should I feel guilty for not voting? (controversial, politician, election)
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I rarely vote in a presidential election because there is never anyone that I like running. Take the last election: You can't blame me for not voting if I don't like either candidate. What was the choice--a war monger or Obama.
I think you are doing the right thing if both don't do anything for you. If someone is indifferent to both, why go? People that say, you HAVE to vote are idiots. I usually have someone I would rather have than the other, so I vote most every time. I will take most anyone over a warmonger, so I voted for Obama twice. Overall, I think things have been pretty stable the past 6 or so years. Obama is pretty moderate for the most part.
So far this next election has Clinton, Sanders and Trump. Someone else may emerge, but it is hard to say. I will vote in the primary as a Democrat, but that doesn't mean I vote Democrat for the president. I think Sanders would be the biggest f-u to the establishment to be honest. He wants to go after the f'n banks, which would be nice. They ripped us off with that massive bailout. Clinton would be the same as the usual. Trump, seems pretty moderate to me as well. I listen to the actual candidate, not the dumb media circus. If you listen to Trump he will just be a negotiator and compromise. It may not be as bad as some think. Take the big nonsense regarding immigration. He said he would STOP the Muslims UNTIL we figure out who they are, etc. If you just listen to the media, they make him out to be Hitler. It is nuts.
Anyway, don't vote. If I had no favorite, I would go play golf or something.
Government IS the problem, people. Many others like the banks, Wall Street, welfare abusers, etc. do unfairly benefit and do have an advantage that they didn't earn. However, that unfairness wouldn't exist but for the government's corrupt and omnipresent meddling.
What started out, with the constitution, as the smallest, most free government on earth has now become the largest, most powerful that the world has ever seen. How'd we get there?
Voting just matters so little, it's negligible. In 2016, maybe I can vote for the president, a congressperson, a senator. That's it. There will still be at least 534 (535, if the candidate I voted for loses) congressmen that I didn't have any say in electing, who can legislate laws for the entire nation. There will be 49 (or 50) Senators I didn't vote for who can legislate my life. There will be 15 cabinet members I didn't vote for. There will be the entire military. In fact, there will be 3 million federal employees that I had no voice in choosing. This also ignores the state government bureaucracies that could potentially affect things in my state. And the supreme court. Don't get to vote for them either.
So you're telling me that voting for 1 guy or gal is going to fundamentally change the way a massive bureaucracy of 3 million people? Call me skeptical.
Look, vote if you want. I don't see any harm in doing so if you don't have anything else to do, or you like pretending like people who have never met you and will never meet you or even know of your existence care for you, go for it. I mean, I like talking politics and candidates and stuff, but if I'd rather go have coffee with a friend, that's what I'm doing.
How are they different? Same lies every four years being back by some huge company that's is going to make sure that their bills get passed to make them more money.
After Clinton left office Bush came in & things got worse & then Obama came in & then still continued to get worse. So how different are they again?
I'm going to be blunt.
If you think that Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz...
or Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump...
are preaching the same gospel, then there is little to be gained by having a discussion with you.
Pick any of the hot topics of the day:
abortion
school choice
Mexican immigrants
Muslim refugees
war in the Middle East
(I could go on and on)
Voting is a right, not an obligation. Do with that right want you want with a clear conscience. But if you don't vote, you can't complain about the candidate who gets elected. Well...I guess you can. But you have no credibility.
I'd point out that many times there are local issues to be decided on those ballots. If you don't go to the polls because you don't like any of the candidates for office, you lose your ability to voice your position on those issues. An incomplete ballot still counts for those items you do vote on.
I'm a life long conservative and partisan Republican. I haven't missed an election since I turned 21 more years ago than I care to think about. But several years ago the most profound political statement I ever heard was from a Democratic candidate for a local office. He said: Elections matter and party trumps person. For better or worse it's a two team league, Democrats and Republicans. Pick a side and get in the game or shut-up and stay out of the way.
I ALWAYS vote in local elections, because they have a real effect on my personal life. And because there is usually low turnout for local elections, my vote has real importance.
It bothers the heck out of me that people only think of voting during Presidential elections, and that they are only aware of the two major parties. There are actually a LOT of political parties in America. Check out the platforms and candidates for the Libertarian, Green, Constitution, and Independent parties. Those are the main alternatives, but there are several other political parties.
People who are too lazy to learn about ALL levels of government and ALL of the candidates SHOULD be ashamed of themselves.
On the other hand, I strongly believe that dumb people shouldn't be allowed to vote. I put lazy people in that same category, so Thank You for your non-participation.
are preaching the same gospel, then there is little to be gained by having a discussion with you.
Pick any of the hot topics of the day:
abortion
school choice
Mexican immigrants
Muslim refugees
war in the Middle East
(I could go on and on)
The 2 parties are worlds apart.
Generally true, but I think the Clintons are pretty close to the Republicans on corporate issues. They support the corporations. She's singing a different tune now, because she has to be competitive with Sanders, but I don't trust her sudden new populist line. It's so obviously just sloganeering.
I rarely vote in a presidential election because there is never anyone that I like running. Take the last election: You can't blame me for not voting if I don't like either candidate. What was the choice--a war monger or Obama.
If you are happy having others make decisions that affect your life, do not vote.
I never said anything about Sanders & if you think they are the same then your not listening very closely.
This is a good example of someone reading a post, but not absorbing what the post actually says.
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