Not voting?

Vote for somebody, even if its a write in. I think its time that all the other candidates get a large percentage of the vote to prove to those donkeys and elephants that they better start shaping up.

Would it be better to put in a serious write in or a throw-away?

For example, would it make a better statement to write in Colin Powell or Mike Guido?

i was a judge one time and the write ins had to be on an approved list ??? could that be right? even if we all wrote in Rob Lowe, that would not guarantee anything....

is this right?

being a primary election judge was a freak show. people would get pissed at me when you require them to declare their party...

..hey, I made $145.00 for a super long days work and i got paid at work since i used a vacation day.

If I was going to write in anyone for president, it would be Margie. And, that's pretty tempting actually.

EastCoastMojo wrote: If I was going to write in anyone for president, it would be Margie. And, that's pretty tempting actually.

Hmm... sadly, I think you're right. I think she actually would make a good president. If she can put up with the egos in this sphere, she aught to be prepared for Washington.

Plus, she hates Bob Costas!

My dad proposes that one of the choices be "None of the Above" and that if "None of the Above" gets the most votes, the office remains unfilled for that term. That has interesting possibilities.

I've actually been facing the same dilemma about whether to vote or not. I'm sufficiently disgusted with the two mainstream candidates that I have no interest in voting for President. (I really believe that McCain will screw the country and Obama will screw me, i.e., my particular little slice of middle class, upper middle class, or whatever you want to call it small business types.)

However, the e-ballot machines Harris County uses makes a write in very difficult. I think it will be easier to just not vote for President and vote for the state and local stuff that actually matters.

pete240z wrote: there is a diehard democrat on my wife's side that refuses to vote this time. something about his race......... What should he do? I say he needs to vote for the best person. he will only vote for a democrat; except for this time........ people are strange...............

You'd be surprised how common that is. I work with almost all democrats, but since Hillary is out they aren't voting, especially among women who thought that this was Hillary's turn to be president and he "stole" it. .

I am not voting, actually I am 24 and have never voted.

I know people say I owe it to the country, or that its my duty as an American... But i am just not that political. If I DID vote, it would just end up being based off what the Daily Show told me... Of the fact that Obama offers CHANGE! or something equally as stupid.

I know that I don't know enough about the candidates other then what their PR guys have and news blurbs have told me, and that I don't have the time to do the intense research needed to ACTUALLY make an informed vote.

I see 95% of the other people my age who are voting based of who they would rather have a beer with, what side their parents have raised them to vote for, or who their favorite band likes... And I just don't want to be another ill informed vote picking Obama because McCain has old man balls, or picking McCain because "them dems can't do nothing but loose us money, and Palin is a milf"

RedS13Coupe wrote: And I just don't want to be another ill informed voter...

So get informed. Go vote. You have a whole month already. Go do it.

Red:

While it may sound un-American, I would prefer you not vote if you don't know what you are voting for.

Having said that, it's not that hard to get educated, at least a little bit. I'd much rather you spend a little energy looking into the candidates and then vote.

I've voted in 7 Presidential elections. Never voted for anyone (except in the primaries).

80- voted against Reagan/ Bush (he scared me) 84- voted against Mondale/ Ferraro (what a snoozer) 88- voted against Dukakis/ Bentson (made Mondale look exciting) 92- voted against both major parties (Perot had a little promise) 96 - voted against Bob Dole (Kemp wasn't so bad) and Ross Perot (who now looked like an idiot) 00- voted against Gore/ Lieberman 04- voted against Kerry/ Edwards (really wanted to vote against Repubs, but Dems offered no leadership)

This time, I think I'll vote against them all.

The issue with not voting, or voting against the lizard you like least (props to those who get that reference) is that if a party gets a certain percentage of the popular vote, then that party gets federal campaign funding and is allowed into the official debates. Right now, only two parties get that percentage of votes, so only two parties get that funding, and only two parties are represented in the debates. Which means that when everyone gathers 'round the water cooler to talk about what they saw on TV the previous night, there's only two parties they're going to be talking about.

Now, if it instead of NOT voting, you voted for a party you believed in, sure, their candidate won't get elected this election, but you help to push them towards that critical percentage of votes that makes that party viable in the next election.

To parahprase and continue the prior car analogy, it's like everyone buys a Ford because they hate Chevy, and think they can't get parts for a Toyota. If you start buying Toyotas (because, really the Ford and Chevy aren't that different), the parts will become available.

Good point - all you need to do is look north of the border and see the Green party being involved in leader's debates, because they hit that minimum vote level to be a real party from a legal standpoint. It definitely mixes things up.

