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11/02/2010 01:49:28 AM · #1 |
| Today will be one of the historical days of The united States of America, be a part of it. |
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11/02/2010 01:56:40 AM · #2 |
| Everything political is historic these days. |
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11/02/2010 03:04:03 AM · #3 |
I'm honestly thinking about giving up. The government serves itself, and the two party system eliminates choice. The vote seems to be merely a distraction, the election only a bad joke.
Say what you will, but I used to beleive in voting, and the functioning of the system - I've simply lost my faith. |
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11/02/2010 04:05:47 AM · #4 |
| Dropped mine in the box Saturday. |
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11/02/2010 04:17:50 AM · #5 |
Originally posted by coryboehne:
I'm honestly thinking about giving up. The government serves itself, and the two party system eliminates choice. The vote seems to be merely a distraction, the election only a bad joke.
Say what you will, but I used to beleive in voting, and the functioning of the system - I've simply lost my faith. |
I'm with you 100 percent...and i've always felt this way about it. |
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11/02/2010 04:32:40 AM · #6 |
| Seemed like I was one of the few who voted at my age. My whole school kinda looked at me when I told them I voted (I sent in my absentee card). A lot of people my age didn't even know there was an election. Sad but true. I am almost afraid of the future. |
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11/02/2010 06:06:10 AM · #7 |
Originally posted by coryboehne:
I'm honestly thinking about giving up. The government serves itself, and the two party system eliminates choice. The vote seems to be merely a distraction, the election only a bad joke.
Say what you will, but I used to beleive in voting, and the functioning of the system - I've simply lost my faith. |
That's why there is the posthumous ribbons.
... :D |
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11/02/2010 06:40:42 AM · #8 |
vote today, even though the next election starts tomorrow!
mbrutus - Thanks for voting, hold onto your idealism and hope as long as you can!!! |
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11/02/2010 07:40:50 AM · #9 |
Yes...its the last day of trashy campaign ads that take things out of perspective to fool the ignorant voter...and its the last day my phone will ring with useless recorded messages that would otherwise get my attention if they bothered to place a real person on the line to answer my questions....and its the last day my mailbox has to be littered with campaign junk mail where those resources could have gone to save a tree or feed a hungry person.
Ahh....election day...the day preceding normality...until the next time the children act up.
Originally posted by FocusPoint:
Today will be one of the historical days of The united States of America, be a part of it. |
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11/02/2010 08:10:06 AM · #10 |
Originally posted by coryboehne:
I'm honestly thinking about giving up. The government serves itself, and the two party system eliminates choice. The vote seems to be merely a distraction, the election only a bad joke.
Say what you will, but I used to beleive in voting, and the functioning of the system - I've simply lost my faith. |
this is sad.
Please don't ever get so discouraged to give up your vote, if that happens then we are truly lost. |
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11/02/2010 09:26:18 AM · #11 |
| I just voted about 10 minutes ago. I was the first inline. It feels much better now because I know I am a part of an American History in making today. |
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11/02/2010 09:34:22 AM · #12 |
Originally posted by mbrutus2009:
Seemed like I was one of the few who voted at my age. My whole school kinda looked at me when I told them I voted (I sent in my absentee card). A lot of people my age didn't even know there was an election. Sad but true. I am almost afraid of the future. |
I'm proud of you! We have a future as long as there are kids like you,keep the faith! |
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11/02/2010 09:55:32 AM · #13 |
Originally posted by amsterdamman:
vote today, even though the next election starts tomorrow! |
Yes, it used to be the real campaining began about a year before the presidential election. Now it is a full two years. It's enough to turn one off politics. ;-)
I voted this morning in NYC. We have new ballots and voting machines. I loved the clunky, solid old machines. The print on the new ballots is tiny -- it's even hard to read the smallest print with a magnifying screen. |
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11/02/2010 09:56:06 AM · #14 |
Originally posted by FocusPoint:
I just voted about 10 minutes ago. I was the first inline. It feels much better now because I know I am a part of an American History in making today. |
Exactly what American history is being made today, Leo?
R. |
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11/02/2010 10:38:39 AM · #15 |
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11/02/2010 10:48:10 AM · #16 |
Originally posted by mbrutus2009:
Seemed like I was one of the few who voted at my age. My whole school kinda looked at me when I told them I voted (I sent in my absentee card). A lot of people my age didn't even know there was an election. Sad but true. I am almost afraid of the future. |
Good for you! You are right to care about your future! |
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11/02/2010 10:49:25 AM · #17 |
| My work place is also a polling place. At 9:45 am, the line is still out the front door, the parking lot is full. People in general are not discouraged with the voting system. This is a chance to legally, sanely, and politely speak your opinion. We don't have a very loud voice, but we do still have a voice. This government is still BY THE PEOPLE. We hope the results will say so very loudly at the end of this day. Regardless of how you vote or what your political persuasion, they WORK FOR US, and when they don't, out they go. NOW GO VOTE! |
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11/02/2010 11:00:22 AM · #18 |
Originally posted by farfel53:
My work place is also a polling place. At 9:45 am, the line is still out the front door, the parking lot is full. People in general are not discouraged with the voting system. This is a chance to legally, sanely, and politely speak your opinion. We don't have a very loud voice, but we do still have a voice. This government is still BY THE PEOPLE. We hope the results will say so very loudly at the end of this day. Regardless of how you vote or what your political persuasion, they WORK FOR US, and when they don't, out they go. NOW GO VOTE! |
Except that the choice is a non-choice. You're spoon-fed two or three options, none of which I want.
ETA: LOL... By the people... You mean by the Corporations...
