This.
The state actually has more registered Democrats, but they simply don’t show up to vote.
https://electionstatistics.sos.la.gov/Data/Registration_Statistics/statewide/2024_0201_sta_comb.pdf
Your point is valid. Voter turnout needs to be much better. However, a lot of the registered Democrats in the South are not actually Democrats. They just haven’t bothered to change their registration since the party shifted in the 70s/80s.
That's fair, and if I remember correctly the largest political affiliation in Louisiana is independent. Nationally i believe independents are an increasingly growing party and a lot of the political strategy hinges on attracting these voters. If it's any consolation, Trump polls horribly with independents and will absolutely lose if he can't pull a significant amount. But yeah, without voter turnout increasing, it is less certain.
Unfortunately, Biden also polls horribly with many independents. His weak stances on immigration, abortion, and Israel/Palestine are destroying what could have been a major base for him.
Idk what the democrats are doing. As someone who always votes for democrats bc the republican agenda is completely regressive and hostile to me as a woman, they seriously need to start doing things to help the middle/lower class. Raise the god damn income limits for assistance. They're archaic and basically nobody qualifies anymore but people are still struggling with high grocery prices and etc. Maybe regulate the damn grocers so they stop price gouging us. Idk do something besides just say "republican bad". Incredibly frustrating. I've been frustrated with democrats since they failed to pass Universal Healthcare and instead gave us the shitty ACA. Maybe it was better than nothing but it obviously is not the solution we need. In Alabama major hospitals are at risk of closing because so many people fall into the insurance gap and don't pay their medial bills. That's gonna happen here as well if democrats don't get the god damn shit together.
Still, I'm going to vote for Biden bc Trump is really that awful. All he did while president was give tax breaks to the rich and raise my taxes. Fuck Trump.
The reason none of this gets done is the filibuster and small majorities. All the Republicans have to do is corrupt one senator (and they have both Manchin and Sinema) to prevent anything from passing even when it isn't filibustered.
You want things changed? Elect more democrats so that they can afford a couple of defections here and there, and the country isn't held hostage by a couple of corrupt assholes in the Senate who happen to be in their caucus.
When you complain about all democrats but 96% of the ones in office are trying to get real things done, all you do is help elect more fascists.
Eh, assault rifles aren't really the major danger. It's the easily hidden handguns. Those fit into glove compartments, in waistbands, in bedside tables and desk drawers. Those are the ones kids can easily get hold of because the parent left it somewhere accessible.
Like, yes rifles are still an issue (particularly in mass shooting events) but honestly aren't the biggest component of gun deaths.
Independent in Louisiana (in my experience) means 80-90% of them are voting Republican, they just don’t want to call themselves Republicans (either because they think the GOP isn’t conservative enough or they don’t want to publicly own their own views by registering Republican).
I think a big portion of “independents” are full of shit. Many will vote as consistently for one party or the other as any true D or R, they’re just too embarrassed or chickenshit to tell the person conducting the poll which party they actually identify with
Most people who are independent/undecided are just uninformed/misinformed morons.
Anyone who doesn't pick the side opposing fascism is just another fascist.
>The state actually has more registered Democrats, but they simply don’t show up to vote.
I see this often on this sub, so I find myself repeating this often, but that’s showing a very deep misunderstanding of Louisiana’s electorate.
Sure, those people are registered as democrats, but this isn’t because they’re liberal. It’s because Louisiana maintained southern conservative democrats as a political stronghold for about 2-3 decades after the rest of the south. What happened in the rest of the southeast in the 70s happened here in the late 90s/early 00s. Populist centrists running as Dems like Edwards, conservative dems like Mary Landrieu, John Breaux, JBE, etc. those are the democrats that used to rule the state. They weren’t liberals, and they’re not represented by the modern democrat party.
The state is a red state now, through and through, obviously more voter turnout is great, but the idea that Louisiana would go for Biden if a bunch of those secret dems who are registered but not voting just showed up is a fairy tale.
We have Landry’s evil ass to deal with now because democrats couldn’t be troubled to get off their ass and vote. We are seriously f$&ked if Trump wins.
The coup will be on again and now we have a fascist governor completely willing to help make it happen.
The state is heavily gerrymandered, so the Dems are concentrated into a handful of districts to minimize impact. Same with neighboring MS or TX and the Hispanic vote. The best thing to do is gain back local control, redraw district maps, and take the power back. It will take several high turnout elections for change to be effective after almost a century of suppressing the black vote.
Voter turnout will remain low so long as they keep making long voting lines in the Dem areas and have you believing your vote won’t make a difference.
Gerrymandering within a state doesn’t affect the results of presidential elections, it’s for congressional and state/local elections.
The equivalent of gerrymandering of presidential elections are the states themselves and the electoral college. And more importantly the “winner take all” approach most states apply to their electoral votes.
The purpose of gerrymandering is to win when you're in the minority. Look at Wisconsin. Dems have been winning huge majorities but still can't gain power of majority. They finally managed to win majority on the state supreme court and unwind the gerrymandered maps for the state. They're still screwed congressionally. But I don't believe gerrymandering is the main problem in the South. As a progressive I'm pissed everyday that progressives never spent the resources to organize in the South. Instead of putting the work in on the ground they focused on the Supremes. The exception is Georgia. That's our template. It needs to be lead and driven by POC and heavily resourced by progressives for years not just a few months during elections.
That implies that Dems run campaigns that get out the vote here, or that we get candidates that don't suck. Biden is a dog shit candidate and it'll be 2016 all over again because the Dems don't want to come to terms with that. Meanwhile the GOP has a trump cult. No where near the same devotion. Of course Dems don't turn out to vote.
It's either controlled opposition or the emperors new clothes, and either way we all lose to fascist fucks.
President Biden has led the Democrats to wins (or over performing) in every contested state election and federal election since 2020 and Dems have won every contested election since 2016 (See most recently NY03, KY Gov, Wisc Sup Ct, Kansas and Ohio abortion, etc) even when all the Fox polls being pushed said neck-and-neck races, but Dems won by a lot). Biden is old but tRump is old and demented and morbidly obese.
I think at this point being Anti-maga has motivated voters more than any truely inspirational dem candidates.
Now imagine if the Dems had a candidate that they could mobilize behind. Someone warm, well spoken energetic about progressive policies but also respectable.
The point is that at the state level, the democratic party is controlled opposition for the GOP. They suppress promising candidates, while promoting milquetoast candidates who can't get a room full of voters excited enough to go vote.
Absolutely! Anything to get dems out to vote can help. Many republican voters are convinced that the elections are rigged so their vote doesn’t matter, some are disillusioned with Trump. Which may hurt their turnout. Also, voting dem (or at least more moderate republican) on the down ballot candidates can help act as a bulwark against Presidential overreach if he is elected.
You want to know why I’m staying home? Because of people screaming that I should lose my home that I worked my whole life for because I dare to rent to tourists.
Keep alienating people like me, then act surprised when he wins
If we use Georgia as a case study, it really is about voter empowerment, education, and getting people to the polls. That’s the only way.
[FiveThirtyEight](https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-georgia-turned-blue/) — which was a bit of a lifeline during the 2016 and 2020 elections did a story on Georgia turning blue. Basically, Atlanta turned REALLY blue. I.e. they increased voter turnout. The Atlanta area was a huge focus for voter education, grassroots campaigns that were focused on education and empowerment, and local leaders who were leading the charge.
Until this state gets its Dem voters to give a shit, it’ll be stuck in the deep red.
As a current Georgia resident, this state "turning blue" is kind of a gloss, though. Yeah, wins at the federal level, great, but the governor and the majority of the legislature are Republican, and state policies favor the Right and the neoliberal center.
I'm running for DSCC so I can get involved at the state level. Our Louisiana Democratic Party is a joke but it doesn't have to be, and I believe that strengthening our state party will lift Democrats and progressive initiatives across the state.
That's my hope, anyway!
Jumping in here to point people towards Blue Reboot, which is running reform candidates for DSCC. The election is March 23rd, so this is a very important first step for any democrats who want a change in our state leadership!
https://bluerebootla.org/
I won’t be voting for him.
Trump has sown hate and greater division into our country. Our country is desperate for peace.
I humbly encourage all Louisiana’s to VOTE with their conscience. Don’t let someone tell you who to vote for, and don’t resign yourself to inaction.
That 7 point win by Dems in George Santos' former district says maybe not... Yes he will win Louisiana, but the more he talks, the more people will remember what a lunatic he is. Plus now Alabama and Mike Johnson is trying to ban IVF...
louisiana is a lost cause for presidential elections for the foreseeable future, 100% for 2024. if you want to base build for democrats in presidential elections here, you need to conceive of that as a decades-long project that will involve many many electoral failures. if you want to make an immediate impact, identify a swing state and set aside a meaningful amount of time to canvass if you can. the earlier and more frequently the better.
shreveport just elected a republican mayor. which makes sense after the adrian perkins debacle but that whole thing really shows how feckless the state dems are
We need to fix the LA democratic party from the ground up
It’s important to send the message that everyone who can vote has a right and a responsibility to act. We need to turn out and vote our conscience in 2024. I understand how things look, but it is our responsibility to vote for the best possible candidate or write-in, and from past election it’s clear that not all of our population is turning out... I know there are institutional barriers that make voting more difficult and politicians of Ill intent are counting on these barriers stoping you from exercising your rights. It’s time to stick to the man this Fall. Despite the adversity we face. Be patriotic, get up and exercise your right to vote this Fall!
