I'm so sick of political ads!!!!!

[Williamsmith]

Where do the insidious political ads come from? They are repetitive and they come in the mail, are broadcast on the radio, internet and television. No one politician has the resource to make this happen, The politician is just the frontman. Call it the Deep State, the economic elite, the small ruling class or the “oligarchy”. But they determine the policy not the large majority of voters. Even when the community of voters is united for a certain change, they don’t get it unless it is approved by the powers behind the politicians.

In fact, getting anything changed is like pulling teeth. So even the wealthy influential people have about an even chance of getting things altered. The poor and middle class, an ice cubes chance in hades.

I imagine those who would consider requiring everyone to vote would also create a pretest of sorts that would show a persons knowledge of the candidates, the system and a proper respect for the sanctity of the vote. Then each person would be required to display a sticker with a flag with the words “I Voted” or better yet a purple ink stained thumb.

Im am glad that voting is a right not a duty. That makes the nonvote, a powerful statement.

[catherine]

Terry and Catherine,

I don’t think it’s either appropriate or useful to try to shame people into voting. What if a voter finds all his/her choices objectionable? What makes a person who is completely uniformed but goes to the polls and votes ignorantly better than a conscientious non voter? Or how about a spouse or SO accompanying another to the polls and on the way there says, “Okay, so who are we voting for?” Oh yeah, it happens doesn’t it?

The right to abstain from voting should not carry with it a scarlet letter. You have a right to bear arms! Many people have fought and died for that right, yet I do not expect you to have a concealed carry permit and carry a gun with which to protect me and my family should a nut pull out a gun at the grocery. That’s because it is a right, not a duty. You may opt to not exercise that right without being called out for it. Oprah was wrong for shaming people who do not vote.

Perhaps you would be in favor of a law requiring that every citizen vote no matter how ignorant, uneducated, disinterested they are or objectionable they think the system is? Isn’t abstaining from voting a free speech action?

Its perfectly fine to have your own convictions. But I’m not throwing my vote away. Nobody can take my vote. It is mine to cast....or not as I choose.

I certainly don't intend to shame you!! Your points are well taken, and of course it's your choice to vote or not. My point that I don't consider you ignorant, uneducated, or disinterested. We need informed voters who care about the world at large beyond their own self-interest. How do we cultivate and support the world we want to see? Voting is only one way, to be sure. And you're right. No matter what we do, maybe the outcome would be the same old stuff.

As you know, I posted about my own conundrum about voting in NJ (which has been negated now because of a situation necessitating our extended stay up here beyond November 6--and it's too late for an absentee ballot). I really liked the Green Party candidate you suggested, who of course has a snowball's chance in hell of winning. But it would be my own statement. At the same time, I would want to count myself among those who are trying to keep one party from the majority in the Senate and House. I think that's a reasonable start.

Yet, even my vote in NJ would have been a symbolic gesture because DH and I regularly cancel each other out, and we would have done so in these midterms. So I'll just sit up here and watch the show next Tuesday.

[LDAHL]

Citizens United. Just sayin'...

Freedom through censorship!

It sounds tempting, when I see one candidate’s ads claim the other guy wants your mother to die of cancer, while he claims the first guy just can’t do enough for child molesters.

I don’t blame scheming oligarchs for that. I blame voters dumb enough to be influenced by it. But even though the First Amendment presupposes a certain level of voter intelligence that may not exist, I think we should keep it unredacted. What can I say. I’m an optimist, and I approved this message.

[Lainey]

I would no more forfeit my right to vote than I would forfeit my control of my finances. Not voting is saying that the you are not weighing in on how your tax dollars will be spent. IMO that encourages the corruption because those in office are satisfied that their chicanery will be overlooked or ignored.

My vote says, I want this person to represent me because they will handle their civic duties as I would. Not voting says, hey do whatever you want, it's all the same to me. And that is especially concerning for hard-fought rights of women and minorities which always seem to be on the knife-edge of being taken away by whichever extreme politicians gain a majority in office.

[Tammy]

I think there is a quite reasonable case to be made for ethical-non-voting.

My husband has stopped voting. He would enjoy talking with you about this idea.

[Teacher Terry]

I am against mandatory voting because people would be mad and just vote for anyone without any thought. I don’t see that as helpful.

[Miss Cellaneous]

I vote because I feel I can't complain about the government unless I do. And I also won't listen to complaints about the government unless the complainer has voted. You don't participate, you don't get to complain, in my book.

We have two state constitutional amendments on the ballot this year, one which I support and one which I would have supported had it been better written. As it stands, if it passes, it will be a huge mess.

There are several local positions we have to vote on. Judging from the number of signs, we are in the middle of a fiercely contested battle for County Treasurer. On the other hand, there are a few County positions where one person is running uncontested.

And my district has a open seat in the US House of Representatives this year.

Next year, we will be electing an all-new School Board and Mayor. And a Governor.

There's more reasons to vote than the mess in Washington, DC.

[catherine]

My husband has stopped voting. He would enjoy talking with you about this idea.

I'm also interested in this idea. I consider myself a pragmatic idealist, and an optimist, and I'd like to hear more about ethical non-voting. How does non-voting on principle change things for the better? Asking sincerely.

[bae]

I am against mandatory voting because people would be mad and just vote for anyone without any thought. I don’t see that as helpful.

I think mandatory voting is evil. Mandatory voting ultimately requires the use of force to achieve compliance.

If someone ethically chooses not to vote, and voting is mandatory, presumably the first step is a fine. If that person refuses to pay the fine, at some point armed police will enter their life. If that person resists the armed police, they will shoot that person dead.

I am unwilling to kill someone to force them to vote.

[Teacher Terry]

Exactly Bae!