To Vote, or Not to Vote

[imightbechad]

Is my non-vote a politically/philosophically viable statement?

I'm so disenchanted with both candidates, I feel as if a vote for either is both unpatriotic and unethical.

Anyone feel the same way? Am I a special-needs child?

[cjbreed]

OnserZOf1-4

gets good around 2:30 on this next one

oWxjReQZuTI&NR=1

[shagnscoob]

Lesser of 2 evils man. You're going to have a lot people pissed at you if McCain takes it.

[Jkissi7]

definitely vote man, if McCain takes it big mind explosion in stored for me then.

[dphi]

What made you disenchanted with both candidates? Or Obama anyway?

[denimdestroyedmylife]

vote, but use your middle finger to punch the buttons

[keska]

qk4MKgAItAg

[imightbechad]

Cool, quick replies.

The whole "lesser of two evils" thing doesn't work for me, by which I mean 'what good is that choice, and what does it say about me if I have the ability to deny myself and cast an evil vote?'

Plus, with a system like the electoral college behind this whole thing, the probability of my vote counting is basically zero (especially in my state.) I guess all of my wailing should be a personal sign. Then again, I do things all of the time that are outside of my ethical belief system.

For some reason, the idea of not voting seems incredibly liberating. It also seems like the only way to display just how incredibly violating I find the news media's 24-hour assault on my intelligence.

And thanks for the Sicko links. Tea with Tony would be good for me, I think.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

when mccain and palin are fucking you in the ass you are gonna wish that you had at least done SOMETHING to avoid the rectal pain

[multicolor]

ya...

democracy doesn't really work anymore

[imightbechad]

What made you disenchanted with both candidates? Or Obama anyway?

Obama never enchanted me in the first place. For me, I'd rather have him as a professor than a president. Not to say that he's too professorial, but he seems like someone who, just by running for president, is compromising an alarming amount of his beliefs.

I think Sir Studs might have some insight on this conundrum...

eBj4LxJE8H0

[imightbechad]

when mccain and palin are fucking you in the ass you are gonna wish that you had at least done SOMETHING to avoid the rectal pain

As if I haven't been plugged by Fannie and Freddie already?

And at least I'll have a gun to protect myself from them...

[poopie boy]

Don't vote.

I've never voted.

Primary reason - never seen a candidate I really liked

Secondary reason - if there was a candidate I really liked, is that candidate going to be better for ME or for EVERYONE? probably just me, which I think is unfair to everyone else, and since everyone votes with this mindset, I think the entire voting mindstate is flawed

Tertiary reason - at this point I think its ridiculous for one person to appeal to enough to be a leader of 228 million people. this country is too big for one figure head and the notion of one is detrimental to the emotional health or patriotism or whatever (call it what you want to) of the entire country.

Other minor reasons - electoral college is outdated and no longer tenable, more people voting encourages more fraud in counting the votes, our information about candidates is too limited and has been altered by many different lenses (media gives everything a spin) by the time it reaches us. not only do we not get all the information but the little information we get has been altered.

Fuck voting and I encourage everyone to not vote nor perpetuate this fucked up political system in general... haha.

[shagnscoob]

Fuck voting and I encourage everyone to not vote nor perpetuate this fucked up political system in general... haha.

Wow seriously?

You're just trying to be contrary and rationalizing.

[NESK]

id hate for p diddy to show up at your door with the ratchet and take you out. vote.

[eastcoastrider27]

The whole "lesser of two evils" thing doesn't work for me, by which I mean 'what good is that choice, and what does it say about me if I have the ability to deny myself and cast an evil vote?'

If you're not down with either candidate in an election, then it sucks.

But it really is lesser of two evils.

Not voting isn't as neutral as it seems.

[villain]

Plus, with a system like the electoral college behind this whole thing, the probability of my vote counting is basically zero (especially in my state.) I guess all of my wailing should be a personal sign. Then again, I do things all of the time that are outside of my ethical belief system.

this is a large part of why I don't vote and think it's ridiculous when people tell me "every vote counts"

and you don't have to be ashamed of not voting, there are a lot of legitimate reasons for deciding not to participate in voting anyways

[NESK]

its one thing to not vote, if you truly beleive your voice is worthless, then dont exercise your right to use it.

its an entirely other thing to promote apathy to people who still have hope that their vote matters. any discussion of how pointless the electoral process is will encourage less participation from those surrounding you. then you are putting a dent in a collective voice. fuck that noise. if your not gonna vote, then just stay home on ballot day and kop jawns, but dont put bad ideas in other peoples heads.