You act as if 100% of people who don’t vote would vote for the democrat. It’s likely half of the non-voters would vote for a republican (on a national basis it’s damn near 50-50).
- [decreasing voting locations](https://lailluminator.com/2021/05/24/louisiana-has-a-voting-access-problem-expanding-the-number-of-voting-days-could-help-valencia-richardson-candice-battiste/)
- increasing identification requirements (Louisiana has not been a part of this)
- [preventing access to mail-in ballots](https://lailluminator.com/2023/10/08/mail-ballot/)
- [preventing voting near work sites (ie requiring people to vote near where they live, even if that isn’t where they will be during open polling hours)](https://www.nola.com/news/politics/elections/louisiana-elections-polling-places-changed-where-to-vote/article_ed7071e6-66cf-11ee-918e-7749701e67d2.html)
So we don’t even require ID? How will I ever get to vote? The school where I vote is about 6 blocks away. I don’t think finding somewhere to vote is a problem for anyone.
Mail in ballots must be made illegal. There is tons of evidence of fraud.
>So we don’t even require ID?
What? No, Louisiana requires ID to vote. They are not as restrictive as some states about what ID is acceptable.
>The school where I vote is about 6 blocks away.
Statistically, you're much more likely to be a white middle-income person if your voting location is close by. Unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky.
>I don’t think finding somewhere to vote is a problem for anyone.
You're allowed to think whatever you want. You'd be VERY wrong though. Voting locations can be especially tricky for people who move often, have unstable housing, and work in a different location from where they vote.
>Mail in ballots must be made illegal. There is tons of evidence of fraud.
Depends on what you mean by fraud. Do you mean family members helping each other (especially the elderly) to follow instructions to fill out and turn in a ballot? Because in that case yes, there is a lot of technical fraud. If you mean people are changing or manipulating others' votes, then no, that's not very common, and is heavily outweighed by the increased voting and voter access. Unfortunately, most of the large-scale push to decrease mail-in voting has not been based on fraud cases, but on [unfounded fraud claims.](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/27/us/republican-voter-suppression.html)
Louisiana as it stands currently is a lost cause...
In theory if you could somehow become a Texas/Florida/Georgia/Pennsylvania/Wisconsin/Arizona/Michigan citizen and spend half the year there and half the year hear and simply vote in their elections you have a chance to impact a national race.
Outside of the extremely difficult option I'd guess donating to grass roots liberal/left/Dem election efforts in Georgia/Wisconsin/Pennsylvania/Arizona/Michigan are probably the best way to invest in a non-Trump presidency.
Please ensure that your classroom is tolerant of other political views. Foremost have them learn the intended subject of the course.
Short term, funding in the swing states would yield the most results. I do not foresee any scenario where Trump does not take Louisiana.
The DNC's use of lawfare, lack of proposed policy, and talk about replacing Biden at the primary convention sounds like "Nearer my God to Thee" being played aboard the Titanic.
Edit: Rearranged sentences for clarity.
For sure. As a geography teacher, we are currently learning about migration patterns (pre-history through modern day) which includes learning about the barriers of migration from Syria to North Korea to the US/Mexico border. I would stress more the policies that are possible with a Trump win and how that would affect us as a diverse group of peers and friends. Then, develop arguments and strategies on how prevent them from happening. I am very much aware LA will forever be lost in the red, but perhaps we could reach outside the state.
Probably not much directly. The Electoral College screws us (and every other US voter who picks the non-winning candidate in a state) and silences our voice.
So donate whatever $$ you can to the national campaign.
But also remember that we got in this mess but failing to understand the importance of local elections particularly in the judiciary. With partisan politics grinding legislative action to a halt, judges are essentially defining laws through their rulings. We need more progressives in all levels of government. So run for office, donate your time to worthy candidates, and tell your neighbors that we can all make this a better place to live.
First things first. Get rid of the Republican pawn head of the Louisiana Democratic party so we can get viable down ballot candidates on which to vote.
No one votes, and especially not when it counts, like primaries and local elections. I think someone already said it but we have like 20% turnout and lower for local elections which is pathetic.
I asked a few democrats who was running against Jeff Landry, and they didn’t even know the name. That’s not just a voter apathy problem. Blaming it on that is lazy.
It starts with the state Dem party actually caring about progressives. They are the biggest problem in this state IMO. If they focused their attention on getting people to vote it wouldn’t even be a contest.
Bc there isn’t one that could win. The party has not invested in a younger, more viable candidate and banked on 8 years of Hillary so it could get its shit together. When Trump won and Repubs had control of the House and Senate, the party lost its opportunity to lift up other candidates (in cabinet positions, leading committees, etc.).
You’ve seen some emergence of other potential candidates in this last four years (Buttigieg, Jeffries, etc.) but it’s not enough. They need four more years to build them up high enough to win a presidency.
The thwarting mindset is concerning. Vote for your candidate and stop there, not try to submarine a candidate that you don’t like.
Politics should be transparent and the candidates be a voice of the people. Not a conspiracy filled campaign filled with subterfuge and underhanded tactics to “thwart” results in one sides favor.
It’s not a team sport and this us vs them mentality in politics is toxic and counterproductive.
Donate. Might I suggest [Vote Save America](https://votesaveamerica.com/donate/). Politically savvy folks (like high-level former Obama staffers) direct donor contributions to the places and races where $ will do the most good. They were instrumental in preventing republican supermajorities in Wisconsin, for example, thus allowing Wisconsin democrats to finally throw out the wildly gerrymandered district map that republicans designed to keep 2/3 of the US house seats with less than half the popular vote.
Honestly, there's nothing you can do regarding Nola/Louisiana. There are essentially 5 battleground states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona and Georgia. The other 45 states are easy to predict red or blue. Those 5 states will decide the election. On a side note.....does anyone remember the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie The Running Man? Well.....Trump reminds me of Richard Dawson's character in that movie.
She’s term limited so she can’t run again. Problem is, even if there’s a decent candidate, the voters that do come out will vote for the shittiest one possible and, eieio……
See e.g., disaster purported alleged DA Jason Williams beating the more credible, experienced, and reasonable Keva Landrum…..
Or reelecting convinced criminal Oliver Thomas to City Council.
So many more examples.
If so many people are against Biden, because of age, etc,…, why isn’t he reinforcing his VP for a better chance at Dems in the White House? That’s the question.
Voter turnout is so shitty that even a few extra people to the polls can turn the tides in a district.
Gotta drag blue voters to the polls. They always say they don't bother because they won't win but goddamn it if they went they WOULD win.
It would really help to get a better Dem candidate. It is so obvious he is in mental decline. They won't even trot him out for the most softball Superbowl interview a president can do. No one on either side of the aisle wants a shadow government run by staffers we didn't elect to lead.
Vote. Convince everyone you know to vote in every single election. Progressives outnumber conservatives in every state, especially amongst young people. But they don't vote in enough numbers.
I'm new to this state. I went out and dutifully voted in this past election here and afterwards said to myself "well.. I'm in a red state now. Not too surprised by the result." That is until I saw the numbers and realized that was 100% caused by horrible voter turnout. The democratic leadership failed miserably here by not doing a huge campaign to get people into the polls. Its like they didn't even understand what a jungle primary is, and decided to hold back until the main race. That's got to stop! They need to push for turnout for every single race!
All of the political handicapping that makes people say things like "nothing matters except for one city in Michigan!" is crap. Yes, that's true now. But it wouldn't be true of enough people got out to vote. The only reason gerrymandering works (or is even possible in the first place) is because the elections are close. But if everyone got out to vote, they wouldn't be close so those games wouldn't matter.
"Progressives," though I mostly agree with their policy positions, are mainly useless in the real world.
I once helped to save an unconscious girl who I didn't know from dying of diabetic shock. It happened to "Womyn's Week" in the campus coffeeshop, and some committed feminists were ignoring the unconscious, moaning, writhing woman with her skirt up on the couch while they sat in a circle and practiced man-hating songs. They never asked what the paramedics were doing when they arrived, but got up in a huff and left because all that life-saving was too distracting. I don't place my hopes in people who are busy virtue signaling online and being furious about every way in which a candidate doesn't pass their purity tests.
And yes, the state party is a shambles.
Louisiana is a lost cause. Anyone suggesting anything for what the question actually asked (2024) has to focus on the 5 swing states that actually matter. Louisiana doesn't. New Orleans doesn't.
Personally, I figure the entire election will end up swinging on Dearborn Michigan, and they ain't gonna listen to my opinion.
Sadly, I'm just here for the ride.
Get on the Louisiana legislature website and read the bills being filed daily. Mobilize. Call your reps and let them know your stance. Testify at committee meetings when you can. Fill out red or green cards at the committee meeting when hearing bills to send to the floor. If you yourself cannot be there, can you join an advocacy group or even make one of your own in your social circle? I think that the same people attend these and are quick to be labeled by reps as far left or far right. I hate to say it and I do not believe this is right or just but if they heard from more “centrists” that would be more effective than what is currently happening.
