Serious question about voting:

[Saulbadguy]

I was having a discussion with my father about this, and wanted to get some viewpoints on it. My argument was, there is no reason to vote in the presidential election because no matter what, my state will re-elect Bush. My father says the popular vote still matters. Serious answers/viewpoints only. I don't need to hear that I am un-patriotic or un-american because I don't want to vote, or anything like that.

 

[FoBoT]

i disagree with your father's assessment, but i also think you should vote regardless of the presidential situation, there are other issues on your ballot

 

[Saulbadguy]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
i disagree with your father's assessment, but i also think you should vote regardless of the presidential situation, there are other issues on your ballot

Correct, but i'm talking about the presidential vote only.

 

[tweakmm]

The popular vote does nothing but show how messed up our voting system is, in the last election Gore won the popular vote by a decent amount and guess who is sitting in office war mongering now?
In this day and age of supreme court elections I would argue that voting is now completely for show. Puts on flame suit.:evil:

 

[Crusty]

If you want your candidate to win, you have to vote..not voting only makes it easier for Bush to win.

 

[minendo]

Popular vote is pointless. Get rid of the Electoral College and I will vote.

 

[Saulbadguy]

Originally posted by: MCrusty
If you want your candidate to win, you have to vote..not voting only makes it easier for Bush to win.

Well, in Kansas it is futile to vote against Bush, no matter how many of us would come to the polls. Bush will win Kansas, even if all the anti-bush, democrats, and whoever else would come to the polls and vote against him.

 

[DanJ]

If you don't vote you don't get the right to have an opinion on what the President is doing right or wrong.

What, you have to go outside once every 4 years and stand in life for a few minutes?

 

[Saulbadguy]

Originally posted by: DanJ
If you don't vote you don't get the right to have an opinion on what the President is doing right or wrong.

What, you have to go outside once every 4 years and stand in life for a few minutes?

Or, you could take George Carlins view on that...the people who don't vote have every right to complain, because they did not vote for the person who is in charge. Same goes for the people who voted for the other guy. The people who DID vote for the president, have no right to complain. Just a little food for thought.

 

[Hammer]

you should vote regardless. if you don't vote, then i don't want to hear you complain about the country, us policies, leadership, etc.

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: Hammer
you should vote regardless. if you don't vote, then i don't want to hear you complain about the country, us policies, leadership, etc.

Exactly. I don't vote and I don't give a damn what is going on. I have friends that constantly bitch about policies, yet they choose not to vote.

 

[thomsbrain]

if you care who's president, you should vote even if you know you will lose. if everyone thought the way you do, your side could never win and regional preferences would never change. someone has to take the first step for change, so it might as well be you.

 

[tweakmm]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
if you care who's president, you should vote even if you know you will lose. if everyone thought the way you do, your side could never win and regional preferences would never change. someone has to take the first step for change, so it might as well be you.

Yup, even though I think the whole system needs an overhaul I'm going to my part to get rid of Bush.

 

[DanJ]

Originally posted by: Saulbadguy

Originally posted by: DanJ
If you don't vote you don't get the right to have an opinion on what the President is doing right or wrong.

Or, you could take George Carlins view on that...the people who don't vote have every right to complain, because they did not vote for the person who is in charge. Same goes for the people who voted for the other guy. The people who DID vote for the president, have no right to complain. Just a little food for thought.

Well, that logic is flawed. The people that did vote for the President have every right to complain if something is done wrong; its called being misled (the Bush admin is good at this) and losing someone's vote. Its the great power of the freedom to vote, you can vote for whoever you want and if they f**k everything up then the next time they come around they don't get your vote.

As for those that don't vote for the Pres. they have every right to complain if the Pres. is doing something wrong. This isn't a dictatorship, their aren't 2 America's. 1 President for all the people, not just those who vote for them. If your Country is getting screwed by the Pres. you have every right to bitch.

I'm sorry but that is a completely idiotic viewpoint by Carlin.

 

[Rob9874]

Originally posted by: Saulbadguy
I was having a discussion with my father about this, and wanted to get some viewpoints on it. My argument was, there is no reason to vote in the presidential election because no matter what, my state will re-elect Bush.

You are correct. If you plan on voting against Bush, you're wasting your time. Stay home.

 

[DanJ]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
if you care who's president, you should vote even if you know you will lose. if everyone thought the way you do, your side could never win and regional preferences would never change. someone has to take the first step for change, so it might as well be you.

Damn right. I helped on a Dem campaign in Jackson, MI, the home of the Rep. party. Always had a Republican as their State Rep. We got out to the Dems that typically didn't vote because they were to apathetic to their situation of being in a Rep county and got the closest vote the county had seen, 43% for the Dems, only losing to the incumbent Rep. but a couple % points.

Its not going to happen overnight but you can move your area if you want to.

 

[Ynog]

Originally posted by: DanJ

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
if you care who's president, you should vote even if you know you will lose. if everyone thought the way you do, your side could never win and regional preferences would never change. someone has to take the first step for change, so it might as well be you.

Damn right. I helped on a Dem campaign in Jackson, MI, the home of the Rep. party. Always had a Republican as their State Rep. We got out to the Dems that typically didn't vote because they were to apathetic to their situation of being in a Rep county and got the closest vote the county had seen, 43% for the Dems, only losing to the incumbent Rep. but a couple % points.

Its not going to happen overnight but you can move your area if you want to.

This is exactly how you can change thing by voting even if the other party usually wins.
The more support you give, the more other will say, wait a minute, maybe next election
if I vote, and as the percentage closes in, then your state won't always be an easy win.

However this saulbadguy mentality is the reason I hold no stock in the popular vote.
With the mentalities like this, and the media's early declaration of state winners and
election winners, people don't vote, because they think it won't matter. Oh Bush won my
state so, I really don't have to vote. Or Clinton won the election already, so it really doesn't
matter if I go out and vote, because he already won, and what difference does it make.

That makes it so the popular vote has no meaning in my opinion.