I served in the Corps, I feel like it's a slap in the face to all my brothers and sisters who also have served not to vote. We all served to protect our voting privileges, we ought to do so IMHO.

I will be 65 in November and I have voted in every single election (local, state and federal), with two exceptions ... my absentee ballots did not arrive on time for either one of the missed elections. One was a local election w/bond proposals and the other one was an off-year cycle state election for legislators from our state legislature.

I have seen people bitching and griping about the state of the state and the state of the nation etc, and was informed on several occasions, that the people who were the most vocal, had NOT taken the time to vote. You can guess EXACTLY what my comments were.

That was one case where I was very very direct ... I told them if they were too damned lazy to take the time to vote, then they deserve every bad thing that could happen to them because of those who WERE elected and if the whiners didn't like it, I DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT ... they didn't have a leg to stand on or a right to gripe - they got what they deserved.

Originally Posted by Chief Bones

I will be 65 in November and I have voted in every single election (local, state and federal), with two exceptions ... my absentee ballots did not arrive on time for either one of the missed elections. One was a local election w/bond proposals and the other one was an off-year cycle state election for legislators from our state legislature.

I have seen people bitching and griping about the state of the state and the state of the nation etc, and was informed on several occasions, that the people who were the most vocal, had NOT taken the time to vote. You can guess EXACTLY what my comments were.

That was one case where I was very very direct ... I told them if they were too damned lazy to take the time to vote, then they deserve every bad thing that could happen to them because of those who WERE elected and if the whiners didn't like it, I DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT ... they didn't have a leg to stand on or a right to gripe - they got what they deserved.

What if there is no one running that you believe is worthy of your vote?

I am not a fan of the "if you don't vote don't complain" argument as it completely over looks the reason they didn't vote, if they just couldn't be bothered voting then you are correct but if they didn't vote because they didn't support any of their candidates then I see that as the ultimate protest vote.

My parents were big on the idea that if you didn't like the government you voted against them and they just couldn't grasp the concept that I didn't like the alternative either.

I believe you vote more for the party than the candidate. Works for me.

The problem here is that there is no discernible difference between the two main parties and the minor parties are a joke (most of our minor parties are special interests groups Greens etc.) on top of that I prefer to vote for the person I want to represent me not a party that will represent its largest contributors.

No doubt about it with both major parties, but I go with the lesser of the two evils, and by far the one I voted for since I was able to vote has gotten my vote with that thought in mind while voting.

Originally Posted by AikiRooster

No doubt about it with both major parties, but I go with the lesser of the two evils, and by far the one I voted for since I was able to vote has gotten my vote with that thought in mind while voting.

Which is the bit I really hate about politics, its become a matter of getting rid of governments we don't like rather than electing a government we do want and that to me is a huge failure of the electoral systems.

The other problem is we have a huge population and you can't satisfy all of them so whoever gets elected, a good portion of the country is going to feel juiced.

Originally Posted by AikiRooster

I served in the Corps, I feel like it's a slap in the face to all my brothers and sisters who also have served not to vote. We all served to protect our voting privileges, we ought to do so IMHO.

Brother people like us have to vote, doesn't matter if there's anybody worth voting for or not. We defended this country, right or wrong we did it, voting is a requirement, and I believe, probably somewhere in my past it was probably an order.

10-4 brother. I like the idea of it being an order but at same time, I could understand the people's right to not to as we also served to protect that as well, even though I don't agree with it used in that circumstance.