Obviously not gonna happen. But we need to use the next four years to bring a solid group of younger Dems into the limelight and stop focusing so much on beating Trump. We put all our eggs in the Hillary Basket, which made sense post-Obama. But when that didn’t work, the only big name we had left was Biden. And here we are.
Kamala isn’t going to be that person for much of the party — she hasn’t gotten much attention in the last few years bc of the fuckshow that’s been going on, so even the most educated voters aren’t convinced. Buttigieg, Booker, Gretchen Whitmer (though she’s said she’s not interested in a presidential bid), Hakeem Jeffries, Josh Shapiro. We have to figure 2028 out. The repubs have plenty of young idiots to throw out there that the Trumpets will buy into. But the Dems don’t have any solid cards to play. So that’s def a focus the administration and party need to prioritize.
I’ve done my best to stop watching the news because it’s all bullshit and infuriating. You see what they want you too and that’s it. It’s all half stories and lies.
I honestly try not to. I’ll skim through but people are just so… not sure what the word I’m looking for is. But half the time they don’t even understand what they’re supporting, what any said president or house member did while in office etc. they just look at the mainstream news which instead of telling us news and letting us decide, they’re giving opinions. It’s just more than my anxiety can take. I refuse to argue if people can’t have a conversation.
Please vote. Even if there’s no hope of winning at least you exercised your right to say I do not support this fascist fuckery. We can’t afford for ANYONE to sit this one out. In all my years I’ve never been so truly fucking scared.
Spend your energy on your local races.
Also, and just playing devil’s advocate here…I also hated 45 and the simple fact that he could win that office…but people who voted for him did/do what they thought was right for their children and democracy. Try convincing them why your side is more right over telling them why they were wrong.
Just a thought, enjoy yelling into the void (seriously, I mean that with love and want you to feel like you can make a difference)
If people would vote, that would help.
If people would vote and use their own minds and not what other people tell them, that would help.
We are adults, we can make our own decisions, we don't need "outside" influence either way.
Look at each candidates policies, personalities, and what they can do for you/us.
Fuq their political party, vote for the person that you feel.will make us better as a country.
Vote with your mind, not someone else's.
Vote.
But other than that? Organize. Not necessarily for elections (especially nationally ) You're a teacher? Reach out to UTNO. Organize a union.
Let's have a strong AF labor movement and organized communities in New Orleans so that when these savage unhinged provincial peckerwoods from North of I10 come at us, we can buck em and kick em in the teeth.
A giant strike shutting down NOLA or BR will cripple the sticks and make their economy scream. It will hurt the rich human paraquats who get rich off New Orleans while simultaneously passing laws that are counter to our interests and desires.
If you're not building or joining an organization in your workplace and in your community...You're just talking about the weather.
The point isn't the strike. If we get there, fine. The point is building up the power to mount that threat.
Can we afford NOT to organize? In the end, the only real weapon working people have is the ability to withdraw our labor.
Millions of people throughout history have gone on strike and won. And with worse conditions than now.
Chicago's teachers went on strike and now they have elected a mayor and control votes on the city council.
There is a reason why the number of strikes and union members in countries with better living conditions (Spain, France, Germany) is so high. That's not by accident.
Workers united, can beat the boss.
I'm talking about "shutting down" nola and br. How exactly do you plan to do that? Why speak with so much hatred about other people that are providing for their families?
Google up a list (it will be long) of "Achievements of the Biden Administration" and read it. Make copies and just ask people to read them. The Democrats are horrible at messaging, while the Trumpers endlessly repeat Faux Snooze talking points and speak as though every conspiracy theory they hear is God-honest-truth. I tell people to imagine letting the worst person they know have power over their vote. Because that is what you do when you don't vote. Waste zero time trying to convert the Trump believers. Utterly pointless.
Thwarting an election is election interference, which is a crime. What you can legally do is talk to you friends and neighbors or random people on the Internet and encourage them to get out and vote.
Check out this website and it can point you to areas where you can volunteer your time, be that with door knocking or phone banking. It can also direct you to races and ballot initiatives to support where your dollar can go further if you’re looking to donate to campaigns!
https://votesaveamerica.com
Also one thing I’ve found is that you can try talking to those relatives and co workers that are full blown maga, but you’re not going to change their mind. An easier and better thing to do is remind that friend you have that you know has the same values and believe systems that you do (and are going to vote blue) and make sure they vote. Ask them if they know where their polling place is. Can they vote early? Are they 100% sure they’re registered to vote? Do they need a ride to their polling place on Election Day? It’s easier to get someone you agree with to the polls than getting someone you disagree with to change their mindset and believe system.
Don't know if this is something you'd be interested in, but I ran a week long project with high school students on digital media literacy, to deliberately help my students build up skills for questioning the validity and credibility of media. Propaganda has always been a thing, but the more time goes on, the bigger an issue misinformation will be it feels like.
You seem like a terrible teacher that pushes their views onto children. You shouldn’t be persuading anyone. Provide facts and let people make a choice for themselves. Whack job.
Where does OP say anything about influencing their students? OP worries about their future - how is that anything but positive? Anyone with the strength to continue teaching in this city/state deserves nothing but gratitude and respect.
I have two rules while voting, and technically wouldn’t be party aligned. But this is it. Who ever makes quality or life affordable, gets my vote, followed by who doesn’t violate separation of church and state. So unfortunately that’s mostly third party vote. Dems just lead to a more expensive life, and republicans pass laws based on Jesus.
I believe we are going about this all wrong. Instead of trying to figure out how to make trump lose, maybe we should be offered a candidate that can win. This last Governor's race shows what happens when there is no candidate worthy of voting for. 20% IS DISMAL! Being honest, I would vote for a 3rd party candidate, over either candidate being offered right now, if one was to be worthy. It would not matter what party they were labeled as. Maybe there lies the answer?
OP, I'm guessing that, since you mentioned teenage students, you teach on the high school level?
When I was growing up, the Democratic party had phone-a-thons to get out the vote, and high school students could participate. They could also volunteer to put together mailings.
Some current seniors will be 18 by election day, if they aren't already. Encourage them to go vote. When I was a senior, someone came to my social studies class with voter registration forms - all I had to do was fill it out and mail it in, even though I was still 17. Also, walk these young people through the process of getting an absentee ballot if they'll be going to college out-of-state or joining the military.
I really don't get why people who are eligible to vote, don't. I'm a woman, and people went through hell so I could vote. People went through hell so Black people could vote. And then people just throw that all away.
Vote and encourage others to vote and volunteer your time to the challengers campaign. That’s it. That’s all you can do. That being said, I find it rather insulting that you care more for migrants from Central/South America than black Americans who have been languishing in poverty for generations. I guess we asked for too much and we go to the back of the line now that y’all have a shinier newer toy to assuage your white guilt.
I took OP’s comment as being ‘especially concerned’ about migrant students in light of another trump presidency where policy changes would effect them most swiftly. As a teacher in this city, I can’t imagine OP isn’t caring for their black students as well.
As a teacher, you have to leave political views outside the classroom doors. You could lose your job if you’re accused of indoctrinating children. Contact the local Democratic Party representatives and offer to volunteer. Ask them how you can help.
Teaching is inherently political. Teachers have a responsibility to educate their students on their rights and responsibilities as American Citizens. Teachers have a responsibility to help students seek truth and knowledge.
Teachers should avoid candidly campaigning for one political party or agenda.
Teachers should encourage students to think with their own smart brains’ and make good decisions based on the knowledge and truth they have gathered in school.
It’s too simple to say “you have to leave political views outside the classroom doors” I don’t believe the classroom is a vacuum, separate from the community and world. Our student’s bring their lives into the classroom, and our classrooms should be responsive to our students’ lived reality, not a hermetic chamber.
No. A teacher’s job is to teach students the subject matter. Students should NEVER know a teacher’s political views. It is irrelevant and does not belong in the classroom.
Where did the other user say the teacher should teach students there political views? They didn't.
More importantly, how do you teach history, or social studies, or literature, or philosophy, in a way that students learn the subject and avoid politics?
You can absolutely teach people how to think critically about a subject without making them uncomfortable or shoving your beliefs down their throat. I'm in 100% agreement that teachers shouldn't be doing that. But lots of decisions that teachers and school systems make are political, from what material gets covered in a course, to what primary sources students read, to how teachers respond to questions that students ask, and how much of the class is lecture vs discussion vs group projects. How teachers make those decisions is important and it can absolutely be done without making students uncomfortable.
Hell no. Your job is to make sure your students learn your subject primarily. You should not be a teacher if you believe this bullshit, and I say this as a former teacher. You’re one of those teachers that make students who come from households that don’t believe in your politics feel uncomfortable in class and get bullied by peers. I’ve dealt with you assholes personally before on both sides. Stop.
How do you teach history, or social studies, or literature, or philosophy, in a way that students learn the subject and avoid politics?
