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JLyon's avatar

The Tyranny of the Minority is exactly what’s happening in many states AND congress. A small MAGA sliver that everyone caters to is calling the shots and no one has the courage to stand up to them. We need the majority to vote accordingly to send the message that they are NOT that powerful.

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Eric Foley's avatar

If we want significant change, Democrats have to find a way to win elections in rural states. It’ll be a very uphill slog, but there’s not much for it. The system is — literally — deliberately designed to not allow politicians from heavily populated areas to ignore sparsely populated ones. The longer Democrats do so, the easier it gets for Republicans to play the whole “us versus them” game.

Or we can just sit back and wonder why every election is a nail biter despite the fact that the other side seems self-evidently crazy. It’s such a mystery!

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Apr 4, 2023Edited
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Eric Foley's avatar

Yes, but those rural states get the same two Senators that urbanized ones do, and conceding them means Dems have to win the popular vote by 5 points to have a break even chance at the electoral college. The Constitution is literally designed to force big states to work together with little ones to get much done, both through equal suffrage in the Senate and prohibiting amendments to deprive small states of said suffrage. If Dems want to get anything done, they have to crack the rural walls eventually.

That said, you’re not wrong that sending money to whoever was going to lose to MTG by 30 in a deep red district while letting JD Vance skate to the Senate was a mistake. Johnson’s seat in WI, the Dems simply threw away with a candidate that couldn’t win a general election. These things matter.

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E. A. Bare's avatar

The majority did vote, remember Biden got almost 8 million more votes, but with the electoral college and gerrymandering it does little good.

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Mary's avatar

Depends on where one lives. Want a scary picture? Google the 2020 electoral map by county. It looks like a murder scene, a sea of red. Democrats need to spread out. It’s a big damn country. By clustering together in urban areas, we cede congressional seats to Republicans. They have disproportionate representation, literal minority rule. This frustrates me no end.

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Apr 4, 2023
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buns-n-butter's avatar

You're definitely not getting the Goober vote when you run for President.

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Mary's avatar

I already have moved. 14 years ago. Lo and behold, there are likeminded people in even the remotest of areas. I have land, a nice view, and low taxes. Plus, a vote that counts. If it’s not for you, fine. It’s still a democracy. For now.

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JF's avatar

Definitely. Gerrymandering and the counter-majoritarian nature of the Senate and the Electoral College are baked in.

It’s similar to a fact I learned years ago (to my surprise) that “undecided” voters are the least informed voters - but they are the ever-so-important “swing voters. So politicians pander to the least engaged citizens. Seems like a direct path to MAGA.

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