I joined the Dope when the election and voting was just starting to gain popularity on here (and all social media platforms, really), so I’m wondering if the Dope is as active as it is now during non-election years, or at least active enough to have a good discussion with someone.
-Baleaf
It depends on what you mean by active. If you look at raw post counts, those don’t change all that much, even during election years. There has been a slow downward trend in post counts for years, which matches the general downward trend for almost all message boards everywhere on the internet. But we’re doing better than most.
If you are here specifically for political posts, those do tend to wax and wane with elections. But those are only a small portion of the overall posts here.
The SDMB is divided into numerous forums/categories (our old software called them forums, so most people use that term, where the new software calls them categories). Many of these forums have almost no political commentary and those forums are thriving.
It all depends on what type of posts you are looking for.
It’s certainly one of the most active and definitely the most literate/smartest board I’ve ever participated in. The DJT presidency and election have ramped up activity, but only in certain forums. I still want to call them that, so sue me.
So, yeah. It’s always very active.
If you are a political junkie, the SDMB gets more boring between elections.
If you have other interests, the SDMB gets more interesting between elections.
Oh yeah, we often have debates about declawing cats, shaving private parts, and the designated hitter rule.
In a Major League Baseball game, should you tip the Designated Hitter?
Hitter-tipping is an urban myth. In reality, the DH will just get annoyed and moo at you.
Somehow primed by the other comments further upthread I read that as 'Hitler-tipping …"
Which leant an even more surreal air to the whole sentence. Carry on; don’t mind me.
You’re not alone; I read it as “Hitler-tipping” too.
And very surreal: “Thanks for invading Poland, Herr Hitler. Here’s a little something for your trouble.”
Me, too. 
I didn’t, but I did read it as “Designated Hitler” but I always read it that way the first time. I think “Designated Hitler” would have been a great name for the Mafia-style board game “Secret Hitler” but hey I’m just one little weird guy.
Hey! Around here being weird is not only obligatory, it’s considered charming.
Election years tend to get more election-related discussion, of course, but general activity doesn’t seem to change. The board pretty much never goes quiet. Discussion is always active about something.
Oh…so not like cow tipping then?
In time machine stories, killing Hitler always seems to have unintended consequences, but maybe a little tipping would be OK.
But only if you do it right: