Will You Vote?

Already did.

Lots of key initiated measures in my state (Almost always vote no), and somewhat close race for governor. And a big mayoral race in Microville, for a job with no power and that pays nothing.

 

Yes. And it will be at the fifth different place in the last five elections (school, different school, church, different school, different church). And there's a better-than-average chance it will take me at least an hour.

And we wonder why voter turnout is so low.

 

I've already voted on an absentee ballot here in California.

 

I would vote...........if only I was old enough.

 

Nobody asks me on April 15 whether I voted. I pay my taxes, and if I foot the bills I get to complain - or not, if that's my choice.

I vote sometimes, sometime I don't. It usually depends on whether there's a real choice to be made.

But I always pay the bills. That's my stake in the process, and that ought to be enough.

 

I understand your angle. But I'd rather register my dissent at the polls than any other way. I wish ballots had "None of the above" as an option. I'd have used it during the last Presidential election.

 

If you vote, you're part of the problem.

 

There is. It's called a write-in vote. It would be great to see Homer Simpson actually win one of these.

 

"Every vote is a commitment to governing ourselves, whether we're good at it or not."

Thank you, Fenian. I'm not going to give the big sanctimonious speech or anything, but voting itself is a commitment to democracy. It's not about an obligation; when we try to guilt people into voting is when they argue most firmly about there being no one and nothing for which to vote.

You may hate every candidate's awful ad telling you how the other person:

--Can't be trusted
--Voted with George Bush (insert amount) percent of the time
--Will grant amnesty to illegal immigrants

And the list obviously goes on. Even given all the crap that has been spewed -- and it's a lot -- I think we're all fans of democracy and no matter what you think of Bush, we need to stand up for democracy.

BTW, last count on national advertising: $160M on negative ads, $10M on positives. Ugh. And I work in politics. The sad truth is that only the negatives move poll numbers (and, in turn, almighty dollars), and the only good effect positives ever have is as a last-second breath of fresh air in the days before the election -- because everyone is burned out from months of mudslinging.

Please vote. I guarantee that in the worst of worst cases, there is at least one candidate who stands for at least one issue for which you burn. And now you can have your damn soapbox back ;D

 

Hey, leave me out of your personal feuds or I'll tell Mitch!

 

Shameless bump for the best political thread around...