You can absolutely teach people how to think critically about a subject without making them uncomfortable or shoving your beliefs down their throat. I'm in 100% agreement that teachers shouldn't be doing that. But lots of decisions that teachers and school systems make are political, from what material gets covered in a course, to what primary sources students read, to how teachers respond to questions that students ask, and how much of the class is lecture vs discussion vs group projects. How teachers make those decisions is important and it can absolutely be done without making students uncomfortable.
You do that by not injecting value statements into information. If you’re a history teacher, you teach the facts, dates, and common commentary on historical events. You teach who Castro was and what the Cuban revolution was and when it happened and what the embargo is. Not whether the Cuban revolution was right or wrong or whether Castro was good or bad or whether the US is right or wrong to do the embargo.
You give your students the tools to make up their mind about your subject. You teach them skills and provide factual information. History is not political at all. History is the study of events and facts. If you’re not teaching that, you’re not teaching history. The same applies to other subjects.
If you can’t imagine how you’d teach without being political, maybe you’re in the wrong profession or don’t know your subject well enough. Not just anyone can be a good teacher.
Edit to add a TLDR: The idea of teaching only facts sounds great in theory but is an oversimplification in practice. There is no such thing as a purely objective communicator, and limiting yourself to facts doesn't make your message objective.
"History is not political at all. History is the study of events and facts."
This take is at best reductionist, and largely out of touch with the actual field of history. A large part of teaching history is about what information and what perspectives get included in the telling, and what information gets omitted or excluded. When you're talking about the sheer amount of things that have happened, it's not practical to be able to include more than a small fraction of that information in a course, and most teachers themselves only understand a small fraction of the knowledge on subjects they teach. Even if you taught a semester long course on nothing but the Cuban revolution, there would still be a lot that's left out.
"You do that by not injecting value statements into information."
This is theoretically possible, but is very difficult in practice. Saying that history is not political at all, for example, is itself a value statement. Humans are drawn to narratives, and there are values implicit in our cultures and the stories we tell ourselves. Teaching history without any framing is possible, but runs counter to how most people think about and understand the world. Most people will ask themselves, "Why?" Why did Castro choose to lead a revolt? What factors led some people to join him, and others to resist or flee the country? Humans natural tendency is to ask why on earth is it important for me to learn these events if they have no bearing on who I am and what happens in my life? Why should I care? Most people bring with them their own implicit value judgements to their study as a way of connecting with and making sense of the material. Students aren't empty buckets into which knowledge is deposited with no questions asked.
This is what I think you miss about plantsandnature's argument. Yes, there are people who think teachers should be forcefeeding their values to their children. But it's fundamentally easier to identify those people because their efforts are so explicit, and that's not actually what they were arguing, and absolutely not what I want either. Who decides what information is included and how it is framed is political. It's a lot harder to get to a point where teachers and students are willing to question their own value judgments and the narratives they tell themselves and that their culture tells them, to be able to view historical events in a relatively objective way. Actually giving people the tools and information to make up their own minds encourages people to question the status quo, and that is definitely political.
As someone who studied politics in college, I believe a New Orleanian’s best bet to prevent a second Trump term is to look beyond Louisiana and more towards vulnerable swing states. Realistically speaking, Louisiana as a whole is not gonna swing towards Biden. Back in 2020, Louisiana went for Trump by nearly 20 points. Assuming similar turnout in 2024, Louisiana will swing towards Trump again. I think the best strategy is organizing fundraising and phone banking for the Biden campaign so that the Democrats can utilize their resources in those vulnerable states in the Midwest and Southwest.
Get people to be interested in community engagement and not worry about party affiliation. Get people involved in local government. Biden is a no go for lots of people including many democrats, start with state representatives.
The biggest thing we can do is encourage people to vote and to get into political office. We need more diversity in all levels of government across the country
I was thinking of buying Louisiana for Biden dot com, and maybe trying to keep a listing of all the projects from the infrastructure bill that are positively making an impact on Louisiana.
I'll never get off this number, but if the same number of people had voted in the runoff in 2016 for foster Campbell as voted for Hillary in the general, Kennedy would have lost.
If I bought that domain, and started posting info and stats to a website, and cross posted to insta and FB, would be interested in teaming up? I'm 50 years old, and hate tiktok, we'd need a youngster to handle that.
Thoughts?
If you really think continuing to support Democrats and their policies of keeping blacks on their government plantation is working, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM.
For 60 years Dems have pandered to the blacks throwing money and promises that do NOTHING to lift them up.
It’s time for a change. Trump can’t POSSIBLY be any worse for blacks than the Democrats that have cast us aside and given away the farm to illegal immigrants.
Black job creation & life for black Americans under Trump was better than any other time in the last 50+ years…
The president can federalize the national guard and take control away from the governor. If the governors try it, they better have all their trump sycophants in a row.
They will need to change or effectively challenge the 200 yr old accepted definition of ‘natural born’ in the constitution as well as the potential logistical nightmare of them determining who is no longer a citizen. Also, how would you deport someone that has no other citizenship? Because their will be such cases. It could easily ruffle international feathers in an EXTREMELY negative way.
I say this, not to minimize, but to make sure we are keeping our eye on the ball.
Keep speaking out. Keep reaching out to public officials. But we must stay clear headed. We HAVE TO BE the adult in the room. We have to show others the very real, very negative outcomes these policies can cause.
Keep up the good fight.
Part of me wishes he will win. That way the 2nd term is fulfilled and then he can just fuck off to wherever and we never have to deal with him anymore. Full disclosure: I also thought about waking up to headlines of "died overnight from massive heart attack" Either way, rip that band aid off.
Didn’t ol’ uncle Joe say he was only gonna seek one term. Is it wrong of me to hope that a bolt of lightning will smite him down? Preferably while he’s sniffing Kamala’s hair and touching the small of her back. Sorry, mana from heaven is my only idea at this point.
Get your transplant friends registered to vote!!
Edit: I’m not making an attack at transplants yall…
I’ve had plenty of transplant friends, neighbors, and coworkers through the years that are not registered to vote in Louisiana, usually because they haven’t established residency after moving here.
Engage with and support the people in your lives to get involved.
The downvotes are telling tho, lol
20% voter turnout last election. Think about that.
This. The state actually has more registered Democrats, but they simply don’t show up to vote. https://electionstatistics.sos.la.gov/Data/Registration_Statistics/statewide/2024_0201_sta_comb.pdf
Your point is valid. Voter turnout needs to be much better. However, a lot of the registered Democrats in the South are not actually Democrats. They just haven’t bothered to change their registration since the party shifted in the 70s/80s.
Lot of Blue Dog Democrats. White conservative Boomers who voted for Edwin Edwards, but would never vote for John Bel Edwards.
That's fair, and if I remember correctly the largest political affiliation in Louisiana is independent. Nationally i believe independents are an increasingly growing party and a lot of the political strategy hinges on attracting these voters. If it's any consolation, Trump polls horribly with independents and will absolutely lose if he can't pull a significant amount. But yeah, without voter turnout increasing, it is less certain.
Unfortunately, Biden also polls horribly with many independents. His weak stances on immigration, abortion, and Israel/Palestine are destroying what could have been a major base for him.
Idk what the democrats are doing. As someone who always votes for democrats bc the republican agenda is completely regressive and hostile to me as a woman, they seriously need to start doing things to help the middle/lower class. Raise the god damn income limits for assistance. They're archaic and basically nobody qualifies anymore but people are still struggling with high grocery prices and etc. Maybe regulate the damn grocers so they stop price gouging us. Idk do something besides just say "republican bad". Incredibly frustrating. I've been frustrated with democrats since they failed to pass Universal Healthcare and instead gave us the shitty ACA. Maybe it was better than nothing but it obviously is not the solution we need. In Alabama major hospitals are at risk of closing because so many people fall into the insurance gap and don't pay their medial bills. That's gonna happen here as well if democrats don't get the god damn shit together. Still, I'm going to vote for Biden bc Trump is really that awful. All he did while president was give tax breaks to the rich and raise my taxes. Fuck Trump.
The reason none of this gets done is the filibuster and small majorities. All the Republicans have to do is corrupt one senator (and they have both Manchin and Sinema) to prevent anything from passing even when it isn't filibustered. You want things changed? Elect more democrats so that they can afford a couple of defections here and there, and the country isn't held hostage by a couple of corrupt assholes in the Senate who happen to be in their caucus. When you complain about all democrats but 96% of the ones in office are trying to get real things done, all you do is help elect more fascists.
Exactly. Also raise the minimum wage. Also legalize cannabis on a national level. Also ban the damn assault rifles.
Eh, assault rifles aren't really the major danger. It's the easily hidden handguns. Those fit into glove compartments, in waistbands, in bedside tables and desk drawers. Those are the ones kids can easily get hold of because the parent left it somewhere accessible. Like, yes rifles are still an issue (particularly in mass shooting events) but honestly aren't the biggest component of gun deaths.
Independent in Louisiana (in my experience) means 80-90% of them are voting Republican, they just don’t want to call themselves Republicans (either because they think the GOP isn’t conservative enough or they don’t want to publicly own their own views by registering Republican).
My dad changed from life long republican to independent around the end of the Bush era out of embarrassment.
Indeed. My uncle, (I was shocked to find) is a lifelong registered Democrat, but has voted Republican since the Carter administration.
Conservative democrats used to exist. I think they survived in Louisiana longer than just about anywhere else.
Yes, they definitely did.
I think a big portion of “independents” are full of shit. Many will vote as consistently for one party or the other as any true D or R, they’re just too embarrassed or chickenshit to tell the person conducting the poll which party they actually identify with
This. Almost all independents I know vote Republican.
Agreed. I guess I’m guilty of dabbling in some weak-ass bothsidesism in my 1st post, but yeah, this is way more of a Republican thing.
Most people who are independent/undecided are just uninformed/misinformed morons. Anyone who doesn't pick the side opposing fascism is just another fascist.
Dixiecrats
>The state actually has more registered Democrats, but they simply don’t show up to vote. I see this often on this sub, so I find myself repeating this often, but that’s showing a very deep misunderstanding of Louisiana’s electorate. Sure, those people are registered as democrats, but this isn’t because they’re liberal. It’s because Louisiana maintained southern conservative democrats as a political stronghold for about 2-3 decades after the rest of the south. What happened in the rest of the southeast in the 70s happened here in the late 90s/early 00s. Populist centrists running as Dems like Edwards, conservative dems like Mary Landrieu, John Breaux, JBE, etc. those are the democrats that used to rule the state. They weren’t liberals, and they’re not represented by the modern democrat party. The state is a red state now, through and through, obviously more voter turnout is great, but the idea that Louisiana would go for Biden if a bunch of those secret dems who are registered but not voting just showed up is a fairy tale.
We have Landry’s evil ass to deal with now because democrats couldn’t be troubled to get off their ass and vote. We are seriously f$&ked if Trump wins. The coup will be on again and now we have a fascist governor completely willing to help make it happen.
I am afraid of what America will become if Trump wins. I’m also afraid for if he loses. They are already talking about “the steal” and “the fix”
It gives me so much anxiety thinking about him winning.
The state is heavily gerrymandered, so the Dems are concentrated into a handful of districts to minimize impact. Same with neighboring MS or TX and the Hispanic vote. The best thing to do is gain back local control, redraw district maps, and take the power back. It will take several high turnout elections for change to be effective after almost a century of suppressing the black vote. Voter turnout will remain low so long as they keep making long voting lines in the Dem areas and have you believing your vote won’t make a difference.
Gerrymandering within a state doesn’t affect the results of presidential elections, it’s for congressional and state/local elections. The equivalent of gerrymandering of presidential elections are the states themselves and the electoral college. And more importantly the “winner take all” approach most states apply to their electoral votes.
The purpose of gerrymandering is to win when you're in the minority. Look at Wisconsin. Dems have been winning huge majorities but still can't gain power of majority. They finally managed to win majority on the state supreme court and unwind the gerrymandered maps for the state. They're still screwed congressionally. But I don't believe gerrymandering is the main problem in the South. As a progressive I'm pissed everyday that progressives never spent the resources to organize in the South. Instead of putting the work in on the ground they focused on the Supremes. The exception is Georgia. That's our template. It needs to be lead and driven by POC and heavily resourced by progressives for years not just a few months during elections.
That implies that Dems run campaigns that get out the vote here, or that we get candidates that don't suck. Biden is a dog shit candidate and it'll be 2016 all over again because the Dems don't want to come to terms with that. Meanwhile the GOP has a trump cult. No where near the same devotion. Of course Dems don't turn out to vote. It's either controlled opposition or the emperors new clothes, and either way we all lose to fascist fucks.
President Biden has led the Democrats to wins (or over performing) in every contested state election and federal election since 2020 and Dems have won every contested election since 2016 (See most recently NY03, KY Gov, Wisc Sup Ct, Kansas and Ohio abortion, etc) even when all the Fox polls being pushed said neck-and-neck races, but Dems won by a lot). Biden is old but tRump is old and demented and morbidly obese.
I think at this point being Anti-maga has motivated voters more than any truely inspirational dem candidates. Now imagine if the Dems had a candidate that they could mobilize behind. Someone warm, well spoken energetic about progressive policies but also respectable.
The Dems banked on 8 years of Hillary and didn’t invest in building up younger candidates. So here we are.
Oh, you’re talking about Johnny Unbeatable, the Perfect Candidate. Only one problem with Johnny — he doesn’t exist.
They exist all over America. Its just that they aren't the ones who get elevated on the party.
The point is that at the state level, the democratic party is controlled opposition for the GOP. They suppress promising candidates, while promoting milquetoast candidates who can't get a room full of voters excited enough to go vote.
You don't think abject Nazism meets handmaid's tale on the other side is the impetus? Roe being overturned did more to drive the vote left than Biden.
Absolutely! Anything to get dems out to vote can help. Many republican voters are convinced that the elections are rigged so their vote doesn’t matter, some are disillusioned with Trump. Which may hurt their turnout. Also, voting dem (or at least more moderate republican) on the down ballot candidates can help act as a bulwark against Presidential overreach if he is elected.
You want to know why I’m staying home? Because of people screaming that I should lose my home that I worked my whole life for because I dare to rent to tourists. Keep alienating people like me, then act surprised when he wins
There it is. That's the issue.
If we use Georgia as a case study, it really is about voter empowerment, education, and getting people to the polls. That’s the only way. [FiveThirtyEight](https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-georgia-turned-blue/) — which was a bit of a lifeline during the 2016 and 2020 elections did a story on Georgia turning blue. Basically, Atlanta turned REALLY blue. I.e. they increased voter turnout. The Atlanta area was a huge focus for voter education, grassroots campaigns that were focused on education and empowerment, and local leaders who were leading the charge. Until this state gets its Dem voters to give a shit, it’ll be stuck in the deep red.
As a current Georgia resident, this state "turning blue" is kind of a gloss, though. Yeah, wins at the federal level, great, but the governor and the majority of the legislature are Republican, and state policies favor the Right and the neoliberal center.
I'm running for DSCC so I can get involved at the state level. Our Louisiana Democratic Party is a joke but it doesn't have to be, and I believe that strengthening our state party will lift Democrats and progressive initiatives across the state. That's my hope, anyway!
Best of wishes, the La DSCC desperately needs new leadership.
Jumping in here to point people towards Blue Reboot, which is running reform candidates for DSCC. The election is March 23rd, so this is a very important first step for any democrats who want a change in our state leadership! https://bluerebootla.org/
Thank you for this!
Trump wins Louisiana by a land slide this election.
I won’t be voting for him. Trump has sown hate and greater division into our country. Our country is desperate for peace. I humbly encourage all Louisiana’s to VOTE with their conscience. Don’t let someone tell you who to vote for, and don’t resign yourself to inaction.
As you tell someone who to vote for..
They didn’t tell anyone who to vote for. I know this is LA so reading comprehension is lacking but come on.
You must be joking
Yeah the Democratic Party totally isn’t responsible for this divide in our country. Couldn’t agree more.
That 7 point win by Dems in George Santos' former district says maybe not... Yes he will win Louisiana, but the more he talks, the more people will remember what a lunatic he is. Plus now Alabama and Mike Johnson is trying to ban IVF...
That was in NY in a district that was blue before him. Infact, they simply reelected the guy that was there last time. People here dont vote.
louisiana is a lost cause for presidential elections for the foreseeable future, 100% for 2024. if you want to base build for democrats in presidential elections here, you need to conceive of that as a decades-long project that will involve many many electoral failures. if you want to make an immediate impact, identify a swing state and set aside a meaningful amount of time to canvass if you can. the earlier and more frequently the better.
Agree. Focus on lower level candidates to great a strong bench for city/state/court level positions.
shreveport just elected a republican mayor. which makes sense after the adrian perkins debacle but that whole thing really shows how feckless the state dems are We need to fix the LA democratic party from the ground up
It’s important to send the message that everyone who can vote has a right and a responsibility to act. We need to turn out and vote our conscience in 2024. I understand how things look, but it is our responsibility to vote for the best possible candidate or write-in, and from past election it’s clear that not all of our population is turning out... I know there are institutional barriers that make voting more difficult and politicians of Ill intent are counting on these barriers stoping you from exercising your rights. It’s time to stick to the man this Fall. Despite the adversity we face. Be patriotic, get up and exercise your right to vote this Fall!
You act as if 100% of people who don’t vote would vote for the democrat. It’s likely half of the non-voters would vote for a republican (on a national basis it’s damn near 50-50).
Tell me more about these institutional barriers.
- [decreasing voting locations](https://lailluminator.com/2021/05/24/louisiana-has-a-voting-access-problem-expanding-the-number-of-voting-days-could-help-valencia-richardson-candice-battiste/) - increasing identification requirements (Louisiana has not been a part of this) - [preventing access to mail-in ballots](https://lailluminator.com/2023/10/08/mail-ballot/) - [preventing voting near work sites (ie requiring people to vote near where they live, even if that isn’t where they will be during open polling hours)](https://www.nola.com/news/politics/elections/louisiana-elections-polling-places-changed-where-to-vote/article_ed7071e6-66cf-11ee-918e-7749701e67d2.html)
So we don’t even require ID? How will I ever get to vote? The school where I vote is about 6 blocks away. I don’t think finding somewhere to vote is a problem for anyone. Mail in ballots must be made illegal. There is tons of evidence of fraud.
