I've decided to start this thread out of curiosity. What are your opinions regarding those among us who choose not to vote for the Presidential elections? I've seen some people that get livid when they here that people didn't vote. "People have died for your right to do this, This is really important how can you not vote??, etc"
Personally⦠I've come to the conclusion that there's almost no reason for me to vote. My vote basically doesn't matter. What's your view and why?
They did..and I'm very gracious for them. Because of them, I live in a country where I have the right to choose if I want to vote or not. And because of them, I opt not to vote.
As for me personally..I recently gained voting right..so come next election we will see.
Your vote does matter. It's just that there are so many more influencing factors that it might seem derisory. But you know what they say: if everybody thought like that, yada yada. But they're right to a degree.
More important than just your vote may be your opinion during discussions, because if your arguments convince, you can influence more than just one vote.
But yeah, pang is right, a right to vote is no obligation to vote. We here don't vote for presidents but recently there were a few things to vote about and I didn't. Screw me. Some matters are so far reaching and my understanding of it so incomplete that I don't always trust myself to give a reasonable vote.
To me, I believe that my vote does matter to a certain extent, but even had I been old enough to vote in the last presidential election (2 months shy), I probably wouldn't have anyway. I simply didn't like one candidate more than the other enough to prefer one to the other. There were things about both candidates that I liked and disliked, but for the most part, I wasn't a huge fan of either of them, and I didn't really want either of them to be president.
So yes, voting is a right, not an obligation. If we were all required to vote, the freedom of voting would be taken away from us.
but for the most part, I wasn't a huge fan of either of them, and I didn't really want either of them to be president.
This brings up an interesting thought.
What if we counted the amount of people who didn't vote...and if that number exceeded the amount of votes for a particular candidate, none were elected? If we were forced to re-select candidates at that point?
If we were forced to re-select candidates at that point?
If that were to be the case, what kind of re-selection process would work? I couldn't imagine you could just find new candidates that satisfy the political views of the majority who didn't vote.
I think what is more important than voting a President into office is voting for our two senators and our 1-55 representatives. Suddenly, the amount of fecal matter hitting the fan is pointing closer and closer to Congress, if it wasn't already pointing in that direction before. Suddenly, the many powers attributed to a President seem lacking in comparison to the big power of legislation Congress has. We put all our energy on one person, but don't give enough effort to our congressman. It's asking a lot for 200 million adults, but we need to see their exploits before voting them in (or back in). We're tired of them, right? Let's....not vote for them anymore?
I think what is more important than voting a President into office is voting for our two senators and our 1-55 representatives.
Of course. Legislators are directly elected, so the popular vote really matters there. The presidential elections seem like a big trivial opinion poll.
Suddenly, the many powers attributed to a President seem lacking in comparison to the big power of legislation Congress has
It more seems that we are just voting for someone to be the punching bag for Congress.
Speaking of voting..I find it interesting that many Third-wave feminists complain about the aspect that women are underrepresented in government..yet females make up about 55% of the voting population.
Also..another thing, can't remember his name..but a member of the House spoke about how if his constituents were to want him to vote for slavery to brought back, he would..for he was voted by them to represent them, and because of that fact it is up to him to vote for what his constituents want him to vote for. Thoughts?
I know that voting for matters that are more close to home are really important⦠I just don't always have the time to go and vote on whatever day it is now that I'm in med school (my last few years of undergrad weren't too easy either lol)⦠I left it ambiguous for a reason. Now I'll elaborate.
