in reply to Re^3: For whom would you vote, if you were an American?
in thread For whom would you vote, if you were an American?

I meant exactly what I said.

You might as well say "If you do not vote as I think you should vote, you have thrown away your vote." That way, it's clear that you're merely bullying people, not expressing an opinion worth considering.

Update: Reworded two minutes after posting to avoid an ad hominem argument. I apologize if you saw it before the edit.

  • Comment on Re^4: For whom would you vote, if you were an American?

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re^5: For whom would you vote, if you were an American?
by Your Mother (Archbishop) on Nov 03, 2004 at 04:49 UTC

    ++. There are those who vote for the candidates they prefer and not for the parties who front them and often have little to no realistic connection with their stated goals and ideals. I voted for candidates in three parties. Pulling a party lever is an abdication of thought and responsibility.

    It's not the two major parties or the media that ruin it, though they surely don't help, it's the mentality that you have to vote for one or the other of the talking heads CNN and Fox puts up.

    Benchmarking is often key to making points here; as it should be. What's the minimum vote to get the big chair? Pick a number. Now consider that Clinton won the Presidency with 23% of registered voters voting age adults casting their ballots for him1. Not even 1/4 of America wanted him. He got it anyway.

    Don't get caught up in side taking that glosses over what your real opinions and interests are.

    1Yes, it's misleading but it's true. The turnout was 55% (much better than the next one when only 49% of Americans could be bothered to keep him in his seat) multiplied by his popular 43% (you may remember a 3rd party candidate took 19% of the popular vote) is 23%.

    update: simonm is quite right below. I wasn't thinking straight when I typed that. Fixed.

[reply]
      ... Clinton won the Presidency with 23% of registered voters ... The turnout was 55%...

      FWIW, turnout is generally measured in terms of voting-age population, rather than registered voters. Most registered voters do actually go to the polls, but many people are not registered. (wikipedia)

[reply]
      The assumption that we should give a flying fuck about the opinions of those who can't be bothered vote is just plain wrong.
[reply]
      The problem with the argument you present is that you assume all 100% of non-voters or 'abstainers' didn't want clinton by proxy. This is a complete fallacy.
[reply]
        you assume all 100% of non-voters or 'abstainers' didn't want clinton by proxy.

        They didn't want him (or anyone else) bad enough to go vote for him (barring those who were involuntarily comatose, didn't get their absentee ballots, etc.).

[reply]

In Section Past Polls