Vote

9 Replies

1. Geof F. Morris adds this Comment:

   I’m about to head off to my precinct [which is deliciously close to my house … nice!]. It’s rainy here in Madison this morning, so I’m hoping that will hold down the early-voting crowd.

   November 7th, 2006 at 5:33 am

2. Jeremy adds this Comment:

   Sorry, that’s B.S. Just because I don’t want to contribute to appointing a representative to run my life (and your life) does NOT meant that I’m disallowed from bitching. Unless the 1st Amendment is also up for the vote and nobody told me (and even then, I don’t care).

   Our choices are lame, the politicians too similar. the influence of the average voter heavily dilluted and the issues obfuscated. I’m not saying you shouldn’t vote, but I don’t blame anybody who doesn’t.

   November 7th, 2006 at 9:25 am

3. Alex adds this Comment:

   Sorry Jeremy, that position just isn’t one I can find an ounce of respect for.

   November 7th, 2006 at 9:58 am

4. Jeremy adds this Comment:

   I’ll make sure to bitch extra loud - just for you, Alex.

   November 7th, 2006 at 10:35 am

5. Sunil R adds this Comment:

   Excuse a Brit for sticking his nose in…

   … but I agree with Alex on this one. I’m only old enough to have voted in one General Election (and a local one, too), but I still turned out and cast my vote for the Liberal Democrats.

   Are they a perfect option for me? No. Are they better than the two main parties (Conservative and Labour) in my opinion? Yes - despite the fact that it would take a heck of a swing for them to win the election or even force a draw. You might look at it as a wasted vote - but I don’t feel that’s valid. Perhaps in the US, where to two main parties have such a stranglehold on affairs, that might be the case.

   Overall, I feel that even voting for the “least bad” candidate is better than not voting at all. That way, if they lose, you can at least criticise the winner from the position of “I didn’t vote for you”. If they win and then do things you disapprove of, you can always console yourself with “well, I think the other guy would’ve been worse”…

   Just my £0.02 worth!

   November 7th, 2006 at 11:15 am

6. Jeremy adds this Comment:

   Oh, I see. It isn’t about the actual actions of the politicians, but about making yourself feel better.

   Gotcha.

   November 7th, 2006 at 12:52 pm

7. Bill adds this Comment:

   You can be part of the problem or part of the solution, clearly you’ve made your choice. Pretty weak.

   November 7th, 2006 at 2:35 pm

8. Sunil R adds this Comment:

   Jeremy,

   Not at all. If, however, I fail to vote, I don’t feel I have the right to complain about policies which might vote might well have prevented. Even if a politician doesn’t perfectly represent my view, it is worth voting - if I don’t, then an alternative politician with views even less aligned to my own may well be elected, and I will have done nothing to try and influence the event.

   Anyhow, with respect to the current election, it’s all a rather moot point - I’m in Britain, not America!

   November 7th, 2006 at 5:09 pm

9. Geof F. Morris adds this Comment:

   Jeremy: I rather doubt that any of us voters have ever placed a vote for a candidate in whom we had 100% confidence. I can’t think of family members in whom I’d have 100% confidence to vote as I’d act. But as it goes, if you’re going to be represented by someone, better to be represented by the one you chose than the one you didn’t.

   If none of the candidates for an office matters to you, choose not to vote in that race. Chances are that every general election is going to have something you’ll want to vote on at some level.

   November 7th, 2006 at 6:10 pm

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