Why should it automatically be respected?
It will be judged like any other vote would. Like you would a Trump voter or a Clinton voter.
I will say it is not fair to call an abstainer a bigot. That is a personal judgement that requires more then a person's vote to determine. Aiding a bigot? I think that is fair game because the connection is able to be clearly shown.
But I think it is 100% accurate to assert they do not care about the stakes in this election. Or at least not enough to drive them to positive action. Which is IMO the same as not really caring.
Yes, this is your opinion and that is fine, but it isn't accurate in the slightest. Just because a person do not line up when the stakes are high to you do not mean they do not understand those same stakes when they decide to risk it. Especially when these "stakes" aren't even in trouble by them not voting because they are an insignificant amount relative to the actual people who will vote.
It should be respected because that is their choice to make, yes it is stupid (if you are voting Trump), but I don't outright start flinging mud like a child when they don't agree with me even when the facts are clear. After all that would be expecting too much from the average voter currently. There is a difference between a person on the wrong side and a person who do not like either side, so abstains from it.
They might not be bigots, but they would be enabling them. Whether that's any better is up to you, I suppose.
It is a bit amusing that people are taking their ball and going home over the suggestion that they might not be backing up their claims of being progressives, rather than actually voting like a progressive would.
To me, being a bystander who watches the world burn is better than being the person who lights the torch, goes without saying. Could they have done something? No doubt, but it do not automatically put them up on a higher scale of non-caring douche bag.
Like I said, I'm not going to mince words today, I don't respect you if you choose to stay home and not vote, there's a legitimate threat of fascism looming that stands against the very thing this nation was founded on, and you have the power to ensure that millions of lives don't suffer both nationally and internationally. Voting is a right, but it should be a civil duty of all American citizens because it is just that important for the nation and the world itself. I do not have the luxury as some of you to sit at home and do nothing, because if I did, my life and those around me will greatly suffer. A vote is a vote, whether you use it or not, so think wisely. This is not a game, and for once, this election has much more dire consequences than previous ones.
Oh, and I don't care if this is fear mongering, because that's the reality. I know Trump's type, I saw the RNC, I read their platform. There are lives at risk under his presidency, mine including, and I'm tired of coddling people the past 6 months over this issue while I'm not even sleeping half the time and having nightmares over it.
It should be a civic duty but it is not, otherwise everyone would already have been automatically registered without exceptions, there would be an election day, and there would be less money involved. We are trying to get there, but currently this is not the case and the people you are claiming are not doing their duty still are. Duty do not mean "pick the candidate that will win", it is "pick the candidate that best defines you and the goal you want for the country." This is regardless of the candidate's chance of winning, that is what the party is for, to establish candidates that can win majority of the people's vote through their policies.
I don't know why you fear his election, only way he wins is if a dramatic amount of democrats do not show up for voting and this is the party's fault more-so than the voters.
Listen all that this is about is respect one another's choice, so long as it isn't an extreme choice *cough*Trumpvoter*cough* that completely disregards all the facts. This is about U.S election, it is very likely you won't change their mind by going about being a condescending prick basically, unless that isn't even your goal.