With the way the US electoral college ends up working out it basically nullifies any reason for me voting for president. Theoretically the representatives or the votes that come from the college don't have to mirror the vote of the populace. But even then, the vote usually ends up going winner takes all. If a state has 30 electoral votes and 50.0001% of the state goes one way then they get all 30 votes. This makes it so that my vote, a Mississippian's vote, unequal to anyone from another state that doesn't have the same electoral votes. Quite a few times I remember that the vote didn't even wait for my state and/or other states' votes to get reported before basically calling off the race. If you've called off the race before my state even gets tallied, then you've told me that my voice doesn't matter. You've treated my state's people's opinions as being lesser and of no value. On the news there are times when there will be multiple states finishing up and the news people will say "the only state that matters is _______" b/c their electoral vote count so far outweighs the others that no one wants to hear what the others have to say. I feel that as long as the electoral college stays in place that I will have no place in voting for my president. People say that it is some ancient fail safe that guards the stupid decisions of the populace, but I'm just going to call all of that a load of horse crap. The EC had its place back in the days of no internet and such⦠now, it's a relic that serves to segregate the people in to important voters and non important voters. Mississippi's 6 Republican votes vs California and New York's 55 and 23 whatever votes barely makes it even worth tallying. There might come a day when our 6 somehow make a difference, but the fact that my vote doesn't count as much as everyone else's still demeans the act of voting.
Some matters are so far reaching and my understanding of it so incomplete that I don't always trust myself to give a reasonable vote.
this. i personally dont know much (or care. sue me) about political stuff. i have a very simple opinion about most things but in most situations there are so many factors, positive and negative sides that i think it would be pointless to vote for something i dont completely understand. if i understood? fine id vote. but im not gonna go out of my way to learn and get info on something that doesnt interest me.
It's not appetizing to vote in the U.K. at the moment either. Option 1: Labor. Led by an idiot. Left us in recession. Option 2: Conservatives. Right wing upper class idiots. Kept us in recession. Option 3: Liberal Democrats. Ineffectual idiots. Option 4: Ukip. Racist idiots.
Take that back! UKIP are not idiots, they are simply non-racist libertarians. Then again, libertarianism has failed so badly one might wonder if the two terms are the same. Anyway, I think the best choice is Green because they're not scary and also not a great writhing mass of ineffectual morons. And, y'know, trees.
im 19 and i havent voted yet :P im not going to take the time to stand in line all afternoon to put ONE vote in, i honestly dont care who runs america because no matter who wins, they will find a way to mess things up just like the others would
It's not appetizing to vote in the U.K. at the moment either. Option 1: Labor. Led by an idiot. Left us in recession. Option 2: Conservatives. Right wing upper class idiots. Kept us in recession. Option 3: Liberal Democrats. Ineffectual idiots. Option 4: Ukip. Racist idiots.
Haha, I thoroughly agree with your sentiments! I don't reckon the UKIP is racist, but their stance on immigration is getting increasingly harsh and vitriolic. Bongo-bongo land comments, although from a single black sheep, does not help the xenophobic image. I agree that immigration has to be acted upon, but the solutions cannot be akin to building a dam across a river, and stemming the entire flow. Probably the best bet is to vote for Labour, once the idiot leaves, perhaps it'll be better. The Lib Dems will be kingmakers probably but they don't have sufficient support to stand up for their own policies. Tories will just be Tories.
As for Green Parties in general....I like Greens. I like their hippy, friendly and non-threatening demeanor. I just don't favour parties that plant their flag and make the case for a single issue. A reason why I dislike parties that focus on immigration, feminism, internet piracy. A party needs to be able to take into account the entire spectrum of policies and issues, not just one! They would make good, but ultimately noisy and distracting coalition parties, but I doubt many will come into power on their own.
As for the vote...I'll vote whenever I like and for whoever I like. If I don't like what I see, I reserve the right to not vote. If I'm a lazy arse with a beer can on my ninth belly, I will bloody well choose not to vote. It's my vote, and I appreciate if people died for it, but to force and coerce me into voting is to spill irony unto the principles they supposedly died for.
i honestly dont care who runs america because no matter who wins, they will find a way to mess things up just like the others would
sigh but one thing i dont get in most people, espacially americans (at least from what ive seen on the internet) is the neverending complains...
ive never actually gotten a good solid argument as to whats so awful about their government and how it actually affects their own personal lives. there are way too many people who would find a reason to complain doesnt matter who gets voted... :/
