if voting made no difference, then why do they try their hardest to prevent poor people and minorities from voting?

i think it's misguided because voting can have an impact; but doesn't since that's the extent of civic engagement for an overwhelming majority of americans which leads to manipulate-able voters who have to use their emotions to decide on things that they know nothing about.

It mostly makes sense. There are infamous examples of voting being de jure or de facto illegal for groups of people where their suffrage would likely cause significant change. Just look at the USA pre-Civil Rights Act, Rhodesia, Apartheid South Africa, and Israel. I'm sure there are others.

Pretty obviously false, and I'd genuinely question the social and intellectual capabilities of anybody who truly believes this - originally sarcastic - phrase.

That posting it now is trumputinist propaganda.

I would say to that person that voting could matter if we passed state level electoral reform. Give them something real and tangible to pursue instead of wasting time and thought on a topic that has no solution.