Should I vote?

[blackout]

A recent thread, has me wondering?

Should I vote?

While there is no pre-scribed candidate
I will (most likely ever) cast a vote for,
I'm thinking...
well why not go cast my own vote?

I joke about it sometimes
but why not cast a write in ballot?
Do you think I should?

I cast my vote for Dopp.
And I'm not kidding either.
There is NO ONE else I'd rather see as US president.
He TRULY gets my vote.

I cast my own spells all the time, right?
So why not go and cast my own vote?

What do you think?
Should I bother?

Should I vote?

Or just stay home.

 

[blackout]

I'm bumping this thread because probably no one is taking it seriously.
But I assure you I am totally and completely serious.

Especially those of you who think it's VERY important that everyone vote...
Will it satisfy my civic duty if I go and vote a write in ballot?

I simply cannot vote any other way.

What do you think I should do?

 

[Gentoo]

I'd vote for Dopp!

 

[Wandered Off]

I think the only wasted vote is the one not cast, but I'm not one of those who thinks you should vote merely out of obligation. If you don't want to, you shouldn't be compelled. Part of having freedom is being able to withdraw from the process if you choose.

And I suspect Brendan would make an excellent President. It would be the most interesting series of State of the Union speeches ever...

 

[Ringer]

Vote whoever you think is the best candidate. Whether it's Dopp or anyone else is your choice but one of our greatest privileges as citizens is the right to vote so even if it probably wont make a difference (if you vote for Dopp that is) at least you exercised an important freedom.

 

[Jeremy Mason]

I think we should go by the popular vote and trash the delegate and super delegate vote. But to answer the question, yes vote.

 

[blackout]

I think the only wasted vote is the one not cast, but I'm not one of those who thinks you should vote merely out of obligation. If you don't want to, you shouldn't be compelled. Part of having freedom is being able to withdraw from the process if you choose.

And I suspect Brendan would make an excellent President. It would be the most interesting series of State of the Union speeches ever...

Boy would it ever!!!

 

[Alceste]

Yes you should vote. Your vote might make very little difference in the grand scheme of things, but in a democracy if you don't vote you have no right to complain about the government, and that is one of my favourite pastimes.

 

[sandandfoam]

You could just spoil your vote to indicate your displeasure.

 

[Magic Man]

You could just spoil your vote to indicate your displeasure.

That's what she'd be doing by voting for Dopp.

 

[Sk8Joyful]

Voting... by force is nonsense. Part of having freedom... is being able to withdraw from the process if you choose.

Just remember that the popular masses no longer choosing..., will bring about "Voting... by force" sooner, than later.

Better exercise your GOD-blessed rights... while you can!

 

[blackout]

Yes you should vote. Your vote might make very little difference in the grand scheme of things, but if you don't vote, you have no right to ***** about the government, and that is one of my favourite pastimes.

B****** about the govt. is a right I rarely EVER choose to exercise.
I have much better things to be doing after all.
(like laughing at the govt for example)
So in my case, this valid point is not really much of a consideration.

Even if Dopp doesn't win , you still won't find me b*******.

 

[Alceste]

B****** about the govt. is a right I rarely EVER choose to exercise.
I have much better things to be doing after all.
(like laughing at the govt for example)
So in my case, this valid point is not really much of a consideration.

Even if Dopp doesn't win , you still won't find me b*******.

So no $%*&#ing about creationism in schools, the Iraq war, access to abortions, lack of access to health care, declining standards of education, environmental degradation and tax policies that benefit the rich at the expense of the middle classes then either?

I admire your equanimity! :bow:

 

[blackout]

That's what she'd be doing by voting for Dopp.

eh hem...

I would be ELEVATING my vote by writing in Dopp.
*Spoiling my vote... the mere insinuation....:sarcastic

 

[3.14]

i suggest we all vote for arnold schwarzenegger, it always works out good in movies

 

[blackout]

So no $%*&#ing about creationism in schools, the Iraq war, access to abortions, lack of access to health care, declining standards of education, environmental degradation and tax policies that benefit the rich at the expense of the middle classes then either?

