Right to vote? Responsibility to vote?

Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (Full Version)

All Forums >> [Casual Banter] >> Off the Grid

Message

smilezz -> Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 3:19:54 PM)
Welllllll.....I have been thinking about this a great deal. I have not made up my mind, I am torn.......and not between the two parties....well, kinda. How do you vote for people that you are not sure are the best pick, but that's all you have to choose? How does it become my responsibility to vote if I am only picking the lessor of two evils? what kind of person does that make me if i am just choosing one for the sake of choosing? To not vote feels like a crime. To vote for someone i don't believe in feels like a crime. Tell me i am not the only one faced with these thoughts??? My musings throughout the day...... Happy Thursday y'all... -smilezz- (EDITED: because I obviously can't spell either!

Lynnxz -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 3:25:15 PM)
Have you ever watched southpark? There's an episode about this exact topic- and I have brought it up frequently this election year when discussing who to vote for with some friends.... I'm stuck, I don't want a 'turd sandwich' for a leader, but the 'giant douche' is equally disturbing. Wiki Link

Thadius -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 3:26:51 PM)
Greetings smiley one, The best you can do is educate yourself on the choices, trying to avoid the opinion pieces, and looking at facts. If you are still up in the air, and can't decide on which ticket to vote for, is there a third party candidate that meets with your requirements... That being said, even if you cannot decide for the top ticket, there are many more things being voted on this Nov than just the President. Inform yourself on the local issues, the state issues, and the candidates that are asking for your vote. If after researching all of that and you can find nothing you wish to vote on, well it may be better if you don't. Know what I mean? There are plenty of things to vote on other than the presidential election, and that one vote should not persuade you to stay home and miss the others. That is the best answer I can give, without leaning one way or the other. As that choice is up to you, or perhaps even your owner, if you know what I mean. I wish you good luck in the process, Thadius

smilezz -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 3:31:19 PM)
Hi Lynnxz... I have only ever seen two South Park episodes, I think it would be interesting to at least see. Thanks! -smilezz-

smilezz -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 3:35:17 PM)
Good afternoon Thadius, You have definately given me food for thought on the other issues. In just moving here to Colorado, i have been watching and hearing about a few issues at hand. I am keeping an eye on them. I guess i have some more research to do.. Thank you again - and of course i will be talking with the Owner on this also... I wish you a grand rest of the day... -smilezz-

FatDomDaddy -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 3:35:25 PM)
I think in America we have the right not to vote and it is as precious a right and should be protected equally as the right to vote. Inherent in the right to vote, it the right to vote for whoever and for whatever reason one wants. That's equally true for non voting.

farglebargle -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 3:48:13 PM)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u6lCBnRoHQ George Carlin on Voting. quote: "You may have noticed that there's one thing I don't complain about: Politicians. Everybody complains about politicians. Everybody says, "They suck". But where do people think these politicians come from? They don't fall out of the sky. They don't pass through a membrane from another reality. No, they come from American homes, American families, American schools, American churches, American businesses, and they're elected by American voters. This is the best we can do, folks. It's what our system produces: Garbage in, garbage out. ....I have solved this political dilemma in a very direct way: I don't vote. On Election Day, I stay home. I firmly believe that if you vote, you have no right to complain. Now, some people like to twist that around. They say, "If you don't vote, you have no right to complain", but where's the logic in that? If you vote, and you elect dishonest, incompetent politicians, and they get into office and screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have done. You voted them in. You caused the problem. You have no right to complain. I, on the other hand, who did not vote -- who did not even leave the house on Election Day -- am in no way responsible for that these politicians have done and have every right to complain about the mess that you created."

underHisWing -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 3:56:32 PM)
It is both a right and a responsibility. Responsibility infers that you are voting responsibly after educating yourself on the choices and what is best for you and your fellow citizens, not because you like the way one candidate smiles. In some European countries, the law is that you vote or pass by the police department before election day and be excused from voting for a damn good reason. Many families and friends in the country that i lived in voted for a certain party because their family had always been affiliated with that party. It didn't matter if that party's platform was to double taxes. They were party members til the death. If they openly changed party affiliation, it most likely would be their death! Americans should savor their right to vote, their right to choose which party they belong to, or their right to abstain from voting because they aren't willing or capable to make such an important decision. Yes, every vote does count. Just my 2 cents worth... take it or leave it.

sub4hire -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 4:19:12 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: smilezz How do you vote for people that you are not sure are the best pick, but that's all you have to choose? How does it become my responsibility to vote if I am only picking the lessor of two evils? what kind of person does that make me if i am just choosing one for the sake of choosing? To not vote feels like a crime. (EDITED: because I obviously can't spell either! I feel the same way. For me it depends on the election. If it were a local or state election I'd keep digging until I found something in someone to vote for. Since its the presidential election and my vote does not count anyway. I have no problem writing in "none of the above" if enough of us do. We may actually get some sort of voter reform into congress so we can vote our presidents in. Though with the introduction of Palin to the ticket. I'm now researching yet again.