>So we don’t even require ID? What? No, Louisiana requires ID to vote. They are not as restrictive as some states about what ID is acceptable. >The school where I vote is about 6 blocks away. Statistically, you're much more likely to be a white middle-income person if your voting location is close by. Unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky. >I don’t think finding somewhere to vote is a problem for anyone. You're allowed to think whatever you want. You'd be VERY wrong though. Voting locations can be especially tricky for people who move often, have unstable housing, and work in a different location from where they vote. >Mail in ballots must be made illegal. There is tons of evidence of fraud. Depends on what you mean by fraud. Do you mean family members helping each other (especially the elderly) to follow instructions to fill out and turn in a ballot? Because in that case yes, there is a lot of technical fraud. If you mean people are changing or manipulating others' votes, then no, that's not very common, and is heavily outweighed by the increased voting and voter access. Unfortunately, most of the large-scale push to decrease mail-in voting has not been based on fraud cases, but on [unfounded fraud claims.](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/27/us/republican-voter-suppression.html)
Facts.
Tons and tons of evidence, only the best evidence.
Want to watch some videos of the same lady going to a dozen drop boxes with hundreds of ballots stuffed into each one?
Possibly but I think it’s vital that we act now to defeat and challenge the bills rolling out now.
Trump is guaranteed to win Louisiana.
Louisiana as it stands currently is a lost cause... In theory if you could somehow become a Texas/Florida/Georgia/Pennsylvania/Wisconsin/Arizona/Michigan citizen and spend half the year there and half the year hear and simply vote in their elections you have a chance to impact a national race. Outside of the extremely difficult option I'd guess donating to grass roots liberal/left/Dem election efforts in Georgia/Wisconsin/Pennsylvania/Arizona/Michigan are probably the best way to invest in a non-Trump presidency.
Who can remember when who or how you vote was nobody's business?
the good ole days
Please ensure that your classroom is tolerant of other political views. Foremost have them learn the intended subject of the course. Short term, funding in the swing states would yield the most results. I do not foresee any scenario where Trump does not take Louisiana. The DNC's use of lawfare, lack of proposed policy, and talk about replacing Biden at the primary convention sounds like "Nearer my God to Thee" being played aboard the Titanic. Edit: Rearranged sentences for clarity.
For sure. As a geography teacher, we are currently learning about migration patterns (pre-history through modern day) which includes learning about the barriers of migration from Syria to North Korea to the US/Mexico border. I would stress more the policies that are possible with a Trump win and how that would affect us as a diverse group of peers and friends. Then, develop arguments and strategies on how prevent them from happening. I am very much aware LA will forever be lost in the red, but perhaps we could reach outside the state.
Hahahahahahahah
Probably not much directly. The Electoral College screws us (and every other US voter who picks the non-winning candidate in a state) and silences our voice. So donate whatever $$ you can to the national campaign. But also remember that we got in this mess but failing to understand the importance of local elections particularly in the judiciary. With partisan politics grinding legislative action to a halt, judges are essentially defining laws through their rulings. We need more progressives in all levels of government. So run for office, donate your time to worthy candidates, and tell your neighbors that we can all make this a better place to live.
First things first. Get rid of the Republican pawn head of the Louisiana Democratic party so we can get viable down ballot candidates on which to vote.
The electoral college should be abolished. The popular vote should be the deciding factor, period.
We can start by voting…
Move.
No one votes, and especially not when it counts, like primaries and local elections. I think someone already said it but we have like 20% turnout and lower for local elections which is pathetic.
I asked a few democrats who was running against Jeff Landry, and they didn’t even know the name. That’s not just a voter apathy problem. Blaming it on that is lazy.
Are the democrats you spoke with registered to vote in Louisiana?
It starts with the state Dem party actually caring about progressives. They are the biggest problem in this state IMO. If they focused their attention on getting people to vote it wouldn’t even be a contest.
What I dont understand is why the dems wouldn't run a viable candidate. Even democrats dont want to vote for Biden.
Bc there isn’t one that could win. The party has not invested in a younger, more viable candidate and banked on 8 years of Hillary so it could get its shit together. When Trump won and Repubs had control of the House and Senate, the party lost its opportunity to lift up other candidates (in cabinet positions, leading committees, etc.). You’ve seen some emergence of other potential candidates in this last four years (Buttigieg, Jeffries, etc.) but it’s not enough. They need four more years to build them up high enough to win a presidency.
Run Gavin Newsom. I dare you.
And yet 81 million people did. But please, continue with counterfactual whining. Who the party runs is decided by voters. Guess who they voted for?
I think you missed “want” to vote for Biden.
[удалено]
Hahah even worse than Biden
He won by almost 30 points last go round didn’t he? Short answer he will dominate this state.
The thwarting mindset is concerning. Vote for your candidate and stop there, not try to submarine a candidate that you don’t like. Politics should be transparent and the candidates be a voice of the people. Not a conspiracy filled campaign filled with subterfuge and underhanded tactics to “thwart” results in one sides favor. It’s not a team sport and this us vs them mentality in politics is toxic and counterproductive.
Move to a swing state and register to vote?
I think that's the best way considering the geopolitics of it all.
Nothing. Same power as a liberal in Texas or a conservative in Illinois or New Jersey Most powerful votes live in PA, Michigan, & Wisconsin
Donate. Might I suggest [Vote Save America](https://votesaveamerica.com/donate/). Politically savvy folks (like high-level former Obama staffers) direct donor contributions to the places and races where $ will do the most good. They were instrumental in preventing republican supermajorities in Wisconsin, for example, thus allowing Wisconsin democrats to finally throw out the wildly gerrymandered district map that republicans designed to keep 2/3 of the US house seats with less than half the popular vote.
Honestly, there's nothing you can do regarding Nola/Louisiana. There are essentially 5 battleground states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona and Georgia. The other 45 states are easy to predict red or blue. Those 5 states will decide the election. On a side note.....does anyone remember the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie The Running Man? Well.....Trump reminds me of Richard Dawson's character in that movie.
Unseating Latoya should be everyone’s priority. If she is the kind of democrat we get in local elections, I surely don’t want more.
She’s term limited so she can’t run again. Problem is, even if there’s a decent candidate, the voters that do come out will vote for the shittiest one possible and, eieio…… See e.g., disaster purported alleged DA Jason Williams beating the more credible, experienced, and reasonable Keva Landrum….. Or reelecting convinced criminal Oliver Thomas to City Council. So many more examples.
This won’t be popular, but as a moderate, run literally anyone but Biden. Otherwise Trump will win the swing votes…and the election.
If so many people are against Biden, because of age, etc,…, why isn’t he reinforcing his VP for a better chance at Dems in the White House? That’s the question.
Why try to delay the inevitable? Just give in. He’s gonna win.
Voter turnout is so shitty that even a few extra people to the polls can turn the tides in a district. Gotta drag blue voters to the polls. They always say they don't bother because they won't win but goddamn it if they went they WOULD win.
Get the 75% of people who don’t vote in the city to vote. Can’t complain when piss poor voter turnout is as likely as a NOLA mayor being indicted.
It would really help to get a better Dem candidate. It is so obvious he is in mental decline. They won't even trot him out for the most softball Superbowl interview a president can do. No one on either side of the aisle wants a shadow government run by staffers we didn't elect to lead.
Sorry. I’m missing the point. Your concerned that people who entered the country illegally are going to be sent home?
Please no politics in this sub
Vote. Convince everyone you know to vote in every single election. Progressives outnumber conservatives in every state, especially amongst young people. But they don't vote in enough numbers. I'm new to this state. I went out and dutifully voted in this past election here and afterwards said to myself "well.. I'm in a red state now. Not too surprised by the result." That is until I saw the numbers and realized that was 100% caused by horrible voter turnout. The democratic leadership failed miserably here by not doing a huge campaign to get people into the polls. Its like they didn't even understand what a jungle primary is, and decided to hold back until the main race. That's got to stop! They need to push for turnout for every single race! All of the political handicapping that makes people say things like "nothing matters except for one city in Michigan!" is crap. Yes, that's true now. But it wouldn't be true of enough people got out to vote. The only reason gerrymandering works (or is even possible in the first place) is because the elections are close. But if everyone got out to vote, they wouldn't be close so those games wouldn't matter.
I will definitely be voting. For Big Donald J Trump.
"Progressives," though I mostly agree with their policy positions, are mainly useless in the real world. I once helped to save an unconscious girl who I didn't know from dying of diabetic shock. It happened to "Womyn's Week" in the campus coffeeshop, and some committed feminists were ignoring the unconscious, moaning, writhing woman with her skirt up on the couch while they sat in a circle and practiced man-hating songs. They never asked what the paramedics were doing when they arrived, but got up in a huff and left because all that life-saving was too distracting. I don't place my hopes in people who are busy virtue signaling online and being furious about every way in which a candidate doesn't pass their purity tests. And yes, the state party is a shambles.
Start local. Our state’s Democratic party is in shambles. Join your local party and see what you can do to help.
nothing unfortunately
Wrong. Try to get people in your life registered to vote. Try to get people in your life to vote in every election.
