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Do people not living in swing states feel less vested in Presidential elctions?

Do people not living in swing states feel less vested in Presidential elctions?

  • I live in a swing state.

    Votes: 3 23.1%

  • I do not live in a swing state but feel very vested in Presidential elections.

    Votes: 3 23.1%

  • I do not live in a swing state and do not feel my vote matters in Presidential Elections

    Votes: 7 53.8%

  • I don't participate in Presidential elections; citizenhip, record, protest, don't care

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    13
Smeagol

Smeagol

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I live in a swing state and people here pretty much accept the notion that their vote is hugely important in the future of America. In fact, without going into detail I think I personally affected the outcome of a Presidential election.

However if you live in California, Alabama, Massachusetts or Texas what's there to get excited about? Everybody knows how their state's Electoral College votes will go if they vote or not. Voting is important but for most states voting for POTUS seems more about making a statement than determining who will be the next President.

Do people living in states where the outcome of a Presidential election is pretty much decided feel lees invested in the race than people in swing states?
 
I don't live in a swing state, but I vote blue in a red state, so my vote doesn't matter. That being said, I still vote, because I feel like I can't complain about the current political climate unless I had a say in how it got there.
 
I feel it important to vote but I don't live in a swing state, I live in a very very blue state and that's not going to change any time soon so while I still feel it important to exercise my right to vote I know that it's not going to change anything at least not at a national level, local elections are another story.
 
Sometimes we swing, sometimes we don't. When I was a dyed in the wool progressive democrat who thought that the democrats actually did want to make a difference, I knew my vote would never count because I lived in such a conservative area and the GOP usually won or a democrat to the right of the GOP. Now, when we get swinging, I still don't think my vote matters that much so I often don't even cast a ballot in the "main event" races like Senate and House, but vote for other things like state offices.
 
Smeagol said:
I live in a swing state and people here pretty much accept the notion that their vote is hugely important in the future of America. In fact, without going into detail I think I personally affected the outcome of a Presidential election.

However if you live in California, Alabama, Massachusetts or Texas what's there to get excited about? Everybody knows how their state's Electoral College votes will go if they vote or not. Voting is important but for most states voting for POTUS seems more about making a statement than determining who will be the next President.

Do people living in states where the outcome of a Presidential election is pretty much decided feel lees invested in the race than people in swing states?
Click to expand...

Texas may not be a swing state, but it is an anchor state. Without it to hold back the red tide, swing states wouldn't matter and the country would be guaranteed to be flushed into the sewer.
 
Really our votes don't matter in the long run. The electoral collage is what votes a president in, we just show them where we want them to vote and in like 3 states that doesn't even matter and they can vote anyway they want. in in states with 8, 10, even 20 million people in them, 1 vote means basically nothing
 
DVSentinel said:
Texas may not be a swing state, but it is an anchor state. Without it to hold back the red tide, swing states wouldn't matter and the country would be guaranteed to be flushed into the sewer.
Click to expand...

:lamo
 
As a swing state resident, I guess its supposed to be an advantage since I actually get to choose the POTUS but in my heart it doesn't seem fair than most American's votes don't sort of matter.
 
Smeagol said:
I live in a swing state and people here pretty much accept the notion that their vote is hugely important in the future of America. In fact, without going into detail I think I personally affected the outcome of a Presidential election.

However if you live in California, Alabama, Massachusetts or Texas what's there to get excited about? Everybody knows how their state's Electoral College votes will go if they vote or not. Voting is important but for most states voting for POTUS seems more about making a statement than determining who will be the next President.

Do people living in states where the outcome of a Presidential election is pretty much decided feel lees invested in the race than people in swing states?
Click to expand...

It's the primary reason I sometimes don't vote for president. If there's no candidate I actually like, I don't feel obligated to vote the party, because my state does so no matter what I do.
 
I never really understood how states always vote one way or the other there has to be some give depending on how bad the government was. Here almost every province is a toss up (well some provinces lean but are not 100% assured) with very few assured votes but then gain we have three parties; maybe that is what American needs to shake things up.
 
Smeagol said:
I live in a swing state and people here pretty much accept the notion that their vote is hugely important in the future of America. In fact, without going into detail I think I personally affected the outcome of a Presidential election.

However if you live in California, Alabama, Massachusetts or Texas what's there to get excited about? Everybody knows how their state's Electoral College votes will go if they vote or not. Voting is important but for most states voting for POTUS seems more about making a statement than determining who will be the next President.

Do people living in states where the outcome of a Presidential election is pretty much decided feel lees invested in the race than people in swing states?
Click to expand...

I pretty much think all elections are important down to dog catcher, but yes it is a bummer know who will win before the first vote is cast. In my case it is my congressional district and not so much the presidential. Georgia is not considered a swing state, but it is not that red either. People forget Georgia didn't election their first Republican Govenor until 2002 ever. Obama only lost by some 200,000 votes in 2008 to McCain to Romney by less than 300,000 out of some 5 million cast. There is a 50-50 chance next year we will send a Democratic senator to Washington and a conservative to moderate Democrat can win Georgia as Bill Clinton did.