FangsNfeet -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 4:38:14 PM)
Remember that the ballot has more than just who should be president. You also see names running for other national, state, and local positions. All I can suggest is to do a little research and see who is going to support the majority of your views and interest. The one rule I abide by when I vote is to not vote straight party. If I never heard their name, I'll either skip or mix things up in an attempt to have a balanced congress and senate of various parties.

FatDomDaddy -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 7:11:52 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: underHisWing It is both a right and a responsibility. It is a Right but it is not a responsibility unless one wishes to make it so. quote: In some European countries, the law is that you vote or pass by the police department before election day and be excused from voting for a damn good reason. All the more reason to relish our right not to if we so choose. quote: Americans should savor their right to vote, their right to choose which party they belong to, I agree with both of these statements quote: their right to abstain from voting because they aren't willing or capable to make such an important decision. Or because they just plain don't want to or because it interfers with a hair appointment, or card game or World of Warcraft or because they want to sin around in a circle singing la la la.

cpK69 -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 8:02:39 PM)
I feel the same. I plan on voting, but I’ll be writing my vote choice in. I’m not sure if my doing that will technically be considered throwing my vote away, but at least I am being honest about who I want running this country. Edited because this is not the best way to put what I'm trying to say, but I'm having a hard time comming up with a better way of saying it. Kim

tychtyp -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 8:09:37 PM)
Vote Obama if you aren't a Bible-thumping, backwater conservative, and you're wise enough to recognize that more tax cuts are unsustainable with the current obligations we've been saddled with by the spendthrift, foolhardy, retardate administration of George W. Bush. Seriously, I don't even see this as a difficult choice.

Thunderbird56 -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 8:32:25 PM)
I consider it my duty to vote ... not a responsibility. The responsibility part comes way before that. Being responsible to see that respectable, informed and capable people are nominated. Responsible to be informed and aware. Responsible to communicate with my representatives and make sure they understand what I expect. Responsible to know what I can and cannot expect from government by reading the Constitution. Only then can I adequately perform my duty and vote. "If pigs could vote, the swineherd that brings the slop would win every time, regardless that he do some occasional butchering". Sorry, I don't recall who said that, but it's true for more than just pigs. Everyone is screaming for change. The two roads that we have traveled for the last 30-40-50 years that have lead to where we are today ... where everyone is screaming for change ... is the "left" and the "right". How can anyone continue down either of those two roads and honestly expect any real change to happen? I'm voting for former GA congressman Bob Barr of the Libertarian Party.

DomKen -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 9:11:18 PM)
Not voting encourages exactly the behavior and type of candidates you claim to abhor. Negative campaigns and the candidates willing to engage in them win partly by driving down turnout so their small core of true believers has inordinate power at the polls. If every adult legally able to vote did so for every election then we'd get better and more centrist candidates.

Vendaval -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 10:01:40 PM)
Hello smilezz, I find it very helpful to write out my thoughts and make lists. What are the most important issues to you and your Sir? What are needs and what are options? Whose positions and ideals are closest to your own? Keep working on the process and gathering information, talking with other people and watching speeches and debates. Eventually you will come to the best decision for you and yours.

bipolarber -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 10:18:30 PM)
Bush slimed his way into office on only 350+ votes. Things were so close, the GOP had to cheat by having a republican member of the FL supreme court call it for him after their attempts to throw the recount failed. Bush then acted like he was given a "mandate" by God, and began to steamroll the progress of the last 40 years. No, every vote counts. Do your homework. Decide who best represents both your ideals, and those of the country. Then hold your nose, and pull the lever, like everyone else.