[High Monika]

I'm very tempted not to vote.

The issues for me are the economy and civil rights.

-No one knows shit about the economy. Anyone that says they know the right economic plan is a fucking liar. The current situation was caused by BOTH Dems and Republicans.

-Republicans shit on the bill of rights as much as possible. Both parties were responsible for the Patriot Act and its renewal. Obama immediately fucked up by voting for FISA after promising not to.

So that's it. They're both fucked. You know why I'm voting Obama?

Sarah Palin. I shit you not. That's it. That's the linchpin. The only thing I care about. That she does not step one inch closer to any sort of power. And that McCain nominated her.

[NESK]

yeah any non-vote is one less shot in the proverbial bukkake of palin when she loses.

[ProfMonnitoff]

Anyone who doesn't vote is so incredibly fucking dumb and a large part of what is wrong with America. If you could vote online, none of you dumb fucks would abstain.

[imightbechad]

Anyone who doesn't vote is so incredibly fucking dumb and a large part of what is wrong with America. If you could vote online, none of you dumb fucks would abstain.

Would it be too much to ask you to qualify this statement? That's what this whole thread's about. I guess I don't see what's "incredibly fucking dumb" about not voting for either "incredibly fucking dumb" agenda.

[dphi]

Would it be too much to ask you to qualify this statement? That's what this whole thread's about. I guess I don't see what's "incredibly fucking dumb" about not voting for either "incredibly fucking dumb" agenda.

Because regardless of the fact that you don't vote, somebody's going to be voted into office. You're never going to find a candidate that has an agenda that you agree completely with, but you have to identify with at least some of the issues that one of the candidates promotes - even if it's a third party.

You guys are some fucking cynical bastards.

[nickthechibi]

Because regardless of the fact that you don't vote, somebody's going to be voted into office. You're never going to find a candidate that has an agenda that you agree completely with, but you have to identify with at least some of the issues that one of the candidates promotes - even if it's a third party.

You guys are some fucking cynical bastards.

truth

sarah palin

[grilled cheese]

I find it interesting that all notions of voting in this thread apply only to the presidential election. If this were all that was on the ballot (or if voting for president were the only thing required of us as voters), then I might better understand some of the cynicism expressed here. Don't get me wrong, I agree that the electoral college is problematic, that candidates are less than ideal, that the two party system has a stranglehold on national politics--the list goes on and on...

However, a few weeks from Tuesday, I will also vote regarding:

-Whether or not my state will repeal its income tax

-Whether possession of less than an ounce of marijuana will be decriminalized

-The people that will represent my state in both the house and senate

And many more. Several of these votes will be very close, and I'd like to think my vote may "count." As a bonus (that might be a good way to think about voting for president), I'll check out the top of the ballot and vote for Obama (thereby wishing McCain and Palin into a bottomless pit).

[Appleseed]

I just got my mail-in ballot yesterday and look forward to connecting the arrows.

[po_boy_fuuma_hatesbargerz]

One thing should motivate you lazy bastards to vote this year:

SARAH PALIN AS POSSIBLE PRESIDENT FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS

[NESK]

i can get with the republicans using palin to pander to the nascar/housewife/hilary disapointee vote. thats good strategy if they had a pres candidate who wasnt on his last breathe. but since mccain is half in the grave already, its a 50/50 that palin will rule the free world if the republicans win. with all the major foriegn policy issues riding on asaia and the middle east, how come nobody has considered that neither of these cultures will for a single second respect the authority or leadership of a white woman? its political suicide.

[beefcake]

I'm not sure as to how the voting system works in the US, but where I'm from you're able to vote "blank". It's quite common for those who don't really care for any party/candidates but want to show that they believe in the system / democracy. Blank votes are reported in the statistics, too...so it's more of a statement than not voting. Not voting at all, to me, is more a "fuck you" to democracy.

[imightbechad]

Good point, beef. Though I think it's important to make the distinction between a "democracy" and a "republic," which is what this country truly is.

So, in effect, my no-vote would be a big "fuck you" to the illusion of democracy we keep killing in the name of.