You have the right....Vote

hikehunter · Post by **hikehunter** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 8:37 pm

You have the right...Vote. If you do not vote "...do you really have the clearance to bitch." ???

Calait · Post by **Calait** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 9:36 pm

In my humble opinion if you do not vote, then you have no right to bitch. I took the time to study about the candidate, go through the trouble of VOTING and possible disgusted with the results.

PREACHER · Post by **PREACHER** » Tue Nov 24, 2015 2:04 am

I agree w you.
With that being said, I will offer a counter-argument for the purpose of creating discussion.

If you support a candidate of a political party not supported by the electoral college votes in the state you reside, not only is it as if you never voted in the first place, it's a vote that you knew was inconsequential way in advance, giving people incentive NOT to vote even if they still care and have reason to complain.

Example: the electoral college votes cast for Texas will absolutely go Republican. No question there. That means the republican votes will be tallied and will matter to some extent, but because of our "winner-take-all-system" in regards to the votes cast by the electoral college, the democratic votes will have no bearing whatsoever on the outcome of the election... Meaning if you are a democrat living in Texas, your vote essentially doesn't count, as it influences nothing and has no bearing on the outcome. For those people, I believe they have a justifiable reason to both stay home, AND still reason to complain.

Maybe saying "if you don't vote and live in a swing state, you don't get to complain" would be more accurate. If you live in a swing state, your vote matters immensely. The other 80% of voters like myself? Not so much.

Like I said, I do agree w you though, because I do believe in voting for the sake of principle. I just also understand when people feel like "why bother" if they know their vote will quite literally not count for anything.

YouTube · Post by **sarge** » Tue Nov 24, 2015 6:52 am

The basic fact of the matter is that this is the United States, and you get the right to complain about things even if you don't vote.

I think that strikes a happy medium between forcing people to vote on the one hand, and not allowing anybody to vote on the other.

Post by **rhjanes** » Tue Nov 24, 2015 9:27 am

I plan to vote "No Confidence". We can do that, right? We should. They all sux

TXyakr · Post by **TXyakr** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 11:01 am

hikehunter wrote:You have the right...Vote. If you do not vote "...do you really have the clearance to bitch." ???

Mostly a waste of time to complain (bitch) and it just makes you look whiny and weak, ineffectual etc. Better to vote in early local primary elections especially for local offices and positions whatever party or independent you believe is best. Support closer to grass roots before they get full of themselves and controlled by big money or are the big money trying to buy themselves a seat in government or whatever. Then when some blowhard (insert name) does get elected at least you know you supported an alternative early on in the process but then the common ignoant masses will choose someone else most likely due to lies they saw on brain dead TV and internet ADs. Fools deserve the government they get the rest of us succed dispite it not because of good governance. History of humanity has always been that way, few learn from history.

PointPastor · Post by **PointPastor** » Wed Dec 02, 2015 8:05 am

TXyakr wrote:
hikehunter wrote:... few learn from history.

Probably more truth in this statement than all of this years primaries combined. The linked video provides a good example of this, start watch around 5:20 mark to hear about the cyclical nature of human behavior.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXcQZcHGRPU

TXyakr · Post by **TXyakr** » Fri Dec 04, 2015 5:07 am

PointPastor you and that video make a very good point: the less than 10% of eligible voters in the USA directly or indirectly choose the 545 liars in Washington DC who are destroying this country dispite its potential. So wiser to get involved early in the political process and support leaders who have integrity in my opinion then wait to see what boils up thru the slim and complain about it or ignore it like the "good" Christian Germans did in the 1930s.

Rep Sam Johnson represents me in Washington, he is better than most but still plays to the base far to much and does not do what is best for the country as a whole he mostly just trys to get re-elected over and over. His town hall meeting which I listen to regularly sound like Nazi meetings with a twist. Mostly a good guy but compromised.

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