BitaTruble -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/4/2008 10:24:16 PM)
Hi Smilezz.. Oh yes, I've felt exactly like that.. I'll just point to my little menopausal rant about the Patriot Act and the fact that McCain and Obama both voted for reauthorization to indicate the struggle I had to overcome and let other issues help me with my decision. I wrote what follows back in June for my journal. I don't know if it will help, but I will say that I was able to (finally) make a decision on who to vote 'for' a few weeks ago.. rather than the lessor of two evils scene. Maybe it will help you. In 226 days the United States of America will have a new president. I have 150 days left to make the decision of who will hold that office. I hope to use that time wisely and well and I sincerely hope that those who go punch their cards, pull their levers or touch their screens will do the same. I feel that it's my duty as citizen of the USA to do my level best to cast an informed vote as to who that person should be. I alone must determine how much weight to assign to each and every issue which personally concerns me and also those issues which I think will impact the country. I and I alone must decide the criteria I use when evaluating the stance of the nominees and their running mates. In addition, I have the further duty to decide upon the various members of the houses who are up for re-election or who are running for the first time. It's my responsibility and I take it more seriously than just about anything else that has to do with the country where I was born and in which I choose to live. Utube video's, forum posts, friends/relatives of myself or the nominees, op eds, etc. will not sway me one way or the other. I mean, they just won't. Ultimately, they are meaningless and worthless to me and I'm too much of a cynic (when it comes to politics) to believe anything I ever read on line. So, what's left? Voting records, my gut reactions, my ability to think and draw conclusions, to interpret what is said objectively and disspassionately from candidate speeches and the other words of the nominees themselves (including their books on various subjects). I look at health, education, military service, work ethic, stability (including stability in personal relationships), accountability, experience, intellect, coherence, diplomacy skills and temperment. I also look to see if the candidates have grace under pressure and how they handle stress and hard questions. What I want from the candidates are for them to give me reasons to vote 'for' them .. not against the other guy. Mudslinging is going to cost big time. It carries a lot of weight with me as I find it very childish and immature which is the last thing I want in my president or those seated in congress. I want to know about infrastructure, health care, Iraq/Iran/national security, the economy, education, our borders, research funding (including stem cell and medical marijuana research), gay marriage, taxes, foreign policy etc. Those are all important to me either as a citizen or on a personal level. I assign each of those a certain amount of weight, some get a lot of consideration, some not so much. I make that determination as well. I am not looking for a candiate who thinks exactly the same way I do. In fact, two heads being better than one, some diversity is expected and appreciated in that regard .. as long as it's not too diverse as I do have a few deal breakers. I'm not looking for perfection .. I'm just looking for the best available humans who are willing to take on the various jobs. I'm proud to be a citizen of the USA. I'd like to be proud of my president because I haven't been for a very long time .. but if that can't happen, then I need to be able to look in the mirror every day and know that I did my best with my one vote. I'll have to live with the next president for 4 years .. possibly 8 but I have to live with me for the rest of my life.

DarkSteven -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/5/2008 6:30:02 AM)
Welcome to Colorado, smilezz! Are you here yet? Colorado Springs is NOT a typical place. When Bush wanted to speak to a friendly crowd, he'd pick either the Springs or Orem, Utah. They are both heavily Christian conservative and pro-Bush. I recall an old Herblock cartoon, which showed two Russian men yoked to a plow driven by Josef Stalin. They looked across the Atlantic to see the US, which was festooned with banners announcing "Don't Forget to Vote on November 5!", "Get Out and Vote!", "VOTE!", etc. One Russian was saying to the other, "You mean they CAN and don't do it?" I consider it out civic duty to vote. It is the moment in which the people who run our country in our name get held accountable to us. In this day and age, a politician's life is more easily researched and the tidbits are more easily posted. They appear to us to be more flawed while in fact they're no more or less human than the pre-Internet ones. Noter as well that rumors get legs easier nowadays. If you cannot stomach the major party candidates, then vote for a third party candidate as a protest. But vote.

thishereboi -> RE: Right to vote? Responsibility to vote? (9/5/2008 6:37:44 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: tychtyp Vote Obama if you aren't a Bible-thumping, backwater conservative, and you're wise enough to recognize that more tax cuts are unsustainable with the current obligations we've been saddled with by the spendthrift, foolhardy, retardate administration of George W. Bush. Seriously, I don't even see this as a difficult choice. What if your a bible-thumping, in-your-face liberal? and no, I don't see it as difficult either.

Page: [1] 2 next > >>

Collarchat.com © 2025

Terms of Service

0.046875