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I'm not going to tell you whether you should or should not feel guilty. What I will say is that voting is a duty in our democracy, and it is something that mature, responsible people do.
I doubt that there is anyplace in the United States that does not allow write-in votes, so I don't think the person who said that you can't vote for a person not on the ballot was correct. On the other hand, as a justice of the peace, one of the people responsible for counting ballots, I can tell you that under Vermont law votes cast for fictional characters, such as Mickey Mouse, are not counted.
So, do you throw the entire ballot away, or just not count the fictional character vote? The person who responded to the Mickey vote seems to be saying that the entire ballot will go in the circular file. I don't think that is true. If it is true, please enlighten us, and please quote the applicable State Statute that says it must be done.
The problem with this country is that the Democratic and Republican parties have divided the nation. You hear someone say they are a Republican or a Democrat and there is already a stereotype of the type of person they are. Im guilty of it too. When I was much younger I saw the candidates as regular people with ideas and I was willing to listen to them all. Unfortunately, even though some may have great ideas I don't want to hear anything they have to say and I tune them out now just based on the party they are affiliated with.
Instead of voting for a person you feel is the most qualified candidate many tend to vote based on the party they are affiliated with, even if you don't like that candidate just to beat the other party. Voting is not to strategically vote for people so others wont win, it is to vote for your personal choice based on research on who you would feel would make the best candidate. People say how corrupt politics are, well the corruptness of the system starts right here with the voters if this is how people are placing their votes. If you don't do your research or have an intelligent vote based on that research you have no business voting. I personally think the voting age should be raised. My political view has greatly changed over the years based on life experiences and I look back and think of the choices I would have made as a young adult and how they would have been based on the wrong criteria.
To live in a country where we can vote is an amazing thing. I don't get excited about it though, I don't feel guilty if I don't vote, I just want to vote and be done with it and may the best person win. In my opinion, I don't think the problem with the country are those that don't vote, the problem with this country are those that make uneducated votes, votes that make the political system the one thing everyone hates about politics...corrupt.
It's just plain silly not to vote based on your personal reactions to the candidates' personalities. These people work for you. They are responsible for making decisions that DIRECTLY INFLUENCE your daily life. In any given election, one of the two major candidates has to be better for you than the other related to your economic interests if nothing else. So you're hurting yourself if you allow a candidate to win who will do things in office that will hurt you.
You say you don't want your country engaged in wars you don't approve of. Do you think it's OK that 20 individuals in this country hold more wealth than the bottom 50% of the populations combined? Do you need healthcare? Are you economically solvent? Do you have student loans? Have you ever had mortgage or credit card problems? Do you have any women in your life who might want privacy in making gynecological decisions with their doctor? Do you think we need to take action to fight global climate change? The two political parties have VERY DIFFERENT ideas about these issues that effect your life. It's just dumb not to vote.
If I had no other incentive to vote I would still go to the polls because in my precinct voting is held at the senior citizens center where the senior volunteers prepare a big pot of chili, pinto beans and cornbread, soup and pie for the voters.
Everyone should vote. It's democratic. Have you ever heard of strategic voting. In this theory for example: Let's say Trump is the very last person you want in power but he is ahead in all of the polls. What you do is select a candidate that has a strong chance to beat Trump even if they are not running in your political party. when choosing the other candidate remember you are only voting to stop Trump from taking over.
To me Hilary is a safe choice. She is a confident experienced diplomat and a statesman.
Actually, if an American wanted to keep Trump from the White House - Hillary Clinton is the last person I would vote for.
She isn't well liked - even by people in her own party. She has ZERO APPEAL outside of her party. NONE. Sanders, on the other hand, is drawing votes from Independents, Libertarians, Moderates, people who were never interested in politics before, and younger voters.
I do agree that we all should vote. But, in the primary, Americans who want to keep Trump or Cruz from being elected should vote for Sanders, who is gaining on her anyway.
You don't have to feel guilty, but as a dating female, you not voting would be a turn off if we were on a date. To me not voting is the same as laying down and passively giving up, and I have a hard time respecting that. Especially if you're going to bit*h about whoever is in power later.
Half the reason things suck so much isn't because people don't vote in presidential elections though, it's because turnout is shamefully low (IMO) in mid-term and congressional elections. Congress and the House are where change happens, or doesn't as the case may be.
I would feel guilty not voting only because I know how many died for me to be able to, and how many die still or languish in jails in their own countries in order to have what we have, which as flawed as it is, is still better than most of the world. But democracy also requires citizens take an active role in the process more than any other system of government.
It's just plain silly not to vote based on your personal reactions to the candidates' personalities. These people work for you. They are responsible for making decisions that DIRECTLY INFLUENCE your daily life. In any given election, one of the two major candidates has to be better for you than the other related to your economic interests if nothing else. So you're hurting yourself if you allow a candidate to win who will do things in office that will hurt you.
You say you don't want your country engaged in wars you don't approve of. Do you think it's OK that 20 individuals in this country hold more wealth than the bottom 50% of the populations combined? Do you need healthcare? Are you economically solvent? Do you have student loans? Have you ever had mortgage or credit card problems? Do you have any women in your life who might want privacy in making gynecological decisions with their doctor? Do you think we need to take action to fight global climate change? The two political parties have VERY DIFFERENT ideas about these issues that effect your life. It's just dumb not to vote.
This is a very good point. Sometimes one votes to get the right party in, not because of the candidate. And specific platform issues can be worked out at the caucus level. For example, The Bern vs. Hill. She might be better able to get her initiatives passed, better able to work with Congress, but I worry that she might be too corporate-leaning. The Bern, OTOH, is clearly not pro-corporate. However, I can't stomach his flag-waving for socialism. I wish he'd tone it down. How would someone who actually voted in the past for Socialist Party candidate Eugene Debs stand up to the Soviet....I mean, er....."Russian" leadership?
Actually, I was impressed by O'Malley in the debates, but it's clear he got left back in the dust in the rush to the nomination. So we'll see what the result of the primaries is.
My parents used to always vote Republican, just to support the party. No matter who the candidate was. Even Nixon. They regretted that one afterwards (as if they were blindsided, and couldn't see from the get-go that supporting him wasn't a good idea. ) So that's what it's come to for many of the rest of us: voting Dem just to keep the other side from gutting health care, Social Security, the economy in general. What we need is another "it's the economy, stupid!" candidate.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 02-10-2016 at 02:59 PM..
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) So that's what it's come to for many of the rest of us: voting Dem just to keep the other side from gutting health care, Social Security, the economy in general. What we need is another "it's the economy, stupid!" candidate.