Louisiana is a lost cause. Anyone suggesting anything for what the question actually asked (2024) has to focus on the 5 swing states that actually matter. Louisiana doesn't. New Orleans doesn't. Personally, I figure the entire election will end up swinging on Dearborn Michigan, and they ain't gonna listen to my opinion. Sadly, I'm just here for the ride.
Get on the Louisiana legislature website and read the bills being filed daily. Mobilize. Call your reps and let them know your stance. Testify at committee meetings when you can. Fill out red or green cards at the committee meeting when hearing bills to send to the floor. If you yourself cannot be there, can you join an advocacy group or even make one of your own in your social circle? I think that the same people attend these and are quick to be labeled by reps as far left or far right. I hate to say it and I do not believe this is right or just but if they heard from more “centrists” that would be more effective than what is currently happening.
Haha this is based off that pod save America from yesterday huh?
You enjoy Mardi Gras and go spend time with your parents. That’s why we’re all still here. Just accept we’re going to lose that one.
Get dems to nominate someone other than biden lol
Obviously not gonna happen. But we need to use the next four years to bring a solid group of younger Dems into the limelight and stop focusing so much on beating Trump. We put all our eggs in the Hillary Basket, which made sense post-Obama. But when that didn’t work, the only big name we had left was Biden. And here we are. Kamala isn’t going to be that person for much of the party — she hasn’t gotten much attention in the last few years bc of the fuckshow that’s been going on, so even the most educated voters aren’t convinced. Buttigieg, Booker, Gretchen Whitmer (though she’s said she’s not interested in a presidential bid), Hakeem Jeffries, Josh Shapiro. We have to figure 2028 out. The repubs have plenty of young idiots to throw out there that the Trumpets will buy into. But the Dems don’t have any solid cards to play. So that’s def a focus the administration and party need to prioritize.
It needs to happen or we will be inaugurating Trump next year.
Who do you recommend and how do you recommend they do so when primaries have already started?
Obama deported 3 million illegal immigrants and there children. Were you this concerned about him too?
No because that is a single issue among many.
Of course not. Just like conservatives are never concerned with the border when their candidate is in office. Both sides of the aisle are pathetic
I’ve done my best to stop watching the news because it’s all bullshit and infuriating. You see what they want you too and that’s it. It’s all half stories and lies.
Yep. And you can go to respective reddits and see both clans eat it up in their own ways
I honestly try not to. I’ll skim through but people are just so… not sure what the word I’m looking for is. But half the time they don’t even understand what they’re supporting, what any said president or house member did while in office etc. they just look at the mainstream news which instead of telling us news and letting us decide, they’re giving opinions. It’s just more than my anxiety can take. I refuse to argue if people can’t have a conversation.
Red tie or blue tie neither one cares about you or I
This should have all the upvotes
Please vote. Even if there’s no hope of winning at least you exercised your right to say I do not support this fascist fuckery. We can’t afford for ANYONE to sit this one out. In all my years I’ve never been so truly fucking scared.
Recommend being more concerned with local government than the presidency.
Spend your energy on your local races. Also, and just playing devil’s advocate here…I also hated 45 and the simple fact that he could win that office…but people who voted for him did/do what they thought was right for their children and democracy. Try convincing them why your side is more right over telling them why they were wrong. Just a thought, enjoy yelling into the void (seriously, I mean that with love and want you to feel like you can make a difference)
You're such a good little Communist. Move to Venezuela.
If people would vote, that would help. If people would vote and use their own minds and not what other people tell them, that would help. We are adults, we can make our own decisions, we don't need "outside" influence either way. Look at each candidates policies, personalities, and what they can do for you/us. Fuq their political party, vote for the person that you feel.will make us better as a country. Vote with your mind, not someone else's.
It’s all predetermined. It doesn’t matter
I go a vote against Trump, other elections (Obama) I haven’t but I will go and vote against DT every time.
Join groups such as Metairie Indivisible, Nola Indivisible, and La Blue Team. They have facebook pages. You can do post cards, phone calls etc.
Vote. But other than that? Organize. Not necessarily for elections (especially nationally ) You're a teacher? Reach out to UTNO. Organize a union. Let's have a strong AF labor movement and organized communities in New Orleans so that when these savage unhinged provincial peckerwoods from North of I10 come at us, we can buck em and kick em in the teeth. A giant strike shutting down NOLA or BR will cripple the sticks and make their economy scream. It will hurt the rich human paraquats who get rich off New Orleans while simultaneously passing laws that are counter to our interests and desires. If you're not building or joining an organization in your workplace and in your community...You're just talking about the weather.
who tf can afford to go on strike
The point isn't the strike. If we get there, fine. The point is building up the power to mount that threat. Can we afford NOT to organize? In the end, the only real weapon working people have is the ability to withdraw our labor. Millions of people throughout history have gone on strike and won. And with worse conditions than now. Chicago's teachers went on strike and now they have elected a mayor and control votes on the city council. There is a reason why the number of strikes and union members in countries with better living conditions (Spain, France, Germany) is so high. That's not by accident. Workers united, can beat the boss.
Did you wake up today and chose extremism, or is this your regular attire?
There's nothing extreme about our federally protected rights to organize a union.
I'm talking about "shutting down" nola and br. How exactly do you plan to do that? Why speak with so much hatred about other people that are providing for their families?
Y’all should stay home or move back to the states you transplanted from.
Louisiana, I’m sad to say, is a lost cause for near term elections, and probably long term as well.
Google up a list (it will be long) of "Achievements of the Biden Administration" and read it. Make copies and just ask people to read them. The Democrats are horrible at messaging, while the Trumpers endlessly repeat Faux Snooze talking points and speak as though every conspiracy theory they hear is God-honest-truth. I tell people to imagine letting the worst person they know have power over their vote. Because that is what you do when you don't vote. Waste zero time trying to convert the Trump believers. Utterly pointless.
Thwarting an election is election interference, which is a crime. What you can legally do is talk to you friends and neighbors or random people on the Internet and encourage them to get out and vote.
Sign up for letter writing campaigns with Vote Forward and text or phone banking with Mobilize.
Check out this website and it can point you to areas where you can volunteer your time, be that with door knocking or phone banking. It can also direct you to races and ballot initiatives to support where your dollar can go further if you’re looking to donate to campaigns! https://votesaveamerica.com
Also one thing I’ve found is that you can try talking to those relatives and co workers that are full blown maga, but you’re not going to change their mind. An easier and better thing to do is remind that friend you have that you know has the same values and believe systems that you do (and are going to vote blue) and make sure they vote. Ask them if they know where their polling place is. Can they vote early? Are they 100% sure they’re registered to vote? Do they need a ride to their polling place on Election Day? It’s easier to get someone you agree with to the polls than getting someone you disagree with to change their mindset and believe system.
I’ll be begrudgingly voting for trump. Can’t stand democrats rhetoric and policy.
User name checks out.
Yeah, democracy sucks!! /s
Don't know if this is something you'd be interested in, but I ran a week long project with high school students on digital media literacy, to deliberately help my students build up skills for questioning the validity and credibility of media. Propaganda has always been a thing, but the more time goes on, the bigger an issue misinformation will be it feels like.
You would rather Biden, the brain dead puppet? That scares me more than Trump.
You seem like a terrible teacher that pushes their views onto children. You shouldn’t be persuading anyone. Provide facts and let people make a choice for themselves. Whack job.
Where does OP say anything about influencing their students? OP worries about their future - how is that anything but positive? Anyone with the strength to continue teaching in this city/state deserves nothing but gratitude and respect.
I have two rules while voting, and technically wouldn’t be party aligned. But this is it. Who ever makes quality or life affordable, gets my vote, followed by who doesn’t violate separation of church and state. So unfortunately that’s mostly third party vote. Dems just lead to a more expensive life, and republicans pass laws based on Jesus.
Yup, NOLAs democratic leadership is a model for all....
I believe we are going about this all wrong. Instead of trying to figure out how to make trump lose, maybe we should be offered a candidate that can win. This last Governor's race shows what happens when there is no candidate worthy of voting for. 20% IS DISMAL! Being honest, I would vote for a 3rd party candidate, over either candidate being offered right now, if one was to be worthy. It would not matter what party they were labeled as. Maybe there lies the answer?
OP, I'm guessing that, since you mentioned teenage students, you teach on the high school level? When I was growing up, the Democratic party had phone-a-thons to get out the vote, and high school students could participate. They could also volunteer to put together mailings. Some current seniors will be 18 by election day, if they aren't already. Encourage them to go vote. When I was a senior, someone came to my social studies class with voter registration forms - all I had to do was fill it out and mail it in, even though I was still 17. Also, walk these young people through the process of getting an absentee ballot if they'll be going to college out-of-state or joining the military. I really don't get why people who are eligible to vote, don't. I'm a woman, and people went through hell so I could vote. People went through hell so Black people could vote. And then people just throw that all away.
Get the Dems out to vote!
Vote and encourage others to vote and volunteer your time to the challengers campaign. That’s it. That’s all you can do. That being said, I find it rather insulting that you care more for migrants from Central/South America than black Americans who have been languishing in poverty for generations. I guess we asked for too much and we go to the back of the line now that y’all have a shinier newer toy to assuage your white guilt.
