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

[bae]

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

[iris lilies]

SteveinMN, I read your posts because they are thoughtful, concise, open-minded, considerate of others views and usually right. I’ll second that ^

I am probably not going to vote on Tuesday. Is it the beginning of an opt out policy for me? Not sure. But Tuesday, I will protest. A great philosopher, intellect and a little bit of a musician is quoted,

“Government is the entertainment division of the military- industrial complex.” Frank Zappa

Can’t understand why no one ever took him seriously. Haha.

I always say, go to the poll, get a ballot, and if none of the choices are worth voting for, drop your empty ballot in the box. To me, that separates you from the too-lazy-to-get-to-the-polls person.

Usually, though, there e is a local issue or candidate worth voting on.

[pinkytoe]

Isn't there some point where attack ads just go in one ear and out the other? Hard to believe they are really effective except for a small group. Around here, I hear a couple of words over and over - radical and liberal. I made the mistake of using the word "progressive" around one of my neighbors and he went into a spiel about radical liberals. Not even sure what that means...but it seems like misuse of some good words.

[Williamsmith]

I always say, go to the poll, get a ballot, and if none of the choices are worth voting for, drop your empty ballot in the box. To me, that separates you from the too-lazy-to-get-to-the-polls person.

Usually, though, there e is a local issue or candidate worth voting on.

I think most Americans are too busy listening to the noise of politics to make an informed decision about anything. It’s all just whipped cream, empty calories and fat heads. I have the luxury of slowing it all down, contemplating the fluff that is presented as fact, reading actual well constructed sentences, reasonable thoughts and footnoted theories. And when it comes to Federal Elections, at this point in the game, I feel voting only encourages them.

I think the patriotic thing to do is not associate with such silliness, refuse to condone a false democracy, exercise your right to civil disobedience and proudly become an active non-voter. Acknowledge that the illusion of voting is that you are making a difference and that if you don’t vote you don’t have a right to complain. When the truth is, the people who don’t vote have the most right to complain because it is the voters who elect the bastards who make all our lives intolerable.

What if they held an election and nobody voted? In this atmosphere, if anyone believes their vote will make a difference then they haven’t paid attention the the machinations of the two party political system. It’s like tossing out a hook with a worm on it into a dry lakebed and saying, “You can’t catch a fish, if you don’t have a line in the water.” And before anybody accuses anyone else of being too cynical, they ought to be prepared to explain just where the fish are.

So Im to believe that despite all the previous Democrats and Republicans that came before them, this time if I can just get my Democratic candidate in or my Republican to win....things will change. The real change would occur if the voter turnout were so low that it actually deligitimized the politicians. And by do so, it disarms the people (corporations) that fund them. I don’t vote the lesser of two evils anymore. Hitting a concrete abutment at 55 mph is no different than doing it at 75 mph. You are just as dead.

So, instead of voting......I think I’ll do something worthwhile. I think I’ll go to the polls and eat a pizza.

[Teacher Terry]

I think it’s a terrible idea.

[Williamsmith]

I think it’s a terrible idea.

You are right. I should really just have a salad.

[SteveinMN]

Acknowledge that the illusion of voting is that you are making a difference and that if you don’t vote you don’t have a right to complain. When the truth is, the people who don’t vote have the most right to complain because it is the voters who elect the bastards who make all our lives intolerable.

That's somewhat-circular reasoning: "I don't vote because the people who do vote elect 'bastards'." You lose any opportunity to alter that outcome if you do not vote.

So Im to believe that despite all the previous Democrats and Republicans that came before them, this time if I can just get my Democratic candidate in or my Republican to win....things will change. The real change would occur if the voter turnout were so low that it actually deligitimized the politicians. And by do so, it disarms the people (corporations) that fund them. I don’t vote the lesser of two evils anymore. Hitting a concrete abutment at 55 mph is no different than doing it at 75 mph. You are just as dead.

I see your point about electing candidates who are largely variations of vanilla ice cream.

But hitting a concrete abutment at 25 mph is a lot different from hitting it at 55 mph. I, too, am no fan of electing people who don't represent those who voted for them, but, at these midterms, I'm okay with voting for gridlock and slowing down the nonsense.

What you really want is electoral reform. Repealing Citizens United and getting PAC money reined in in is a critical part of that, IMHO. Dissolving the Electoral College system -- maybe necessary once but now as helpful as tariffs for buggy-whip manufacturers -- has great value. Term limits could help (I don't agree with those who want those elected to serve only one term; I think there's value to some continuity, but the Pelosis and Hoyers and McConnells and Hatches should have moved out of the picture long ago). Ranked-choice voting and runoffs could help -- it possible for this country to elect someone with an actual majority of the vote, not just a plurality? (Maybe we need to keep trying until we find someone who actually can earn a true majority.) Making voting easier, limiting the length of campaigns; all these things would change the electoral landscape.

But removing oneself from the process -- especially if one chooses to not engage in changing the process -- is (again IMHO) an empty exercise and, frankly, just petulance.

[Zoe Girl]

I do like IL, I voted and knew about several items that I felt I understood and was clear on my vote. I did not vote on some of the weird amendments I didn't know anything about. I did read up on all the judges from a website that gave them ratings and voted to retain all of them.

Voting for the candidate I am not crazy about but still is better is okay with me. Once they are elected I will continue to push for things I feel are for the common good.

[Williamsmith]

SteveinMN, you were doing so well too.

Quote,

“But removing oneself from the process -- especially if one chooses to not engage in changing the process -- is (again IMHO) an empty exercise and, frankly, just petulance.”

Permit yourself to consider further explanation from a childlike non voter.

Voting is not a moral or legal obligation. It is a right which one is free to claim or not. Whether one does claim it or not shouldn’t make him a target of derision. I could refer to your voting as obstinate and dissolusioned. Performing the same task over and over again the same way and expecting a different outcome. As if checking a ballot is somehow enriching the political process. The act of voting is more of a fetish than it is a legitimate effort to create change.

You all have read my posts enough to know that I am politically engaged. And I have been voting for many years. My abstention from voting has no impact on the election. It does not count as a vote for or against anyone. It is no different than a vote to abstain while being present for the vote. In other words, I abstain because I object to the political process as having been negated by corruption and deception. Is there a more powerful way to engage in changing the process than to refuse to acknowledge its legitimacy?

[Teacher Terry]

Oprah just gave a great speech on why it’s so important to vote. People have fought hard and long for this right and some have died. To merely throw it away is unthinkable to me.