Non-Political Political Commentary

[Jester]

I know, I know, politics belongs in fratching. But this is not political commentary so much as observations about politicians. "Say what?" Well, it goes like this:

I watched the vice presidential debate tonight, something just didn't ring right with me. Both candidates kept talking about "change." Hell, if I had been playing a drinking game where you take a drink every time either candidate used the word "change," I would be piss drunk right now, probably passed out cold. But let me pose these semi-rhetorical questions:

1. How can a man who has been in the Senate and part of the government since 1972 talk about the country "needing change" with a straight face?

2. How can a woman who is a member of the political party that has been in power for the last eight years tell us to vote for her and her running mate at the same time she is talking about the country "needing change" with a straight face?

This kind of shit just amuses the hell out of me! :lol:

[Diablo]

That is why I refuse to vote. This is a complete farce. Then again, if voting had ever done anything, it would have been made illegal decades ago.

[edible_hat]

By not voting you're giving up your right to complain. The system gave you a chance to have your say and you didn't take it, therefore you're OK with whatever everyone else decides.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

This year I will be voting Libertarian in the Presidential election, or not at all.

Whoever wins, I'll get by somehow.

[Kheldarson]

I ended up getting one of those survey phone calls. When asked if voting "Obama or McCain" I said I was hoping for an independent.

I want a real choice.

[edible_hat]

I ended up getting one of those survey phone calls. When asked if voting "Obama or McCain" I said I was hoping for an independent.

heh, that reminded me, last election here in Australia my great aunt got a survey call.

survey taker: "Who are you going to vote for?"
great aunt: "None of your business."
survey taker: "OK, um... what can [then-Prime Minister] John Howard do to improve the country?"
great aunt: "Jump off the Sydney Harbour Bridge."

I think that made it pretty obvious who she wasn't going to vote for!

[Jester]

By not voting you're giving up your right to complain. The system gave you a chance to have your say and you didn't take it, therefore you're OK with whatever everyone else decides.

The late great George Carlin had a novel take on this:

"I firmly believe that if you vote, you have no right to complain. Now, some people like to twist that around. They say, 'If you don't vote, you have no right to complain,' but where's the logic in that? If you vote, and you elect dishonest, incompetent politicians, and they get into office and screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have done. You voted them in. You caused the problem. You have no right to complain. I, on the other hand, who did not vote -- who did not even leave the house on Election Day -- am in no way responsible for that these politicians have done and have every right to complain about the mess that you created."

I ended up getting one of those survey phone calls. When asked if voting "Obama or McCain" I said I was hoping for an independent.

I want a real choice.

In 2000, we were given the choice of Gush or Bore. Er, uh, Gore or Bush. I did not see one shit's worth of difference between them. To me EACH one was a lying, evil, corrupt, bottom-feeding scumsucker, and I could not vote for EITHER one and have the ability to look myself in the mirror the next morning with a clear conscience. Many people talk about voting for the lesser of two evils, but in the 2000 election, I simply saw two evils.

So I made a decision.

Since I had been given these two jokers as my "choices," I chose a PROFESSIONAL joker.

I voted for George Carlin for President.

Now, some people will say I wasted my vote. But I think I did anything but. Because on Election Day 2000, the vast majority of people who voted for Bush did so reluctantly, and left the polling place less than happy with their choice. At the same time, the vast majority of people who voted for Gore did so reluctantly, and left the polling place less than happy with their choice. Me? I voted for Mr. Carlin, and left the polling place with an amazingly clear conscience and in a fantastic mood, knowing I had chosen the best man for the job. Wasted my vote? Hardly.

It was the best vote I ever cast.

[Diablo]

By not voting you're giving up your right to complain. The system gave you a chance to have your say and you didn't take it, therefore you're OK with whatever everyone else decides.
No, because I live in a Republic (not a democracy) and a one party dominated state, I have never had, nor ever will be granted a voice. Unless I agree to vote democrat, or move to a republican dominated state and vote along those lines, and lets be honest here, the differences between the parties are marginal at best, I have no input in national affairs. I do not need to "earn" the right to complain nor have I given up said right because I recognize the system is a joke, used by those in power, to keep the masses fat and stupid. Its just like TV, religion, and drugs. At least that is my opinion.

[Kheldarson]

Jester, that's awesome. I might do that this year. Bonus points for annoying my parents on top of it. ^^

[Bandit]

At least up here, for the provincial election, we have the option to decline the ballot.

That means you go to the poll, and elect to vote for "None of the Above." It's legal and counted.

B

[Jester]

My above comments were amusing, or at least were meant to be. (Though yes, I really did vote for George Carlin for President in 2000.)

But I have a couple of serious comments.

1. As was stated, we live in a Republic, where we elect people to make decisions for us, and where we have the right to vote. Not the REQUIREMENT to vote, but the RIGHT. Which means we also have the right to NOT vote. Doing one or the other does NOT deprive you of your right to speak your mind on the political situation. This belief is on the same level as another one I have heard, that being that if you have not served in the military, you do not have the "right" to have an opinion on military things (say, the war in Iraq). I do not believe you have to have been a soldier to have an opinion, nor to have the right to that opinion, on matters that affect this country. Another less-serious analogy would be that if you have never played professional baseball, you don't deserve to have an opinion on baseball. Trust me when I say that a lot of Americans have an opinion on baseball, and the vast majority of them have never played it professionally. (I never got beyond Little League myself.)

