Why so little advocacy for candidates

From a utilitarian perspective, I'm not sure about whether the marginal impact of voting is worth the time. If you're willing to spend some fixed amount of effort contributing to society, volunteering at a soup kitchen or working and donating to buy mosquito nets is probably more efficient than casting an isolated vote.

That aside, I don't think the discourse around campaigning is all that great. I think the biggest issues motivating votes are probably foundational views on abortion or immigration or climate change or gun control etc. But people know they're unlikely to convince opponents of all that at once, so threads end up being motivated reasoning grabbing embarrassing headlines about the other side because that seems more likely to get votes in the short term. Personal qualities do matter in terms of policies passed, but I do think people avoid addressing the philosophical issues that matter because they're hard to convince people on in a short period of time. But long term those matter the most.

I think I've spent significantly more energy giving my opinion on specific policies and philosophical dilemmas than I have doing any "campaigning." If my arguments are good and smart people hear them, they will find candidates who achieve the right goals.

For example, if I want to convert Muslims to Christianity, I could appeal to immediate emotion ("that Muslim just did a terrorist attack, and look at the money these Christians raised for the poor"), because it's easier than arguing about miracle claims. But if I'm trying to move society toward objective truth, it's the hard stuff that matters, and who did a terrorist attack or raised money for the poor isn't super helpful information.

You are highlighting the sexual nature of US politics.

SkepticalOne wrote:

I mean, we are deep in the midterm season - why are we not seeing anyone stumping for candidates? We've got threads highlighting awful campaigns, and general propaganda against "leftists", but not much else.

Are folks like Paxton and Abbott (or candidates in states other than Texas) too bad to advocate for, not worth the effort, or are people uninterested in current political events?

Fwiw, Talarico is objectively better than Paxton, and Hinojosa cant do much worse than Abbott.

I think people are just at an all-time low for faith in politicians. Liberals dealt with the 'hope and change' rugpull during the financial crisis and bailout, now MAGA is dealing with the Trump 2.0 rugpull. I think literally nobody, aside from wealthy people who live in a shrinking socioeconomic bubble and view politics as an entertaining diversion, hold any illusions about politicians representing anything aside from their donors or themselves.

When it comes to the Texas option, there's something in the water there. Every single politician from Texas makes my skin crawl, I feel like they all have lampshades made out of human skin at home.

The democratic win in Texas will change the politics in Texas.

Every single politician from Texas makes my skin crawl, I feel like they all have lampshades made out of human skin at home.

Eh, Talarico seems genuine even if I don't agree with all his policies.

Savant wrote:

Every single politician from Texas makes my skin crawl, I feel like they all have lampshades made out of human skin at home.

Eh, Talarico seems genuine even if I don't agree with all his policies.

He's one of the creepiest to me. Him, Beto, Eyepatch, Ted Cruz all make my skin crawl. Talarico seems like he has this little 'duper's delight' smile just behind his mask whenever he's talking. He also has whatever the male version is of that eerie 'Stepford Wife' vibe that some women have is - Stepford Twink?

He's one of the creepiest to me.

Talarico seems like he has this little 'duper's delight' smile just behind his mask whenever he's talking.

Come on, dude. This can't be a bigger red flag then just being an obvious jerk to people.

Savant wrote:

He's one of the creepiest to me.

Talarico seems like he has this little 'duper's delight' smile just behind his mask whenever he's talking.

Come on, dude. This can't be a bigger red flag then just being an obvious jerk to people.

If a politician isn't trustworthy, literally nothing else they say or do matters. 'Being an obvious jerk to people' ranges from a complete non-issue to a marker of trustworthiness. Like that Dem candidate that just gave an interview blitzed - she oozed pure, offensive authenticity and normal people respond to that.

I'm convinced that most people involved in political campaigns, especially Dems, are face-blind autists. Someone with an untrustworthy demeanor or vibe is a huge liability, and its like they just can't see it. Talarico will probably win because of this retarded war and because Texans have apparently grown accustomed to being ruled by bloodless lizard people but I see him failing on the national stage. Big Buttigieg vibes.

