Who did YOU vote for

[Bullitt]

There's no shame in voting for the loser.. be thruthful

[Troubleshooter]

Didn't vote and proud of it.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Troubleshooter

Didn't vote and proud of it.

You should have written someone in. There is nothing to be proud of.

[Troubleshooter]

Originally Posted by glatt

You should have written someone in. There is nothing to be proud of.

Why should I have written someone in?

And go into detail, I've heard a lot of reasons why I should have voted that don't really hold any water. Maybe your reasons are different.

See my post here.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Troubleshooter

Why should I have written someone in?

And go into detail, I've heard a lot of reasons why I should have voted that don't really hold any water. Maybe your reasons are different.

See my post here.

I don't really understand your reasoning after reading your post, but it sounds like you didn't like the choice offered to you. There are 300 million americans. Surely one of them is qualified in your mind to have the job. You should have written that person in.

Not voting doesn't send any message at all other than you are a slacker. That may not be the message you want to send, but it's the one you are sending. Most people who don't vote think it doesn't matter, or they don't care, or they can't be bothered, etc. You group yourself with those people if you don't vote, and any protest you may be making is drowned out by the slacker company you keep.

If you want to send a message that you don't like any of the choices, but would vote for someone good if they presented themselves, then you need to write someone in. That shows you care enough to vote, and are not a slacker. It also shows you don't like the choices.

Not voting is throwing your voice away. At least a write-in will give you some voice.

Who knows, maybe I read you wrong, and you want to be a slacker not a protestor. If that's the case, then you shouldn't vote. But there is nothing to be proud of there.

[Troubleshooter]

Originally Posted by glatt

I don't really understand your reasoning after reading your post, but it sounds like you didn't like the choice offered to you. There are 300 million americans. Surely one of them is qualified in your mind to have the job. You should have written that person in.

Originally Posted by glatt

If you want to send a message that you don't like any of the choices, but would vote for someone good if they presented themselves, then you need to write someone in. That shows you care enough to vote, and are not a slacker. It also shows you don't like the choices.

Not voting is throwing your voice away. At least a write-in will give you some voice.

Voting for someone is indicative of approval of that person. I would not want to send the message that I approve of Bush or Kerry.

If a write in is a voice then show me a list of the write ins for the election. If that voice is truly heard then such a list will exist otherwise it's weeping in the dark.

Originally Posted by glatt

Not voting doesn't send any message at all other than you are a slacker. That may not be the message you want to send, but it's the one you are sending. Most people who don't vote think it doesn't matter, or they don't care, or they can't be bothered, etc. You group yourself with those people if you don't vote, and any protest you may be making is drowned out by the slacker company you keep.

I am not most people. Most people rely on outside faculties for most of their decisions. Any message derived from my actions, other than the result, is merely that persons inability or lack of desire to know the truth.

I am anything but a slacker. I work, I'm in school and I have a family. My ultimate goal is to be an instructor. I'm hoping to break people free from the moribund habits that they have and realize that change is becoming more and more necessary.

Originally Posted by glatt

Who knows, maybe I read you wrong, and you want to be a slacker not a protestor. If that's the case, then you shouldn't vote. But there is nothing to be proud of there.

You have missed the mark severely.

I'm not mad, just disappointed.

[Radar]

Just because someone didn't win an election, doesn't mean they're a loser.

[warch]

This is not about math. A write in vote is your personal act of demonstrating that you do indeed care about what you profess. Its your stand. It counts for that. It means that. And with out it, your words of protest and change ring hollow.

You say that you wish to help " break people free from the moribund habits that they have and realize that change is becoming more and more necessary". Well, you have to not just talk, but walk. That is the meaning in your "meaningless" write in. Its the start of change.

[Troubleshooter]

Originally Posted by warch

This is not about math. A write in vote is your personal act of demonstrating that you do indeed care about what you profess. Its your stand. It counts for that. It means that. And with out it, your words of protest and change ring hollow.