I admire your equanimity! :bow:

eh. What does b*tching ever solve?
The only reality I can ever REALLY change is my own.
So I choose to focus there,
where I am empowered from deep within my own self.

Only from there I can reach out and help empower anyone else.

I truly believe our future as a humanity lies in the daily decisions and practices of individuals.
Only when the mass of independant individuals outweighs the rule of the elite
will there ever be any hope for true freedom anyway.
(as I see it anyway)

I just don't worry about it all. It's far too big.

The choices of individuals make the world what it is.
People choose what they choose.

So why should I kevetch about it all.

I just usually choose something different. So that's fine too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry didn't mean to get so deep here.
Was trying to keep it light. Will try harder next time...

 

[Fluffy]

I'm not too sure what I think about the idea of forced voting. On one level it does seem to be an incoherent idea.

However, I feel that rights are not simply privileges, they are also responsibilities. Having the various freedoms that we do gives us these privileges but it also places upon us the responsibility of exercising them reasonably and also ensuring that we will continue to receive them.

It seems to me that by voting, we are not merely exercising a freedom, we are securing that freedom and that it is, in fact, our responsibility to do so.

Ultraviolet, I think placing a write in vote is an excellent idea and I also wish that democracies would put additional attention on such votes so that they had some sort of impact. I think people should be made aware that this is a valid option.

 

[Alceste]

eh. What does b*tching ever solve?
The only reality I can ever REALLY change is my own.
So I choose to focus there,
where I am empowered from deep within my own self.

Only from there I can reach out and help empower anyone else.

I truly believe our future as a humanity lies in the daily decisions and practices of individuals.
Only when the mass of independant individuals outweighs the rule of the elite
will there ever be any hope for true freedom anyway.
(as I see it anyway)

I just don't worry about it all. It's far too big.

The choices of individuals make the world what it is.
People choose what they choose.

So why should I kevetch about it all.

I just usually choose something different. So that's fine too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry didn't mean to get so deep here.
Was trying to keep it light. Will try harder next time...

I see where you're coming from - in general I do all the above with regards to changing my own reality, reaching out to others, etc, but on top of that I also vote and occasionally kvetch (for sport and amusement more than anything.)

But when you get right down to it, what's voting? You stroll in the booth, you make a little ex, and for this you get the satisfaction of having dispatched your democratic responsibilities AND you have the rest of the day off work.

It in no way detracts from your ability to spend the rest of the day reaching out to empower people from deep within your own self. You can have your cake and eat it too.

Democracy is a "use it or lose it" affair. Since the minimum you really need to invest to satisfy yourself and others that you are "using it" is about ten minutes of your time once every four years (or whatever it is where you live), I have trouble understanding why anyone would want to build a philosophical case against it.

 

[Booko]

You could just spoil your vote to indicate your displeasure.

I remember in the Florida debacle in 2000 someone saying "but no one would cast a blank ballot for President!"

Uh...really? I have, several times.

If I don't like any of the candidates and don't want to vote 3rd party or write in, I leave it blank.

But that doesn't mean I don't want to vote for state or local candidates or proposals.

I know there are people who only vote every 4 years for the President, but I am not one of those.

Vote if you have an opinion you wish to express, either by voting for someone on the ballot or by write in. Otherwise, feel free not to vote!

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I think the only wasted vote is the one not cast, but I'm not one of those who thinks you should vote merely out of obligation. If you don't want to, you shouldn't be compelled. Part of having freedom is being able to withdraw from the process if you choose.

I don't think that people should vote uninformed, but I personally feel that being an educated voter is a responsibility in a democracy.

I think if I was ever confronted with the situation where I couldn't vote for any candidate, I'd rather show up and spoil my ballot rather than not show up at the polls at all. A spoiled ballot is a fairly clear signal of protest; staying home is less clear, because it's done both by people who do it out of protest and those who do it out of apathy.

Fun fact: while it's legal in Canada to spoil your ballot, it's illegal to eat it.