I think it's harder to consistently keep a clean track record than you are assuming. Plus someone can be genuinely nice but a bit stilted at public speaking. Additionally, someone who wants to seem nice is gonna be motivated to keep seeming nice by not suddenly acting like a psycho once elcted.

It's hard to be energized to vote when you basically got everything you wanted already and Trump can't run for a 3rd term.

Oh no, that's awful. 🤐

Speaking of 2028, who do you think will be the Repiblican nominee for POTUS? Vance?

Talarico will probably win because of this retarded war

Let us hope.

and because Texans have apparently grown accustomed to being ruled by bloodless lizard people

Uh, Talarico is a democrat, but, yes, Republicans have been in control for the last 30 years. So partially valid.

I'm always frustrated by how little and how late Obama comes out to help. I understand it is because MAGA is so much about hating on Obama that he tends to motivate the MAGA voters to come out, but I still think he could have done more this election.

Obama is coming to Atlanta tomorrow, just three hours after it was announced my wife and I signed up to go and there were already 1.5 million people signed up. It's first come first served and I figure people are already standing in line to get in and I'm too old for that shit, so we won't get to see him. Jon Ossof is a done deal (and I helped), but Keisha Lance Bottoms needs help, hopefully Obama gets the vote out for her and Ossoff pulls votes through for her. Trump is out a lot as always, he just wants the attention, but I think he helps the Democrats more than the Republicans. He is going to the deepest red locations and still there are a lot of empty seats in the venues, he can't even fill a venue in deep red states, and in a purple state Obama had 1.5 million attendees sign up in three hours, I really hope Trump knows about that. Trump says imagine I'm on the ballot, Democrats say imagine Trump is on the ballot, I really think Trump's economy and war are going to have a lot of Republicans staying home.

I think there's going to be a blue wave this cycle, but I'm extremely anxious about it, losing sleep and all that. Of course, I pretty much always do that, but this feels like the most important election of my lifetime (and I only think that about half the time lol).

Anyway, my thinking is even though the polls are showing Republicans getting their ass kicked, I believe they are showing Republican's higher than they will actually perform. It's one thing to tell a pollster you favor the Republicans; it's another to actually go out and vote and I think they stay home. I live deep in Trump country, Trump signs were everywhere six months ago, now it's difficult to find one LOL, Trump hasn't just embarrassed our country, he's embarrassed his base, and they were shameless people.

I've been a campaign rep for Jon Ossoff for a long time, he's gonna win this race, and I will I'll be campaigning for him again, next time it will be for President.

Egotistical, megalomaniacal and self serving sort of sums up the current run of media popular US politicians...Perhaps there are some decent ones, but will daft people consider voting for them?...Nah, neither daft people nor the media likes sensible...In terms of global respect the US has gone down the pan...Other than with similar egotistical, megalomaniacal self serving tyrants of course.

There was never a time in the USA when this wasn't so. Tories routinely called George Washington an egotistical tyrant. It's hardly current.

Even if there were "decent" ones, there will always be the midwit voter who refuses to see it simply because they were not on the winning side.

Speaking of 2028, who do you think will be the Republican nominee for POTUS?

https://polymarket.com/event/republican-presidential-nominee-2028

I tend to trust the market over my own judgment, same reason I buy index funds.

It will beJD Vance, he is the current Republican VP.

Debby wrote:

It will beJD Vance, he is the current Republican VP.

No way, it will be little Marco Rubio, he will lose by a smaller margin than JD will lose by.

He's also provided photographic evidence of Trump grabbing a pussy.

Marco Rubio has Trump in his grip but not the MAGA Republicans.

it will be little Marco Rubio, he will lose by a smaller margin than JD will lose by

I could see a path to victory for Rubio, but it depends on a lot of things. If Republicans get stomped in the midterms, they may be less able to shoot themselves in the foot, and when bad stuff does happen, the Democrats can be blamed. If Rubio can distance himself from Trump and the challenger is someone like AOC who is more polarizing, he might have the upper hand.

