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You. Must. Vote.

2012-09-21 · list · Hank · 3:59 · watch on YouTube

Topic: US politics & society · mode: Advocacy & fundraising · tags: timely hook, civic or action cta

Hank argues that the only wrong vote is no vote, rebutting the common excuses one by one (super PACs, one vote never decides, safe states, no time, nothing changes, not registered), and calls voting in America a responsibility.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Election season: the only wrong vote is no vote; almost all reasons not to vote are terrible

  • ★★★ Hank says that, from his perspective, the only wrong vote is no vote, and almost all the reasons people give him for not voting are terrible. — 00:00:05

00:00:20 — Excuses 1-2: not American or under 18 (a pass); super PACs control elections (they get zero votes; everyone gets one)

  • ★★ Hank says not living in America or being under 18 is the only excuse that gets a pass. — 00:00:20 · United States
  • ★★ Answering the claim that super PACs and special interests control elections, Hank points out that super PACs get zero votes. — 00:00:26
  • ★★★ Hank says the richest, most powerful man in America gets one vote, the same as you, so voting, if nothing else, is fair. — 00:00:35 · United States

00:00:46 — 'One vote can't matter': voting as community activity; politicians' perception of the electorate; the YouTube-comments analogy; why to comment

  • ★★★ To 'one vote can't matter', Hank says voting is a community activity: one vote may not decide who wins, but every vote counts toward how politicians perceive their electorate. — 00:00:50 · collective action

  • ★★ Hank's analogy: if Twilight fans comment far more than Doctor Who fans, a creator makes content for the Twilight fans, though every Whovian comment still counts; voting is the YouTube comments of government. — 00:01:13 · YouTube

    “Voting is the YouTube comments of government.”

  • ★★ Hank says commenting on YouTube videos matters, especially if it feels uncomfortable, since your demographic is then likely underrepresented and he won't make content for you. — 00:01:49 · YouTube

00:01:59 — 'Not a swing state' and 'no time': underrepresentation, early voting

  • ★★ To 'I don't live in a swing state', Hank says that if Utah Democrats or California Republicans stayed home they would be underrepresented locally and politicians would ignore their views. — 00:01:59 · Republican Party
  • ★★ To 'I don't have time', Hank encourages viewers to look into early voting in their state, which is easy in most places, via the top link in the description. — 00:02:20

00:02:34 — 'Everything is terrible': interracial and gay marriage, American democracy is a pretty good system

  • ★★ Hank says the claim that all politicians are terrible and nothing ever changes is objectively untrue: interracial marriage used to be illegal. — 00:02:34
  • ★★ Hank says he really believes gay marriage will soon no longer be illegal. — 00:02:42
  • ★★ Hank says American democracy, however inefficient and infuriating, is a pretty good system that has done well by us; America is overall pretty great, democracy a big reason why. (hedged) — 00:02:47 · United States

00:03:06 — 'Not registered': register before the deadline; voting is a responsibility, equal influence with the most powerful; sign-off

  • ★★★ To 'I'm not registered', Hank warns the registration deadline is coming up and tells viewers to use the top link in the description and register to vote. — 00:03:06
  • ★★★ Hank thinks voting in America is not a privilege but a responsibility to the country, ourselves, fellow Americans, the world and the future, because US laws affect everything. (hedged) — 00:03:20 · United States
  • ★★ Hank says voting gives everyone the same influence on the future as the richest, most powerful people, and he can't believe people pass that up. — 00:03:37

00:03:49 — End-screen song 'Home' by Lauren Fairweather

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: paradox of voting · voter turnout

Also: Works: Doctor Who · Home · Twilight

Organizations: BBC · Democratic Party · Republican Party · YouTube

Concepts: collective action · democracy · early voting · interracial marriage · same-sex marriage · super PAC · swing state · voter registration

Places: California · United States · Utah

Events: United States presidential election

Only in the description or credits: DFTBA Records · Lauren Fairweather

Also centred on paradox of voting: Tiny Chickens Invade, But Still I Vote · Ten Terrible Reason to not Vote (and two good ones) · Our Massive Project: How to Vote in Every State · Why I Didn't Vote (And Six Reasons You Might Not)

Also centred on voter turnout: Terrible at Frenching: My Spicy Summer Camp Story · Ten Terrible Reason to not Vote (and two good ones) · Our Massive Project: How to Vote in Every State · The Trouble with Wishful Thinking · If you don't go…

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