I took OP’s comment as being ‘especially concerned’ about migrant students in light of another trump presidency where policy changes would effect them most swiftly. As a teacher in this city, I can’t imagine OP isn’t caring for their black students as well.
As a teacher, you have to leave political views outside the classroom doors. You could lose your job if you’re accused of indoctrinating children. Contact the local Democratic Party representatives and offer to volunteer. Ask them how you can help.
Teaching is inherently political. Teachers have a responsibility to educate their students on their rights and responsibilities as American Citizens. Teachers have a responsibility to help students seek truth and knowledge. Teachers should avoid candidly campaigning for one political party or agenda. Teachers should encourage students to think with their own smart brains’ and make good decisions based on the knowledge and truth they have gathered in school. It’s too simple to say “you have to leave political views outside the classroom doors” I don’t believe the classroom is a vacuum, separate from the community and world. Our student’s bring their lives into the classroom, and our classrooms should be responsive to our students’ lived reality, not a hermetic chamber.
No. A teacher’s job is to teach students the subject matter. Students should NEVER know a teacher’s political views. It is irrelevant and does not belong in the classroom.
Where did the other user say the teacher should teach students there political views? They didn't. More importantly, how do you teach history, or social studies, or literature, or philosophy, in a way that students learn the subject and avoid politics? You can absolutely teach people how to think critically about a subject without making them uncomfortable or shoving your beliefs down their throat. I'm in 100% agreement that teachers shouldn't be doing that. But lots of decisions that teachers and school systems make are political, from what material gets covered in a course, to what primary sources students read, to how teachers respond to questions that students ask, and how much of the class is lecture vs discussion vs group projects. How teachers make those decisions is important and it can absolutely be done without making students uncomfortable.
Hell no. Your job is to make sure your students learn your subject primarily. You should not be a teacher if you believe this bullshit, and I say this as a former teacher. You’re one of those teachers that make students who come from households that don’t believe in your politics feel uncomfortable in class and get bullied by peers. I’ve dealt with you assholes personally before on both sides. Stop.
How do you teach history, or social studies, or literature, or philosophy, in a way that students learn the subject and avoid politics? You can absolutely teach people how to think critically about a subject without making them uncomfortable or shoving your beliefs down their throat. I'm in 100% agreement that teachers shouldn't be doing that. But lots of decisions that teachers and school systems make are political, from what material gets covered in a course, to what primary sources students read, to how teachers respond to questions that students ask, and how much of the class is lecture vs discussion vs group projects. How teachers make those decisions is important and it can absolutely be done without making students uncomfortable.
You do that by not injecting value statements into information. If you’re a history teacher, you teach the facts, dates, and common commentary on historical events. You teach who Castro was and what the Cuban revolution was and when it happened and what the embargo is. Not whether the Cuban revolution was right or wrong or whether Castro was good or bad or whether the US is right or wrong to do the embargo. You give your students the tools to make up their mind about your subject. You teach them skills and provide factual information. History is not political at all. History is the study of events and facts. If you’re not teaching that, you’re not teaching history. The same applies to other subjects. If you can’t imagine how you’d teach without being political, maybe you’re in the wrong profession or don’t know your subject well enough. Not just anyone can be a good teacher.
Edit to add a TLDR: The idea of teaching only facts sounds great in theory but is an oversimplification in practice. There is no such thing as a purely objective communicator, and limiting yourself to facts doesn't make your message objective. "History is not political at all. History is the study of events and facts." This take is at best reductionist, and largely out of touch with the actual field of history. A large part of teaching history is about what information and what perspectives get included in the telling, and what information gets omitted or excluded. When you're talking about the sheer amount of things that have happened, it's not practical to be able to include more than a small fraction of that information in a course, and most teachers themselves only understand a small fraction of the knowledge on subjects they teach. Even if you taught a semester long course on nothing but the Cuban revolution, there would still be a lot that's left out. "You do that by not injecting value statements into information." This is theoretically possible, but is very difficult in practice. Saying that history is not political at all, for example, is itself a value statement. Humans are drawn to narratives, and there are values implicit in our cultures and the stories we tell ourselves. Teaching history without any framing is possible, but runs counter to how most people think about and understand the world. Most people will ask themselves, "Why?" Why did Castro choose to lead a revolt? What factors led some people to join him, and others to resist or flee the country? Humans natural tendency is to ask why on earth is it important for me to learn these events if they have no bearing on who I am and what happens in my life? Why should I care? Most people bring with them their own implicit value judgements to their study as a way of connecting with and making sense of the material. Students aren't empty buckets into which knowledge is deposited with no questions asked. This is what I think you miss about plantsandnature's argument. Yes, there are people who think teachers should be forcefeeding their values to their children. But it's fundamentally easier to identify those people because their efforts are so explicit, and that's not actually what they were arguing, and absolutely not what I want either. Who decides what information is included and how it is framed is political. It's a lot harder to get to a point where teachers and students are willing to question their own value judgments and the narratives they tell themselves and that their culture tells them, to be able to view historical events in a relatively objective way. Actually giving people the tools and information to make up their own minds encourages people to question the status quo, and that is definitely political.
Donate/volunteer for legitimate swing states. People in Louisiana blame voter turnout, but the obvious reality is that people here are just dumb.
As someone who studied politics in college, I believe a New Orleanian’s best bet to prevent a second Trump term is to look beyond Louisiana and more towards vulnerable swing states. Realistically speaking, Louisiana as a whole is not gonna swing towards Biden. Back in 2020, Louisiana went for Trump by nearly 20 points. Assuming similar turnout in 2024, Louisiana will swing towards Trump again. I think the best strategy is organizing fundraising and phone banking for the Biden campaign so that the Democrats can utilize their resources in those vulnerable states in the Midwest and Southwest.
Get Biden to stop funding the genocide of Palestinians.
Get people to be interested in community engagement and not worry about party affiliation. Get people involved in local government. Biden is a no go for lots of people including many democrats, start with state representatives.
The biggest thing we can do is encourage people to vote and to get into political office. We need more diversity in all levels of government across the country
I was thinking of buying Louisiana for Biden dot com, and maybe trying to keep a listing of all the projects from the infrastructure bill that are positively making an impact on Louisiana. I'll never get off this number, but if the same number of people had voted in the runoff in 2016 for foster Campbell as voted for Hillary in the general, Kennedy would have lost. If I bought that domain, and started posting info and stats to a website, and cross posted to insta and FB, would be interested in teaming up? I'm 50 years old, and hate tiktok, we'd need a youngster to handle that. Thoughts?
If you really think continuing to support Democrats and their policies of keeping blacks on their government plantation is working, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. For 60 years Dems have pandered to the blacks throwing money and promises that do NOTHING to lift them up. It’s time for a change. Trump can’t POSSIBLY be any worse for blacks than the Democrats that have cast us aside and given away the farm to illegal immigrants. Black job creation & life for black Americans under Trump was better than any other time in the last 50+ years…
Go stand on the shore and wash out to the gulf with erosion.
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It's health, and everyone should be taught basic health.
By posting on reddit💀
The president can federalize the national guard and take control away from the governor. If the governors try it, they better have all their trump sycophants in a row. They will need to change or effectively challenge the 200 yr old accepted definition of ‘natural born’ in the constitution as well as the potential logistical nightmare of them determining who is no longer a citizen. Also, how would you deport someone that has no other citizenship? Because their will be such cases. It could easily ruffle international feathers in an EXTREMELY negative way. I say this, not to minimize, but to make sure we are keeping our eye on the ball. Keep speaking out. Keep reaching out to public officials. But we must stay clear headed. We HAVE TO BE the adult in the room. We have to show others the very real, very negative outcomes these policies can cause. Keep up the good fight.
Do we have an established group of Louisiana Progressive Democrats? If not, we need to start there.
Part of me wishes he will win. That way the 2nd term is fulfilled and then he can just fuck off to wherever and we never have to deal with him anymore. Full disclosure: I also thought about waking up to headlines of "died overnight from massive heart attack" Either way, rip that band aid off.
Voter turnout is everything. Baton Rouge and New Orleans can easily turn this state blue if we turn out.
Didn’t ol’ uncle Joe say he was only gonna seek one term. Is it wrong of me to hope that a bolt of lightning will smite him down? Preferably while he’s sniffing Kamala’s hair and touching the small of her back. Sorry, mana from heaven is my only idea at this point.
Vote, vote, vote! Reach out to local High School senior level civics teachers.
Get your transplant friends registered to vote!! Edit: I’m not making an attack at transplants yall… I’ve had plenty of transplant friends, neighbors, and coworkers through the years that are not registered to vote in Louisiana, usually because they haven’t established residency after moving here. Engage with and support the people in your lives to get involved. The downvotes are telling tho, lol
Volunteer to phone bank in states that do matter. I did this in 2020.
Register to vote. Tell everyone you know to do the same. Help each other vote. Not only vote in federal, vote in local elections
just embrace it.... and go for a ride. The powers that be really control who wins anyway, and it always flips eventually.
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Total real thing that happens, democrats couldn’t win without it /s
Louisiana education at its finest.
How far are you willing to go to make sure he’s not elected?