I've had an epiphany!

[DCSCO]

The number of people who watch the news is not that many compared to the electorate. Most people don't watch the news.

 

[HKB]

And what if a significant enough number of the people who consider themselves "liberal" who are not too stupid and/or lazy to go out and vote, just don't bother to watch ANY friggin' news at all, and simply believe what they hear in their own inner circles of liberalism?

Many of my liberal friends do not have cable or even watch TV for that matter, somehow they consider their self smarter for not watching TV news.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

Did you just say that Hardball (Chris Mathews) is a source for REAL news? MSNBC is more conservative than FOX.

Did you really just say that?

The latest PEW research says MSNBC has 15 percent news and 85 percent commentary. Commentary is not news. Commentary is opinion and not facts based.

It's the same station (MHP show) that says your children belong to the collective and not to the parents.

It's the same station that won't cover the Kermit Gosnell trial regarding A LOT of late birth baby murders.

It's the same station that didn't cover the 14 people stabbed in Texas because it doesn't fit with their 24/7 anti-gun agenda.

Please tell me I misread your post.

Please tell me you think MSNBC is LESS conservative than FOX.

God help our cause if this is the thinking around here. We'll be toast in 2014.

 

[KIBarrister]

Many of my liberal friends do not have cable or even watch TV for that matter, somehow they consider their self smarter for not watching TV news.

Given the level of cable news stupidity, they might be right

 

[oupa]

Consider this...

Instead of trying to "change people's minds", when most liberals are not (by my experience) that open-minded anyway, why not concentrate a large amount of our effort on our own people?


I believe we have a much better chance of building our voting power by motivating our own as opposed to trying the "change minds".

There is much truth in all of your reasoning but the above is the key - and "key" is as pertinent in this as it is in your profession. It unlocks the whole thing. - if we are EVER to advance this traditional values agenda.

You're right, trying to change minds is pretty much useless. Anyone who's already made up their mind (against us) has also likely formed the opinion that we're all liars anyway. I've found that much of this opinion stems from them primarily looking out for their own (personal) best interest instead a true community spirit. If we are ever to succeed, it will be by enlightening the fence sitters and motivating the loyalists to get out and work for the cause.

That primarily means VOTING and voting for these core principals not the guy their union says will get them a raise or protect their monopoly in the work place. The framers cautioned us and many were convinced that the republic would eventually fail for the vary reasons we're seeing today. That individuals are voting for their own selfish advancement instead of the community good.

That's an odd assessment where individual freedom is the cornerstone, but the fact is, unless you stand for EVERYONE'S INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM ("community") you are actually voting for repression and the loss of freedom. You see, when you vote for the freedom to be applied by some standard, you are actually revoking the freedom from certain members of the community. The problem being that a very select group ("the government" generically) get to decide who gets the freedom and who doesn't. That has never ended well as far back as the historical record exists.

In our republic we need a majority and for their voices to be fairly heard. The farther you get from the government dependency (and plenty of idle time) of urban America, the harder it is to get voters to the polls. Change that and you'll have this job unlocked safetech!

 

[gmhowell]

God help our cause if this is the thinking around here. We'll be toast in 2014.

To whose post are you referring?

 

[iH8DemLibz]

gmhowell,

jrumann59

post #4

1st page

 

[gmhowell]

gmhowell,

jrumann59

post #4

1st page

I think you misread his post. Looks like he was saying that Fox has more news shows, which he clarified to be shows not like Matthews and Morgan. Implication being those two shows are pure opinion.

There are a few others, but I think you were saying similar things from different directions.

 

[rmiddle]

I got to wondering; if FOX News is the number one news channel in the country - I think I heard, beating the next three (liberal) networks combined - why is it that Democrats are doing so well in elections?!

There is a flaw in your logic you assume that all voters actually watch the news. They don't. That is why we are hearing the term low information voters. Those are people who go out and vote because that is what you are suppose to do but don't pay any attention to the actual issues. So all there news is from those 30 second attack adds on TV.

Thanks
Robert

 

[TxAggie]

Nationwide the R turnout was down significantly from 2008, something like 4 million. Interesting that Romney won the independent vote in all the key states: OH, FL, VA, but not enough R's showed up.

Funny how that works.

 

[Schipperke]

I think it is more likely that the liberals are just not "news junkies".

