the loser? Is it that the majority of Americans showed up to vote?

  • M0oP0o@mander.xyzEnglish
    11·
    1 month ago

    Second highest voter turn out in US history.

    Please Please Please stop this.

    • Queen HawlSera@lemm.eeEnglish
      4·
      1 month ago

      Didn’t you hear the “High Voter Turnout!” was media spin, they admitted afterwards that it was low

      • M0oP0o@mander.xyzEnglish
        11·
        1 month ago

        Its so far (the counting will not be in for a bit) the second highest voter turn out. No one “admitted” it was low, the numbers above show it was high (second to 2020). This whole endless blaming of “non-voters” is pathetic and the same line of reasoning devalues literally every other election then 2020 held in the USA.

        • Queen HawlSera@lemm.eeEnglish
          4·
          1 month ago

          Bro, That makes no sense considering how can voter turnout be high but votes cast was lower than 2020.

          Did people just show up and not cast votes?

          • AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            11·
            1 month ago

            2020 was highest ever in history (or at least the last few decades). 2024 was slightly less than 2020, but still taking 2nd place in raw numbers. To call that ‘low’ is extremely inaccurate and misleading.

            • M0oP0o@mander.xyzEnglish
              6·
              1 month ago

              And insulting. It cheapens the whole vote and overall process. I think its terrible the US is still under a two party system but 60% plus is a great turnout for an election when you don’t even give voters choices other then between the ruleing party or a fascist.

          • M0oP0o@mander.xyzEnglish
            4·
            1 month ago

            2020 was the highest in history of us elections with 65.8% of eligible voters turning in a ballot, 2024 (so far as counted) is 63.7% of eligible voters turning in a ballot. The delta between the second highest (2024) and the highest (2020) is only 2,624,285 votes, and this number will shrink if anything once the official count is in.

            You seem to think an over 60% turn out is bad, when it is very high for non mandatory voting. Look at 1988 with a 52.8% turn out and even then no one pulled this weak line of crap out in defense of Dukakis.

  • Masamune@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    1 month ago

    How many of the non-voters would vote if online voting was an option? I am sure there are many technical hurdles for online voting, but surely it would increase turnout and is not too far out of the realm of possibility?

    • JAWNEHBOY@reddthat.comEnglish
      6·
      1 month ago

      Paper creates a better physical trail to avoid tampering. The time commitment should be reduced by allowing voting by mail, even better if it’s mandatory. Easily enforced with a tax break for participating and just sending back a receipt of vote recorded accurately.

    • JaggedRobotPubes@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      1 month ago

      It’s a terrible idea the more you look into it. Seems great at first for sure, but you do not want it. Too easy to mess with it.

  • LifeOfChance@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    1 month ago

    I have no shame in not voting anymore. There’s nothing that’s gonna change anyways. Find me someone who can actually change our living conditions and isn’t out for themselves. I’m tired of trying to determine who’s lying or who’s the best of the worst situation. I avoided politics pretty damn well up until 2016. I say this from the very depths of my soul, fuck America. It’s full of racist pieces of shit just trying to load their pockets and turning every single one of us citizens against each other.

    For those people who say “then leave” hand me the money and I’m gone.

    All I want is for people to have food, home, and health but because some how in this country that’s been turned into a political statement instead of a way of life. The country can’t grow if we don’t…

    • WeirdyTripEnglish
      6·
      1 month ago

      I hear you on just wanting what’s best for your community, but checking out will only harm them further. Our communities need support now more than ever. I’m not trying to harp, either, I get it. I am demoralized as fuck these days, and honestly have little to zero hope for humanity in general. But even so, I won’t be a part of letting these fucks just walk into office unopposed. Votes matter, and especially at the local level. Vote for the best candidates at all levels, every election. I am not even suggesting that means your choices must be for a democrat, vote independent if that’s who the best option is. I live in a blue state, but my county historically leans red. What’s promising is that even in this shit show of a situation, a couple postions that usually go red went to non-red people this time (yes, someone who ran without party affiliation won, AND they were running against a Republican). I hope my community can keep that trend moving. Nobody good is going to get through without support. Be there to support the people who have the guts to try to unfuck this mess.

    • cranakis@reddthat.comEnglish
      4·
      1 month ago

      fuck America. it’s full of racist pieces of shit just trying to load their pockets and turning every single one of us citizens against each other.

      I feel you on this point. I am new to this though and you seem like you’ve been here for a bit. I was pretty patriotic for a lefty but this election broke all of that.

      I do have a disagreement and a counter argument though. America is not “full” of these people, although I won’t argue there are clearly a great many, without question. There are good people everywhere, like you (and I hope me too), who have their priorities in order. The good people won’t compromise though, to their credit usually, but we have to play chess in order to change the rules. That means winning with votes. That means good people will have to learn to compromise. Unless you are willing to run for office. I’ll vote for you. I don’t want you to leave (and I don’t have the money, sorry).

      I’m trying to tell you that you are looking at it backwards, and its intentional. The purpose is to make you (me, everyone opposed) so frustrated and defeated that we won’t vote. Please fucking vote.

    • Dragon Rider (drag)@lemmy.nzEnglish
      2·
      1 month ago

      There’s nothing that’s gonna change anyways. Find me someone who can actually change our living conditions

      Oh, you’re so pessimistic. With Trump in control of the courts, it’s soon going to be completely legal (in practice, not in writing) to murder queer people. He’s also going to increase coal and oil production and murder millions through droughts and other natural disasters. There’s so much that’s open to change.

      You said you wanted change. Congratulations, you get what you want.