You say that you wish to help " break people free from the moribund habits that they have and realize that change is becoming more and more necessary". Well, you have to not just talk, but walk. That is the meaning in your "meaningless" write in. A meaningless action towards change.

Do I get pictures to go with that or do I just run around in circles like it sounds?

If I profess that there is no one worth voting for and then vote then voting would be a lie correct?

[warch]

Maybe I am mistaken...do you support democracy at all? or advocate anarchy? which is fine, just be clear yourself.

If you still feel that there is worth in a democratic government, are interested in change but feel that there is no one you can support in this job, then vote "none". with out that act, your claim to that act, you are just blowing air.

I'm saying that you vote your convicitions and you vote for yourself first, the tally is secondary.

[Troubleshooter]

Originally Posted by warch

Maybe I am mistaken...do you support democracy at all? or advocate anarchy? which is fine, just be clear yourself.

If you still feel that there is worth in a democratic government, are interested in change but feel that there is no one you can support in this job, then vote "none". with out that act, your claim to that act, you are just blowing air.

I'm saying that you vote your convicitions and you vote for yourself first, the tally is secondary.

I believe in democracy. I also believe that our current system is broken. The people who are empowered to fix it at the moment are pretty easily convinced of what they should think.

I'm also of the opinion that things won't get fixed until they break a little more.

How exactly does one go about voting "none?"

[staceyv]

I voted for Kerry, and I've felt pretty depressed since the election results.

I agree with Warch about the vote being an act of personal empowerment and integrity. What matters most is the message we give ourselves. We then take that inner message and send it out to the world. So many people say they didn't vote because there was nothing and no one worth voting for. I think this is a cop-out. For one thing, and I'm sure it wasn't alone, Colorado had about 12 people on the presidential ballot list. The libertarian, the green party, the Constitutional reform party, 3 flavors of socialist party, and a couple of other parties were all represented. Are you that smug that you would write off every single one of these options? And before you say it wouldn't have counted because it would have been for an inconsequential 'third' party consider this: I don't know who MIGHT have gotten your vote, but suppose you and those other couldn't be bothered voters had an affinity for the libertarians or the greens. All of you going out there and casting a vote for that party would have made a profound impact on the national political scene. Hell, all of you going out there and splitting your vote 12 ways among those third parties would have made a profound impact. But you couldn't be bothered. I have no respect for that attitude.

[Troubleshooter]

Originally Posted by marichiko

I agree with Warch about the vote being an act of personal empowerment and integrity. What matters most is the message we give ourselves. We then take that inner message and send it out to the world. So many people say they didn't vote because there was nothing and no one worth voting for. I think this is a cop-out. For one thing, and I'm sure it wasn't alone, Colorado had about 12 people on the presidential ballot list. The libertarian, the green party, the Constitutional reform party, 3 flavors of socialist party, and a couple of other parties were all represented. Are you that smug that you would write off every single one of these options? And before you say it wouldn't have counted because it would have been for an inconsequential 'third' party consider this: I don't know who MIGHT have gotten your vote, but suppose you and those other couldn't be bothered voters had an affinity for the libertarians or the greens. All of you going out there and casting a vote for that party would have made a profound impact on the national political scene. Hell, all of you going out there and splitting your vote 12 ways among those third parties would have made a profound impact. But you couldn't be bothered. I have no respect for that attitude.

I really hate that word, empowerment. People make it sound like talisman or shouting SHAZAM or something.

I'm of the opinion that by the time someone has reached the level where they can stand even the slightest chance of effectiveness in politics that they are beholden to so many other interests that they are no longer doing their job. Do you honestly believe that Bush was innocent of favoring the oil interests? Do you really think that Kerry would have been able to overcome Congress? Do you truly feel that a self-professed man of faith is going to cut any other truly divergent denominations any slack? Do you believe that anyone elected president in this day and age has much say in what that actually do?

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by Troubleshooter

Do you really think that Kerry would have been able to overcome Congress?

In what way? Pass his own legislation? Probably not. Have his vetos upheld? Absolutely. Do you not even see the value of that?