re: #249 danarchy

About 43-42 for the republicans

The trouble with the concept of ‘independent’ voters is that we treat them as if they are neutral observers that weigh policies from both sides and vote based on that. Essentially, that their votes can be swayed from one side to the other.

I’m just not sure that’s true. Independent voters may not affiliate with one party or another, but I don’t see any real evidence that policy or anything based in reality might swing their vote. Again, 43% of them, based on that statistic, called themselves ‘independent’ but thought Donald fucking Trump should be king of the USA. That’s not a swing voter. That’s not a rational actor. That’s not someone who will be persuaded by carefully putting in a particular policy or leaving one out. That’s someone who took a look at Hillary Clinton, decided she couldn’t be trusted based on nothing but the half-formed swill in their colon, and decided that a fat, stupid con man’s onstage masturbation was worth getting up, driving to the polling place, and endorsing it.

Maybe the voices in their head will tell them to vote Democrat next time. Maybe not. But I don’t see the point of tailoring actual policy towards winning their vote. That’s a reality-based solution to a problem that doesn’t share that reality. A better strategy might be to bombard Facebook or Twitter with some emotive nonsense, since that’s what they will base their vote on.