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Your vote doesn't matter
There are over 300 million people in the United States, and over 150 million registered voters. Your vote isn't going to change anything. One vote out of 150 million never matters. Who you vote for is irrelevant. That is, until you realize that those 150 million registered voters are each individuals and that the collective behavior of the voting populace is determined by individual choices.
Similarly, what you post on a site like TPM doesn't matter. Only a relatively small percentage of the voting populace will read what you have to say, and only a relatively small percentage of the people who <em>do</em> read what you say will have their behavior influenced by it. Except that the collective behavior of all of us, here at TPM and elsewhere at other sites, <em>can</em> have a significant impact on the election. Therefore, we should be careful in what we write and how we write it. Obviously, I'm not going to argue against the use of snark, but I will argue against rudeness. You're much more likely to change someone's mind if you don't insult their mind first.
We've all heard (some) Clinton supporters say they'll vote for McCain if Obama wins the nomination, and we've all heard (some) Obama supporters say they'll vote for McCain if Clinton wins the nomination. Many of those supporters will change their minds once the nomination gets wrapped up and the internecine bitterness has worn off. However, if we're not careful, the best we can hope for is lukewarm support. If we're not careful, we'll lose the benefits that come from excited supporters telling their friends and family why they absolutely <em>need</em> to get out and vote in November. We'll reduce the number of people willing to donate their time and energy to educating the voters and getting out the vote on election day. We need to start treating each other with respect now, so that it'll be easier to get everyone not just behind a single candidate, but <em>eagerly</em> behind a single candidate.
Comments (17)
Iam looking forward to when we can just gang up on the idiot that is McBush.
April 11, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is a good post, so I feel slightly guilty for distracting from it, but not guilty enough as to actually refuse to be a distraction:
With that in mind, has everyone seen Poblano's analysis of the "unity bounce" and its likely aftermaths? If not, it is well worth checking it out. Incidentally, Poblano speaks to the issue of not antagonizing one's opponents in this primary race, so maybe I am not really distracting after all...
April 11, 2008 5:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not to toot my own horn, but I was saying the exact same thing two days ago.
(I swear, I'm not trying to Rickroll you.)
April 11, 2008 5:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, evidently it is true that great minds think alike.
April 11, 2008 7:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for weighing in on this. I was flogging the point in the fall, and most responses were positive.
April 11, 2008 5:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ben,
Billy Glad writes his notorious "Hillary is my Revolution" blog, which inspires Billysumday to write "Hillary's appeal - the Diva Theory", which catches Andrew Sullivan's eye and he comments on it on his blog, and the entire world reads.
Flyonthewall's posts get referenced all over the blogosphere.
We are not that insignificant. Even the TPMCafé bigfish read our views and occasionally mingle with us, and our views do influence theirs.
Gov. Gregoire won the Washington state gubernatorial race by 129 votes. Indeed, each individual vote mattered much, as they did in Florida in 2000.
So I find myself disagreeing with your basic premises. More debate, even heated, less snark. The occasional group therapy is forgivable, and so are the jokes from the back of the classroom. Let us not forget, however, that this is not some insignificant medium.
April 11, 2008 6:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
My point wasn't that we're insignificant, but rather that we're more significant than we seem. My point about our votes was likewise. I was starting out with a deliberately antagonistic statement and demonstrating why it was false. So, it seems we're actually in agreement on the basic premise, if not on my particular style of writing. :)
April 11, 2008 6:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with you Ben.
I don't think anyone is going to be "enlightened" by someone who insults them.
It also reflects badly on the candidate when his/her supporters are abusive and crude. I know that is how I react when I read such comments. It makes me feel all the more justified in my bad opinion of the candidate when I see that his/her supporters are such jerks.
I am very new to this whole blogging thing and I have only written a few posts, but I don't feel that disrespectful comments should even be dignified with a response.
April 11, 2008 9:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's exactly why I don't support either candidate. So I can be abusive and rude without reflecting badly on anyone except myself.
April 12, 2008 12:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm with ya', Ben.
I feel an important step is to stop poking the trolls. (Frankly, I'm surprised it's such a popular activity here.) When someone spits out a hateful line of nonsense, ignore them. Many of them will get bored and move on to slimier pastures.
April 12, 2008 1:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
funny now we need to respect everyone when for weeks upon weeks i have read every slander and slime against the clintons imaginable across the range of liberal blogs
its only when your guy falls down and bloodies himself, then, suddenly the snarky humor and sly wittiness that you folks liked to apply to the clintons as racists crooks pedophiles and tax evaders...all of a sudden, oh please lets play fair
ironic as heck
April 12, 2008 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Bloodies himself"? Well, if I thought that was the case, then maybe you'd have a point. I think it's fairly clear that we all think he's doing quite well. In other comments you accuse us of being blind to the mistakes he's made ("drinking the kool-aid", so to speak). We can't be both blind to his mistakes and simultaneously thinking he's bloodied himself, can we?
Also, I've never accused the Clintons of being racists, crooks, pedophiles, or tax evaders, so that's off base as well.
No, if you want to accuse me of being hypocritical, base it on something with merit. Suggest that I'm saying this now only because I'm sure that Obama is going to win, so we need to make nice with the Clinton supporters and that if Clinton was going to win, I'd have no problem taking her down so McCain would win or something. I mean, at least with this hypothetical there's no way to defend myself (since I'll never have a chance to show how I'd act if Clinton was going to win).
April 12, 2008 12:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Off topic - sorry, but it's driving me nuts.
Just what exactly is the text way to get quotes, etc. On one forum I frequent it's brackets, on this one I thought it was > but I tried that and it didn't work.
Help.
April 12, 2008 12:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Use <blockquote>some text</blockquote> to get
. (To get <blockquote>, you need to type <blockquote>. I hope I get this right. Without preview…)April 12, 2008 12:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hope articleman appreciates my meta-meta-html. Btw, to get <, you need to type &lt;. And yes, I just wanted to meta-meta-meta it.
April 12, 2008 12:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
so "quote" is insufficient? You have to use "blockquote"?
I'm on a Mac. Should have to use those stupid PC codes?
April 13, 2008 9:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey Ben. I never metapost I didn't like, I think. Trying to get away from self-referential, process posts and toward a way of posting that is more substantive and not an Obama/Clinton dogwhistle right now, though fluffy and dogwhistle and meta probably gets more recommends. Best, a
April 12, 2008 7:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
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