I'm not voting today. Not exactly an earth shattering pronouncement given my stated views on this blog, I know. If you are thinking about voting today, please do me a favor and watch this first if you haven't seen it before. It was true when George said just over a decade ago, and it is even more true today.
Bill, I was dumb enough to vote today, only because in Massachusetts there were interesting ballot questions. The ballots are filled out like those SRA tests, and you put them in a little sleeve for privacy, which you use to insert the ballot into the machine. Originally, these sleeves would fit the ballot, but these days the ballots have grown so long they stick forward from the sleeve and you can see who people are voting for. On top of that, this nasty old wart-faced harridan running the machines told me I must first I take it out of the sleeve completely. I felt like objecting, but the other poll worker was a cop, so I figured I'd lose that fight. I am a new person in an urban area long dominated by the Democratic party. It occurred to me maybe the big old boss machine still exists, and my failing to vote for Obama will cause it to be magically ejected from the set of counted ballots. That's of course sheer speculation, but after enduring this unending miserable campaign, the very possibility that my vote might be thrown in the trash anyway makes the whole thing not worth it.
ReplyDeleteI voted as well, only because of local items on the ballot.
ReplyDeleteMickey Mouse got my write in for President, Pluto for Senator, and Donald Duck for Representative. I don't I'll ever vote for national office again unless some former athlete/movie star runs for president, like maybe Jamie Lee Curtis or Brett Favre, just for the fun factor.
I voted Green, and proud of it. I watched the Carlin clip, and it's one of the few times I don't think he's spot on. He's correct that the system is broken. He's correct that the vast majority vote stupidly. And I agree that the two parties produce virtually the same thing. But I don't see how willingly giving up one of the very few ways we can have any (however tiny) influence over the government does anything but continue the status quo. If we had more people voting third party, we'd have a more truly representative government, more open debates, and greater divergence in party platforms. We have this infuriating myth that only two parties can win, and this happens every time because we continually buy into the myth. Carlin's bit is only reinforcing it. But to each his own.
ReplyDeleteHad I voted, I would have voted for Dr. Stein. I've just come to the conclusion that voting 3rd party is hopeless.
DeleteIt is hopeless that she'd win this time. But third parties have to built from the ground up. 1% one election, 5% the next, 15% the next (can enter the debates), 25% the next, victory the next. And I'm not denying it's a ridiculous uphill struggle. The systemic issues like campaign financing, the Commission on Presidential Debates, the myth, and other factors make it a completely uphill (and most likely hopeless) struggle. But it never starts without that initial 1%, and I don't mind attempting the hopeless when viewing the alternative.
DeleteI'd have voted for Stein, her positions matched mine best of all candidates; however, she was going to lose. So I voted for Gary. Why? Two reasons:
Delete[1] I felt like poking Romney right in the eye, hoping the Repugs will fret over the LoLbertards stealing a winning margin away from Mr. Bain-coin.
[2] It encourages the ever-failing LoLbertards to keep up the entertainment. I think they gain 0.000000000000001% every year. Soon!
I went for two town questions, while there I put a mark next to this Stein characters name because my pen slipped.
ReplyDeleteVoting the Disney ticket didn't work as Scrooge McDuck failed to bring it home for the Republicans ...
ReplyDelete