Do you vote?

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If you do, why? And if not, how come? This is a sort of democracy-centric question, so I apologize to you readers out there who are living under dictatorships.

-- Anonymous, February 10, 2000

Answers

No, I don't; it only encourages them.

-- Anonymous, February 11, 2000

Yes, I vote. Everyone who is entitled to, should. (Note I vote in Canada..) It's part of being in a democratic society, and part of having opinions and ideas of your own. People who don't vote really annoy me.

-- Anonymous, February 11, 2000

I vote, but I haven't been the best about it in past elections. My family drilled it into my head that I should always vote along party lines; I find this kind of mentality about something that involves the notion of free choice annoying (Damn Republicans anyway). Our local politicians are so abrasive anyway... little things like this made me hesitant about approaching the polls (and I admit it, I voted for Clinton, and I would do so again, if it were possible).

-- Anonymous, February 11, 2000

See, Christine, I used to be that way too. If someone told me they didn't vote, I'd get all pissed off and demand to know why, and tell them that they were pissing all over the whole idea of being in a democratic society.

Now, I just think to myself, "OK, their non-vote just makes my vote more powerful." Besides, if someone's enough of an idiot/jerk to not understand why voting is important, I don't really want him/her choosing the next president anyway. Or governor, or representative, or senator, for that matter.

-- Anonymous, February 11, 2000


Heh.. I like that way of viewing it. It appeals to my superiority complex, which I've done a nice job of cultivating, these last few years. The only thing I can never get my mind wrapped around, tho.. are those interesting little parties, or the independants, i guess you guys call them.. who maybe have a good platform. I never know if I should vote for them. See, my dilemna is this.. I know they won't win, but should I vote, to show my support, and maybe make them bigger in four years? Or would that be wasting a vote between the two bigger, more powerful parties, and perhaps I should just vote for the lesser to two evils.. instead of wasting and letting a BIGGER loser in than the one I could live with.. Oh, decisions decisions.

-- Anonymous, February 11, 2000


Listen . . . People get so involved with the politics of voting, they lose sight of the real purpose -- to choose someone to represent you in whatever level of government you are talking about. People should vote for who they want to represent them in the city government, state government, federal government. It is very simple. Who do you agree with? If you don't agree with everything about any one of the candidates, decide which issues are most important to you and vote for the candidate that best agrees with your beliefs. When people begin voting for "winners" or otherwise complicating their reasons for voting for a particular candidate, it gloms up the works and we end up with someone that doesn't represent the majority of the constituents. No wonder we are so disillusioned with government . . .

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2000

That's actually a good point.

I took a class in voting theory for one of my political science requirements, and it was a damned complicated class, because of the tendency people have to vote NOT for the candidate they think is the best choice, but rather the candidate of a subset of people they think will WIN, who they think is the best choice.

Like for example, if Albert, Bruce, Charles, David, and Erin are running for President, and my personal choice goes in the order of Bruce, Charles, Erin, Albert, David, you'd think I would vote for Bruce, since he's my top choice.

However, if I think -- for whatever reasons -- that Bruce and Erin have zero chance of actually winning, then I'll vote for Charles EVEN THOUGH he's my second choice.

When enough people do this, Bruce actually loses the race even though a majority of people might have thought he was the best candidate. Funny how that works, eh? So anyway, Carrie, I agree with you that you should just go out and vote for whomever you think is the best candidate, and forget the politics of the situation. No vote is wasted.

I'm going to get off my soapbox now, if anyone else wants to use it.

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2000


Which was exactly my dilemna in the first place! And I laughed, btw, at your "forget the politics of the vote".. har har har.. did you mean to say that? Anyways, caused a nice little chuckle over in my corner of Canada.

-- Anonymous, February 13, 2000

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