The Island of Misfit Voters Can Save Our Democracy

DISCLAIMER: Before you read on, I want to remind all our readers that any columns from me about politics are my thoughts and opinions only and do not reflect those of the NiceGirlsTV staff. And, I am not being prejudicial or derogatory with my choice in the title of this article either.

Most people are familiar with the classic Christmas special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which features as part of its story the Island of Misfit Toys. This little island came to my mind while watching the cross-country rally blitz conducted by Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Now I can imagine you’re reading this and wondering what does a TV special from 1964 have to do with the upcoming 2024 election, right? Well, please follow along as I give you my viewpoint on how the Island of Misfit Voters could save our democracy.

A lot has been said by every media outlet – no matter its size, its viewership or its reach – about the potential outcome of the upcoming Presidential election. Polls are continually being conducted and those results are being announced on a regular basis. For a while it was looking as if the two sides were “neck-and-neck.” More recently, it would seem that the Harris-Walz ticket has been pulling ahead albeit slightly. In some of the key battleground states, it could still be a toss-up as to which candidate will stand victorious, but those numbers seem to be getting better and better for the Harris-Walz ticket.

Despite those current poll results, though, I would like to offer up this idea. What if all the “fringe” groups [more on what I mean by that title in a minute] banded together to make a real difference in this election?

What if those in the Black, Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific-Islander, Native American and Latino communities joined forces with the Veterans ? And then those groups joined forces with the LGBTQIA community and those who are Biracial. And then those groups joined forces with those who are part of Gen Z who are old enough to vote.

Yes, there will be cross-pollination within each of these groups and there will be a certain percentage also within each of these groups who will only vote Republican, but can you just imagine what the majority of these “fringe” groups could accomplish if they work together for a common cause: to save our democracy?

Think about it this way:

* Blacks make up 14.4% of the population
* Asians make up 5.6% of the population
* Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders make up 0.9% of the population
* Native Americans (all 574 federally recognized tribes) make up 2.09% of the population
* Latinos make up 19% of the population
* Veterans make up 6% of the population
* LGBTQIA make up 7.6% of the population
* Biracial make up (about) 10% of the population
* Gen Z make up 20% of the population (granted not all Gen Zers are old enough to vote YET)

If you combine each of those percentage points, taking into consideration that not every person within those “fringe” groups will vote Democratic, not all of them will vote – or can vote just yet – and that there will be cross-pollination between the groups, that overall total could potentially cover nearly two-thirds of the population of the United States.

And, I’ll give you this little nugget to think about. Only 18% of Americans identify themselves as part of the MAGA movement, and that includes about 38% of all Republicans. Those numbers could easily be defeated by the combined forces of these “fringe” groups.

Now granted this isn’t a perfectly analyzed study by any stretch of the imagination, but if the Island of Misfit Voters can band together, we could truly save our democracy. And isn’t that more important than party lines? Isn’t that more important than allowing a political party to virtually eliminate the freedoms and liberties that our forefathers set forth for all of us and for which our ancestors fought and died for?

All I ask is this: please think carefully this election year, and vote wisely because it may be the last time you ever get to vote again.