Savant wrote:

it will be little Marco Rubio, he will lose by a smaller margin than JD will lose by

I could see a path to victory for Rubio, but it depends on a lot of things. If Republicans get stomped in the midterms, they may be less able to shoot themselves in the foot, and when bad stuff does happen, the Democrats can be blamed. If Rubio can distance himself from Trump and the challenger is someone like AOC who is more polarizing, he might have the upper hand.

I agree but I doubt Trump would allow him to distance himself, Trump is convinced that he is wildly popular and he loves the campaign trail, no Republican can win without the MAGA vote, maybe Trump can't make a candidate win, but he can definitely make a candidate lose.

The Democrats are pretty stupid, but I don't think they are stupid enough to run AOC.

But you never know, i have completely lost any ability to predict, or even comprehend American politics for quite a while now. It just doesn't make sense anymore, I wouldn't be surprised if Vermin Supreme won in 2028.

If Keisha Lance Bottoms wins (I'll be surprised), then I will be pushing for Jon Ossoff in 28, if she doesn't win then Jackson would replace him with a Republican senator, either way, Jon Ossoff is young, he can wait till 32.,

Whatever happens, I'm sure it will still feel like a Fellini movie.

I agree but I doubt Trump would allow him to distance himself

Rubio's biggest chance is if Trump dies. Which is why it's surprising to me that anyone on the left would want Trump's death. I think it's a minority of Dems, but even if you hate the guy, I think it's pretty clear he's a massive liability to Republicans.

In the real world, Rubio is a better candidate than Vance. In Maga world, I think Vance would be favored.

I think MAGA will collapse in on itself as soon as Trump kicks the bucket. Rubio is just a repackaged neocon wearing MAGA like a skinsuit. JD Vance is a Silicon Valley golem who just finished sticking his neck out for the whole pedophile ad fiasco. They both represent different wings of the donors of the governing MAGA coalition but neither of them commands the grassroots, rabid support that is the backbone of the movement. That part of the movement has diverged into several splinters.

You have the outright deranged MAGA cultists who worship the ground Trump walks on even as he whips out his dong and pisses all over them. Another part blames the donors and other forces for 'leading Trump astray' - these people are scapegoating the very interests which Vance and Rubio represent for 'ruining' MAGA. And then there's the blackpilled element of the movement, which thinks the whole thing is dead and that the Republican party needs to be burned to the ground to punish it for its many betrayals.

The last two aren't going to support Vance or Rubio, especially after Vance has made so many missteps this cycle that revealed his true loyalties. The first are honestly insane and I have no idea what they will do once Trump dies - maybe insist of being buried with him like slaves of the Pharaoh. The support that Rubio and Vance receive for their actual stances/loyalties is not enough to win an election. The Republican primary in 2027/2028 will either be a shoehorned coronation, which will result in a weak candidate who will go on to lose the general, as it always does. Or it will be a spectacular bloodbath and possibly the deathknell of the party.

Savant wrote:

I agree but I doubt Trump would allow him to distance himself

Rubio's biggest chance is if Trump dies. Which is why it's surprising to me that anyone on the left would want Trump's death. I think it's a minority of Dems, but even if you hate the guy, I think it's pretty clear he's a massive liability to Republicans.

That's all true, but most Democrats think it's pretty clear he's a massive liability to the entire country, and that he represents a huge danger to the American people. We're not just talking soldiers, 15 million Americans lost health insurance or public health coverage, rural area are losing Medicaid Hospitals and are left with no hospital care for hundreds of miles, six million lost nutritional assistance through SNAP. There are real world consequences that will cost us tens of thousands of American Lives. We live under the threat of war and terrorism; and our democracy is under attack.

This goes far beyond the partisan politics and there is a lot of outrage about the real-world consequences of his actions. This elevated level of polarization combined with the impact Trump has had on public rhetoric and political discourse, with combative, dehumanizing and violent language, it's completely understandable that some people wish him dead, that's just a natural result of the effect Trump has had on American politics.