TacoButtPlug

I love it for what I use it for which is research, speeding up scripting and code writing, resume building, paraphrashing stupidly long news articles, teaching me Spanish and Japanese, bypassing the bullshit that are what passes as search engines these days, and talking my anxiety down. They cut through the noise and boost my productivity.

I guess a lot of music and movies from a pirate site. I’d spend more time at the library listening to my music.

Then let us proceed down the “Oh it’s not in my control and therefore not my fault as a voter” trail because it’s done us fuck all any good.

I’d prefer to review where there were options ignored though.

General Trend in Primaries: Over the past decade, nearly 80% of eligible voters consistently did not participate in primaries, highlighting a persistent problem with voter engagement in these crucial election. (https://bipartisanpolicy.org/press-release/voters-dont-participate-primaries/)

While a specific number isn’t universally accepted as “healthy,” the data suggests that aiming for turnout rates above 60-65% could be beneficial for both democratic engagement and public health outcomes. However, it’s important to note that the quality of civic participation and the inclusivity of voting policies are also crucial factors in assessing the health of a democracy, not just the turnout percentage alone. (https://democracyindex.hdhp.us/)

2018 California Gov Primary: The turnout rate of 33.7% was the highest for a midterm primary election in California since 1998. The primary featured a large field of candidates, with 27 individuals appearing on the ballot across various parties. Despite a constellation of choice, voters still went with status quo. (https://www.courthousenews.com/california-2018-midterm-primary-turnout-highest-in-2-decades/) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_California_gubernatorial_election)

2022 Idaho Gubernatorial Election: The turnout was 57.18%, a slight decrease from the previous election. Despite having five candidates on the ballot, including an independent candidate who received significant support, incumbent Republican Brad Little won re-election with 59.83% of the vote. This shows voters sticking with the status quo even with notable alternatives. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_United_States_gubernatorial_elections)

2013 New York City Mayoral Election: 15 candidates appeared on the ballot across various parties. Turnout was relatively low, with only 1,087,710 total votes cast. Despite the large number of candidates, Bill de Blasio won decisively with 73.15% of the vote. The second-place candidate, Joe Lhota, received only 24.31% of the vote. Third-party and independent candidates collectively received less than 3% of the vote. Status quo upheld. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_mayoral_elections)

2022 Los Angeles Mayoral Election: Primary election had 12 candidates on the ballot. Top two candidates advanced to the general election. Karen Bass won with 54.82% of the vote (506,372 votes) / Rick Caruso received 45.18% (417,375 votes). Despite a large field of candidates in the primary, voters ultimately chose between two well-known figures in the runoff. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Los_Angeles_mayoral_election)

If the US didn’t have idiots for voters we would have a healthy balanced political system and these breaches would come with mandatory jail time for the execs.

I’m reading about the Nicaraguan fascist takeover because I already know enough about WW2 that I wanted to extend from the data I already get. I recommend Victoria Gonzalez’s “Before the Revolution” - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-latin-american-studies/article/abs/victoria-gonzalezrivera-before-the-revolution-womens-rights-and-rightwing-politics-in-nicaragua-18211979-university-park-pa-penn-state-university-press-2011-pp-xxviii224-6495-hb/D8272AB5737CA6237F2A67CD5B4EC444

My coworker said to me today that all the news outside of the US is calling us Nazi America and this goes hand in hand with my own international news reading experience in the last day. I think everyone is acknowledging how dumb we look and how it affects them?

This is my experience with them as well. I guess we all suck when we get old.