2. There are ways to get involved in how things are run beyond just voting in major national elections. Too few people vote in local elections, for example. And far too few people take part in their local government. You CAN attend school board meetings, city council meetings, etc. By law, most of these things have to be public. You can also get involved by *gasp* running for public office. No, this is not for everyone, but there are people, normal everyday people, people like you, maybe even YOU, who can make a difference. And the difference you can make is not necessarily just by getting elected, but simply by running. Because when you are a candidate for public office, you can bring up issues that are important to you that may not be getting talked about, you can force the incumbents to address issues, and you can actually your thoughts and opinions on said issues out....because candidates DO get interviewed. Right, Mysty?

I myself ran for Mayor of my home town of Tempe, Arizona when I was 21, and the experience was very eye-opening. I was interviewed by most of the newspapers in town, as well as local radio, and even had my name mentioned on local network news. And people listened. Did I win? No. I didn't expect to (which gave me a LOT more freedom to say what I wanted, I have to tell you), as I was running against an incumbent Mayor who had NEVER lost an election in his life. But did I impress myself? Hell yes. And not just by seeing my own name on the ballot, but by having my views heard. Not by the media, but by people...people I knew, and people I didn't know, who would come up to me and say something. Sometimes positive, sometimes negative, but a surprising number of people were taking this long-haired 21-year old college student seriously as a candidate. How seriously? Out of 9,000 votes cast, I got 444, or 5%. I knew about 12 of those people. That may not sound like a lot, but I got votes in EVERY district in Tempe. Again, I knew about TWELVE of those people. And considering I spent a total of $5 of my own money on the campaign (for necessary documents), 5% is damn impressive.

I did it half as a lark, and I had fun. But I got some serious points across too, and I got involved. And who knows, I might do it again. Y'all should think about it as well. Even if you don't run for office, you can still get involved on all levels: local, state, national.

And vote. Or don't. But either way, do it intelligently.

[Amethyst Hunter]

Jester, that's awesome. I might do that this year.

Well, since Carlin (sadly) went to that giant stage in the sky not too long ago, there's always Stephen Colbert? (He had been mulling the idea of tossing his name in the ring but for some technical reason couldn't because his entry would've come too late to be put on the actual ballot. Doesn't mean you couldn't still use him though.

And, on a further note, it would be funny if you used Carlin in much the same way the name of a deceased politician was used against John Ashcroft (I believe it was), who lost a past race to...a dead man. That's pretty bad when your area prefers a corpse over your ass. :lol: )

And on note #2, I rather like the idea of comedians running for office because nine times out of ten, they're spot-on about things and don't bullshit about it. (Or at least are much better at the bullshitting game than the actual bullshitters)

And vote. Or don't. But either way, do it intelligently.

This is a very good quote - I just read an essay tonight about how we've mistaken the right to having an opinion as the right to impose that opinion on others if it's a very poorly made and uninformed opinion. For instance, I know jack spit about space exploration. I have the right to say, "I think space exploration is stupid and hasn't done any good for humans."** I do not, however, have the right to expect that this opinion deserves even an ounce of serious consideration and/or implementation into public policy just because it's my opinion, simply because I have no evidence that this opinion has any solid basis behind it. And people, especially those in the know about space exploration (i.e., scientists and astronauts and the like), would be totally justified in telling me to take a long walk off a short pier (not necessarily in that exact phrasing either).





(** = I have nothing against space exploration, actually. It's not an interest of mine, but I don't think it's stupid or that it hasn't done any good. Just using the first thing that popped into my mind as an example.)

[Jester]

Well, since Carlin (sadly) went to that giant stage in the sky not too long ago, there's always Stephen Colbert?

It doesn't have to be Carlin. Mickey Mouse receives votes every Presidential election. I would never vote for him because I think he is rodent vermin, but that's just my opinion.

I picked Carlin for several reasons, but you can vote for anyone you want. I would not vote for Carlin again, simply because he is dead, and that would irritate him. If I was going to cast my vote this time for a non-candidate, it would be either myself, Kirsten Dunst (she's better looking than either candidate), Tina Fey (she may look like Sarah Palin, but she is hotter and, in my opinion, far smarter), Chris Rock (we need someone angry about the system to run the system) or John Adams (to make a point). Yeah, he's dead just like Carlin, but HE would be more irritated at what's happened politically to the country he helped found than he would be about getting votes while interred.

And by the way, I think Carlin would object to you presuming that he is "in the sky" as you put it. Just saying.

He had been mulling the idea of tossing his name in the ring but for some technical reason couldn't because his entry would've come too late to be put on the actual ballot. Doesn't mean you couldn't still use him though.

Trust me when I tell you that George Carlin was NOT on the ballot when I voted for him. I merely wrote him in.

(I, on the other hand, actually WAS on the ballot and an official candidate when I ran for Mayor. :cool: )

[Broomjockey]

Politics. No. Sorry.