Message edited by author 2010-11-02 11:03:05. |
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11/02/2010 11:02:19 AM · #19 |
In an interesting twist, the Republican candidate for Colorado Governor may fail to receive 10% of the vote. If this happens, the Republican Part ywill be relegated to the "minor party" at the bottom of the ticket for the next four years. Many believe the rule would just be changed to accommodate the Republican Party, but it's still sorta interesting.
The Senate race is super tight too. Interestingly, that battle has received more outside-the-state-funding than any other race in the country.
Personally, I'll just be happy when this is over and I don't have 15+ people coming to my door and ringing the doorbell while I, a night worker, sleep. The same damn group comes by multiple times! It's insane out here. |
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11/02/2010 11:18:42 AM · #20 |
Originally posted by coryboehne:
Originally posted by farfel53:
My work place is also a polling place. At 9:45 am, the line is still out the front door, the parking lot is full. People in general are not discouraged with the voting system. This is a chance to legally, sanely, and politely speak your opinion. We don't have a very loud voice, but we do still have a voice. This government is still BY THE PEOPLE. We hope the results will say so very loudly at the end of this day. Regardless of how you vote or what your political persuasion, they WORK FOR US, and when they don't, out they go. NOW GO VOTE! |
Except that the choice is a non-choice. You're spoon-fed two or three options, none of which I want.
ETA: LOL... By the people... You mean by the Corporations... |
Fortunately most of us don't just flop around in confusion and defeatism, but get up and act. There are MANY actual choices being made today, that are not kool-aid, but substantive and real. For you, though, it's all OK...when by reason of inaction and indecision they get powerful enough to take away your right to vote, you won't miss a thing. |
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11/02/2010 11:31:47 AM · #21 |
Originally posted by farfel53:
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Fortunately most of us don't just flop around in confusion and defeatism ... |
No, no indeed, you're still naive enough to think this actually has measurable effect. Wanna really make a change? Go get yourself elected, until then, you're simply being distracted.
You do realize that most of the people who really influence our reality are never on any ballot? They're appointed, often for many years longer than any administration lasts.
Beyond that, what do you really know about the candidates, other than what they've promised (and will fail to deliver)? You aren't given any real information, there's no objective measures of each candidate, it's just a bunch of hollering to see who's the loudest and can convince the most people with their rhetoric.
And don't worry about them "taking away my right to vote", they love the vote, it's an important tool. The funny thing is that because they give you the right to vote, you don't realize you've already lost any sort of right to choose.
As for confusion? Have you actually ever voted? Confusion reigns supreme for most voters, go ahead, I dare you, go ask 20 people at your polling place today to simply name the candidates for any lesser position, say district judge, or county assessor... I think you'll be disgusted at the number of people who will cast a vote for someone today that they know nothing about... Until that changes, there's no hope.
Ever study much philosophy? Do you remember what Socrates had to say on the subject of democracy? I've come to realize that he was quite right, and nothing has changed in 2400 years.
You can disagree, but I suspect you're just following along with what you're told, and as such, you're truly an ideal voter FWIW.
Message edited by author 2010-11-02 11:40:21. |
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11/02/2010 11:43:38 AM · #22 |
Please just stay home and wring your hands, then, OK? The rest of us "naive" puppets will watch out for your rights, to the best of our ability. You just read your Socrates and think it all through.
Message edited by author 2010-11-02 11:46:17. |
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11/02/2010 11:49:33 AM · #23 |
Originally posted by farfel53:
Please just stay home and wring your hands, then, OK? The rest of us "naive" puppets will watch out for your rights, to the best of our ability. You just read your Socrates and think it all through. |
Impressive counterargument. |
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11/02/2010 12:15:48 PM · #24 |
That's a very fatalistic look at democracy. Voting, and indeed, participating in the system, does not imply naivete. One can be perfectly aware of the futility of one's efforts and yet still pursue them. I seem to remember a little something about Socrates and this... ;)
And further, any and all relationships between people rely upon a trust that they will follow through with their words. If you find fault with this, then you might want to question why you have a wife, since that, too, is all just a promise. One would like to think that spouses are more bound by their word than others but it's a false assumption. The determination to lie or deceive is still readily available to all. Also, that a politician doesn't accomplish what they purported they would does not imply lies, or even deceit necessarily, simply failure to achieve what they aimed to. I'm sure we're all guilty of that in our lives, I know I am, and I don't have an army of people trying to disagree with me as their job. Have we objective measures to value our friends? Our family? Weren't you just railing about putting people in boxes and now you're decrying the lack of an objective measure?
Pissing in everybody's Wheaties can be fun, but what sort of a platform is that? Myself? If the human condition is shit, I'd rather show how it doesn't have to be that way than wallow in decrepitude. |
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11/02/2010 12:22:13 PM · #25 |
Originally posted by coryboehne:
Originally posted by farfel53:
Please just stay home and wring your hands, then, OK? The rest of us "naive" puppets will watch out for your rights, to the best of our ability. You just read your Socrates and think it all through. |
Impressive counterargument. |
OK...counterargument: do you really think national policy is set by local government functionaries? I don't much care about who the property valuation administrator is, as long as he's honest and basically clean. The county clerk is opposite party, but has done good work, doesn't rip us off on our tax collections or license plate fees. Does he have an effect on the bailouts from Washington, or the health care debate? Not likely, I think. It's not of national importance if we don't know all the names.
Yes, I know, democracy will eventually vote itself out of existence...but I have kids and grandkids that I would dearly love to have some freedom and opportunity, and am not quite ready to lay it all down for the sake of some conspiracy of corporations. Not yet, anyway.
I know you big thinkers love it when plain folk engage you, because you can really look waaayyyyy down your noses at us, but I fail to see the benefit of fear and defeatism. So, as I said, you can have all the Socrates you want...I'm going to vote, and you can stay home.
There...the argument is fleshed out a little, and finished as far as I'm concerned. |
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