To the undecided voters

[Cain]

GA is a her, IIRC.

Also I would see no point in voting in a state which overwhelmingly votes the way you prefer.  On the other hand, it may be more important to vote in state primaries if your general preferred party keeps promoting dipshits for the role.  I vote, for example, because my MP combines the worst aspects of New Labour and the Tories and the Lib Dems are desperately seeking to topple him.  However, if I had a Lib Dem stronghold, I would be looking at making sure the right sort of person gets put forward for the MP vote.  The selection process does not have a primary, per se, but there are ways of influencing it.

[LMNO]

Yeah, I live in MA, one of the bluest of the blue, and I vote not because I think the state will go a different way for national elections, but because it's been known to happen that third party candidates get voted into local office. 

Ground up, kids.  From the ground up.

[Jasper]

Personally I prefer a landslide victory, so I tend to operate on the principle of the thing more than decide whether to play the odds.

[Cain]

What's the difference between 66% and 66.0000000000000000000000001% of the votes?

[Jasper]

More like 66.000000001%, roughly speaking.  But point taken. 

Still, democracy is based on the assumption that people will vote.  It doesn't work (well) otherwise.

[Cain]

Actually, its based on participationary politics, discourse and an educated population.  Voting is one act out of the many from the first of those three.  If you think you can vote, then forget about doing anything else at all for another 4 years, that is just as much of a problem as not voting.

[LMNO]

Actually, its based on participationary politics, discourse and an educated population.  Voting is one act out of the many from the first of those three.  If you think you can vote, then forget about doing anything else at all for another 4 years, that is just as much of a problem as not voting.

[Cainad (dec.)]

Actually, its based on participationary politics, discourse and an educated population.  Voting is one act out of the many from the first of those three.  If you think you can vote, then forget about doing anything else at all for another 4 years, that is just as much of a problem as not voting.

Yes, but please: let's tackle one depressing fault in the American political process at a time. Voter apathy and political ignorance is just too much for me to handle.

Cainad,
Kidding.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

I'll probably get yelled at here... but I'm gonna go for it anyway.

1. I don't think the founding fathers said anything about voting being the duty of every man and woman over the age of 18... I thought they said that you could vote if you were white and owned land.

2. Democracy is based on a government by the people and of the people. If the people are apathetic, then it will be an apathetic government... if the people are disenfranchised, it will be a disenfranchised government. If the people are batshit insane and should all be institutionalized... it will be an American government.

3. If I lived in a state that was very blue or very red, I would probably be less inclined to vote. However, I'm in Ohio and every vote counts... if diebold is involved, every vote may count more than once. So I vote. This year, I had planned to vote for McCain, traditionally, he seemed like a pretty decent guy, for a politician. Now, I'm voting to keep Sarah Palin the hell away from Penn Ave.

4. Cain is dead on about voting being one act of many that makes you a valuable member of society. Voting alone is meaningless... uneducated voting is no more Patriotic or Dutiful than playing Power Ball.

5. I like numbered lists.

[Jasper]

Actually, its based on participationary politics, discourse and an educated population.  Voting is one act out of the many from the first of those three.  If you think you can vote, then forget about doing anything else at all for another 4 years, that is just as much of a problem as not voting.

Since when are we even talking about that? All I'm saying is voting is important.

[Cain]

Actually, its based on participationary politics, discourse and an educated population.  Voting is one act out of the many from the first of those three.  If you think you can vote, then forget about doing anything else at all for another 4 years, that is just as much of a problem as not voting.

Since when are we even talking about that? All I'm saying is voting is important.

Is this a thread about voting?  Why yes, I do believe it is.  Are other functions, just as important to the democratic process, being neglected in the discussion, thus elevating the role of voting in this discourse at their expense?  Why yes, I do believe they are.

[Jasper]

Actually, its based on participationary politics, discourse and an educated population.  Voting is one act out of the many from the first of those three.  If you think you can vote, then forget about doing anything else at all for another 4 years, that is just as much of a problem as not voting.

Since when are we even talking about that? All I'm saying is voting is important.

Is this a thread about voting?  Why yes, I do believe it is.  Are other functions, just as important to the democratic process, being neglected in the discussion, thus elevating the role of voting in this discourse at their expense?  Why yes, I do believe they are.

In that case, good job rebutting a point I wasn't even talking about.  I'd hate to have to do all the work of taking a stance before having it disputed.

[Cain]

Actually, its based on participationary politics, discourse and an educated population.  Voting is one act out of the many from the first of those three.  If you think you can vote, then forget about doing anything else at all for another 4 years, that is just as much of a problem as not voting.

Since when are we even talking about that? All I'm saying is voting is important.

Is this a thread about voting?  Why yes, I do believe it is.  Are other functions, just as important to the democratic process, being neglected in the discussion, thus elevating the role of voting in this discourse at their expense?  Why yes, I do believe they are.

In that case, good job rebutting a point I wasn't even talking about.  I'd hate to have to do all the work of taking a stance before having it disputed.

Maybe you were a useful foil for that point and nothing more.

And maybe you should stop being a touchy little bastard about it.

[Jasper]

Yeah Cain.  I'm a little too paranoid sometimes.  I tend to take offense at any real or imagined insult, and harbor lots of little grudges. 

[LMNO]

That's because you're a paranoid little freak, and whose mother dresses him funny.