I'd love to vote in the US election. Wrong passport, though, so I'm just going to have to deal with whoever you lot choose.

You all make good points.

I think a lot of my problems with this come from the electoral college-it doesn't work anymore. The last two elections proved this. It is effectively making my vote moot-It will NOT matter if I vote or not; Obama was elevated to a Godlike level during his senate run here in Illinois, he WILL take the 19 (I'm pretty sure it is 19) votes that we have.

I have made the decision to get my absentee ballot (I'm in school out of my district), I just haven't decided if I will vote for McCain or a write in. I will probably go with a write in, most likely Ron Paul.

GameboyRMH wrote:

pete240z wrote: there is a diehard democrat on my wife's side that refuses to vote this time. something about his race......... What should he do? I say he needs to vote for the best person. he will only vote for a democrat; except for this time........ people are strange...............

Hehehe a racist Democrat...he must be more fun than a barrel of monkeys...

There are plenty of 'em out there:

http://news.yahoo.com/page/election-2008-political-pulse-obama-race

It's disgusting and it's exactly why McCain will win. Middle America won't vote for a black guy.

gamby wrote:

GameboyRMH wrote:

pete240z wrote: there is a diehard democrat on my wife's side that refuses to vote this time. something about his race......... What should he do? I say he needs to vote for the best person. he will only vote for a democrat; except for this time........ people are strange...............

Hehehe a racist Democrat...he must be more fun than a barrel of monkeys...

There are plenty of 'em out there: http://news.yahoo.com/page/election-2008-political-pulse-obama-race It's disgusting and it's exactly why McCain will win. Middle America won't vote for a black guy.

I thought it was kinda funny that the Dems were putting up a woman and a black man for president. I have wondered if there are enough racist and sexist democrats to make it impossible for them to win the election; although it kind of makes sense to do it know with most of the country so fed up with the Republicans, or at least this Republican.

I have thought about a change that might make things more interesting. How about declaring a winner when a candidate gets chosen by a majority of the registered voters instead of the just the votes cast. For example if there are registered 200,000 voters in a politcal district, a candidate has to get 100,001 votes or the office sits empty and the process starts over. Perhaps you also mandate that a certain percentage of eligible voters be registered before an election even happens.

It would change the dynamics in places where you have 40,000 diehard supporters on each side, 5000 "swing" voters being pandered to and the majority choosing "none of the above" by not showing up.

I know there could be problems with estimating how many people are eligible to vote and other practical problems. How would you change the system?

this is my first election, and i am very proud of that fact. If I have to be put on a list for jury duty, I had better get something out of it, and voting is that thing. It is my duty as an American, and I love it.

maroon92 wrote: this is my first election, and i am very proud of that fact. If I have to be put on a list for jury duty, I had better get something out of it, and voting is that thing. It is my duty as an American, and I love it.

You know that as a juror the only thing you are supposed to do is vote, right? So you're saying the thing you get in exchange for voting for or against a suspected criminal is voting for or against a politician. Really, those things are pretty much the same.

Bryce

I'm voting for Diamond Joe Quimby

Gun Control Diamond Joe Quimby knows that guns don't kill people - the bullets do. That's why he will be limiting each American to 25 bullets a year (or 20 for convicted felons). Under this plan, Joe predicts a 15% reduction in shootings, and a 25% increase in pistol whippings, which the Mayor has always considered the coolest-looking form of personal assault.

Immigration If elected, Joe will radically increase immigration from Russia, the Philippines, and all other major stripper-producing nations.

Education Joe will ensure that no child graduates high school without such basic skills as knowing how to mix a dry martini or how to hide an unconscious showgirl in the maid's quarters.

Taxes Under Joe's plan, Americans will stop paying taxes altogether. We will simply send the military across our northern border every morning, and beat up the Canadians for their lunch money. This will provide us with more than enough money for highway construction, military infrastructure, and a really cool collection of comic books.

Health Care If elected, Joe's first major legislative goal will be to provide free penicillin shots to anyone suffering from venereal disease, or as he calls it, "The fire down below." As he stirringly declared in his campaign kick-off, "With enough will, we can end crabs in our lifetime."

Per for President.

I'll be casting my ballot. But, George Carlin does provide some compelling rationale for not voting. He explains at about the 2 minute mark.

I'm in the apathy party.

I'm middle class so it doesn't really matter who wins a presidential election, my taxes will pay for their favorite causes or, more likely, the causes of their biggest campaign contributers.

The higher the elected office contested, the deeper the corruption of the contestants.

I think I can beat the person here whose uncle wont vote democrat because of Obama. My great uncle won't vote democrat since Obama is black and also probably won't vote republican because of Pauling being a woman.