Swing states vary from election to election and a swing state in 2012 may not be one in 2016 depending on the candidate. Now the Northeast and west coast, I doubt if Lincoln could win there. But then again Romney and Brown won in MASS and is there a more liberal state in the union? Candidates and issues will determine swing states in any given election. But you're right, I can't foresee California or New York going for a Republican Presidential Candidate anytime soon or Alabama or Mississippi going to a Democrat.
 
Aderleth said:
It's the primary reason I sometimes don't vote for president. If there's no candidate I actually like, I don't feel obligated to vote the party, because my state does so no matter what I do.
Click to expand...

I felt that way many, many time over the last six years when considering Republican vs. Democrat. So I voted third party in 5 of the last 6 presidential elections.
 
Perotista said:
Swing states vary from election to election and a swing state in 2012 may not be one in 2016 depending on the candidate. Now the Northeast and west coast, I doubt if Lincoln could win there. But then again Romney and Brown won in MASS and is there a more liberal state in the union? Candidates and issues will determine swing states in any given election. But you're right, I can't foresee California or New York going for a Republican Presidential Candidate anytime soon or Alabama or Mississippi going to a Democrat.
Click to expand...

I was about to the say the same thing that swing states vary election to election and depending on the candidates so it is always worth voting, because you never know what will happen. And even though it may seem like a long time ago to some, in the 1980's California was safely voting Republican in Presidential Elections, so who knows what the future will bring.
 
Porchev said:
I was about to the say the same thing that swing states vary election to election and depending on the candidates so it is always worth voting, because you never know what will happen. And even though it may seem like a long time ago to some, in the 1980's California was safely voting Republican in Presidential Elections, so who knows what the future will bring.
Click to expand...

Exactly my friend. Last year I wondered big time why Obama never put any money or campaigned in Georgia outside of a couple of fund raisers in Atlanta. He had a shot, a very slim one. Especially when Romney was a very luke warm candidate down here. A lot of the prognosticators keep Georgia in the lean Romney column until about 2 weeks prior to the election itself. That means the race was competitive but one party had the advantage and in Georgia's case it was the Republicans. Georgia is a far cry from Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina. But everyone just hears the word Georigia and automatically thinks they are a very dark solid red state. Not so.
 
DVSentinel said:
Texas may not be a swing state, but it is an anchor state. Without it to hold back the red tide, swing states wouldn't matter and the country would be guaranteed to be flushed into the sewer.
Click to expand...

Texas will be a swing state soon. The demographics will be changing it to purple, not unlike Arizona.
 
Perotista said:
Exactly my friend. Last year I wondered big time why Obama never put any money or campaigned in Georgia outside of a couple of fund raisers in Atlanta. He had a shot, a very slim one. Especially when Romney was a very luke warm candidate down here. A lot of the prognosticators keep Georgia in the lean Romney column until about 2 weeks prior to the election itself. That means the race was competitive but one party had the advantage and in Georgia's case it was the Republicans. Georgia is a far cry from Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina. But everyone just hears the word Georigia and automatically thinks they are a very dark solid red state. Not so.
Click to expand...

As far as 2012 is concerned, the person currently holding office always has the advantage, plus several southerners were not excited Romney was the Republican candidate, and I know some people did not like that he was Mormon. So yes, it could have possibly put Georgia in play. A long shot, but it was closer than a lot of people would have imagined.
 
Porchev said:
As far as 2012 is concerned, the person currently holding office always has the advantage, plus several southerners were not excited Romney was the Republican candidate, and I know some people did not like that he was Mormon. So yes, it could have possibly put Georgia in play. A long shot, but it was closer than a lot of people would have imagined.
Click to expand...

Exactly, but un-needed
 
Smeagol said:
I live in a swing state and people here pretty much accept the notion that their vote is hugely important in the future of America. In fact, without going into detail I think I personally affected the outcome of a Presidential election.

However if you live in California, Alabama, Massachusetts or Texas what's there to get excited about? Everybody knows how their state's Electoral College votes will go if they vote or not. Voting is important but for most states voting for POTUS seems more about making a statement than determining who will be the next President.

Do people living in states where the outcome of a Presidential election is pretty much decided feel lees invested in the race than people in swing states?
Click to expand...
I lived in California most of my adult life, and virtually nobody (on either side) pays attention to the Presidential election because the results are a fait accompli.

Now I live in Iowa, and the attention brought here is like night and day from California. Being somewhat of a political junkie, I love it.
 
radcen said:
I lived in California most of my adult life, and virtually nobody (on either side) pays attention to the Presidential election because the results are a fait accompli.

Now I live in Iowa, and the attention brought here is like night and day from California. Being somewhat of a political junkie, I love it.
Click to expand...

I am in Iowa now and I love asking the local unions how their new healthcare insurance looks and watch their expressions because they know they got duped
 
I suppose MI is a swing state, but it's been abandoned by repubs before election day recently. It doesn't matter to me though. One vote is not going to determine anything. I'd rather not be in a swing state because i don't want the roads shut down and all the security just for some politician to come give a short speech and take off.
 
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