Bingo.. Their choices are all predicated on feelings, not reality

 

[Safetech]

There is a flaw in your logic you assume that all voters actually watch the news. They don't. [But way more so with liberals than conservatives] That is why we are hearing the term low information voters. Those are people who go out and vote because that is what you are suppose to do but don't pay any attention to the actual issues. So all there news is from those 30 second attack adds on TV.

Thanks
Robert

Actually... that WAS my point.

 

[ShoreShooter]

1) There are more liberal voters who watch no news than conservatives.

2) There is ONE conservative station, and every other one is liberal. The liberal audience is very split between numerous stations.

 

[ShoreShooter]

By the way, there is a new conservative cable channel trying to get off the ground this summer.

 

[MDFF2008]

GMHowell,

Senator Stone ran the names and addresses of contacts against the voter registration database. Apparently they do this to determine if your telling the truth about being in their district.

He reported between 40 and 50 percent of those contacting him where not on the voter rolls in any district.

Even considering the Rusty Shakelfords of the world, that's still an alarming number of unregistered voters.

 

[Biggfoot44]

I'm calling skepticism on large % of people communicating with Annapolis not being Voter.

Hypothetocaly someone is Registered under their legal name of Charles William Voter.

Their usual signature on corespondence might be Chuck Voter , Charlie Voter , C.W. Voter , Willie Voter , Bill Voter . Someone so inclined could claim he wasn't a registered voter.

 

[gmhowell]

Senator Stone ran the names and addresses of contacts against the voter registration database. Apparently they do this to determine if your telling the truth about being in their district.

He reported between 40 and 50 percent of those contacting him where not on the voter rolls in any district.

Even considering the Rusty Shakelfords of the world, that's still an alarming number of unregistered voters.

Thanks for the info.

I'm calling skepticism on large % of people communicating with Annapolis not being Voter.

Hypothetocaly someone is Registered under their legal name of Charles William Voter.

Their usual signature on corespondence might be Chuck Voter , Charlie Voter , C.W. Voter , Willie Voter , Bill Voter . Someone so inclined could claim he wasn't a registered voter.

Okay, according to the Census Bureau, in 2010, ~59% of Marylanders were eligible to vote. '40-50%' unregistered is a really weird spread, but it doesn't indicate that the callers were anything other than a random sampling of Marylanders. If we peg the number at 45%, a few disparities like you mention (Bill/William, Chuck, Chuckie, Charles, Chas) might account for the difference.

OTOH, I would think that someone motivated enough to call would push the number of unregistered contacts down to, I don't know, 30%?

What I think we can carry away with this is that the Senator's numbers are probably within spitting distance of correct, and that voter registration would make the problems we are facing almost trivial to solve.

Will increasing the number of 2A supporters who are registered (and vote) give us constitutional carry? I doubt it. Would it flip enough seats in the GA to make bills like SB281 a relic of the past? I'd bet good money on it.

 

[Tungsten]

Will increasing the number of 2A supporters who are registered (and vote) give us constitutional carry? I doubt it. Would it flip enough seats in the GA to make bills like SB281 a relic of the past? I'd bet good money on it.

How many seats do we realistically need to flip in order to kill bills in the GA?

As far as the # of non-voters being 40-60%- I am somewhat split in my opinion of that. On the one hand, we all know the vast majority of people would prefer to simply bitch rather than get up and make even a token effort to fix a problem.
On the other hand, it is baffling that someone would make the effort to call or write or testify and not bother to be registered to vote. That doesn't really make sense to me.

 

[gmhowell]

Good questions. I don't know enough about what went on behind the scenes to even come up with an armchair quarterback's answer to them.

And yes, calling/emailing, but not even being registered to vote?! WTF?

 

[tangent]

This why we need to get enough people trained and certified as Voter Registration Volunteers to enroll all those who aren't exercising all their rights.

The training is quick, easy and free. There isn't even a quiz at the end. Lets get this project moving!

This is true, but they limit how many voter registration forms they will give you to I believe 50 and they won't give you more till you turn those in.

Their attitudes would change if, next time we go down to visit in mass, most people walking into their offices were holding a voter registration form.

I believe you can print them off from online, but in that case, the person has to fill them out and mail them themselves instead you handing them back to you and you turning them in.

-t