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Phred
Fred's son
Registered: 10/18/00
Posts: 12,949
Loc: Dominican Republic
Last seen: 9 years, 2 months
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Why you MUST vote
#3251335 - 10/19/04 11:53 AM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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The political ignorance of the average American voter is more vast than most of us posting here can imagine. See http://www.townhall.com/columnists/calthomas/ct20041018.shtml for just how ridiculous the situation really is. It's an eye-opening article, for sure.
Because of the fact that a huge number of the votes this election will be cast by people without a clue, it is critical that those who are even partially informed about the issues vote in order to counterbalance the essentially random votes of these clueless ones.
I urge all Americans who frequent this forum to vote. My preference would be that you vote for Badnarik, but I'd rather see each and every one of you vote -- even if it's *gag* for Kerry -- than to let the next leader of the US be chosen by those who are unaware that Congress passed and Bush signed into law a prescription drug benefit plan, or who think increases in domestic spending have not contributed significantly to the federal deficit, or who believe there was a net loss of jobs in the US in 2004.
There is no way to stop people that ignorant from voting -- all you can do is attempt to get as many informed voters to actually vote as you possibly can. Though I heartily disagree with the political positions of the majority of Americans posting in this forum, there is no denying that most of y'all are much better informed on the issues than probably three quarters or more of the rest of the people voting this year.
pinky
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Phluck
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/10/99
Posts: 11,394
Loc: Canada
Last seen: 5 months, 3 days
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: Phred]
#3251404 - 10/19/04 12:13 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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Yes, get off your lazy, stoned asses and vote.
Don't give me this "I'm not voting 'cause I disagree with Bush and Kerry" bullshit, there are plenty of third party candidates out there.
Get to the polling station and vote.
-------------------- "I have no valid complaint against hustlers. No rational bitch. But the act of selling is repulsive to me. I harbor a secret urge to whack a salesman in the face, crack his teeth and put red bumps around his eyes." -Hunter S Thompson http://phluck.is-after.us
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Gijith
Daisy Chain Eater
Registered: 12/04/03
Posts: 2,400
Loc: New York
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: Phred]
#3251444 - 10/19/04 12:26 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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Even if you wake up election day and are still somewhat undecided (as I probably will be), go out and vote. If you don't vote, you lose all rights to bitch about the next four years.
-------------------- what's with neocons and the word 'ilk'?
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Innvertigo
Vote Libertarian!!
Registered: 02/08/01
Posts: 16,296
Loc: Crackerville, Michigan U...
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: Phred]
#3251458 - 10/19/04 12:29 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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You'd be amazed how many of my friends and family members that are a bit upset because i'm voting third party, it's kinda funny....and sad.
-------------------- America....FUCK YEAH!!! Words of Wisdom: Individual Rights BEFORE Collective Rights "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." -- Thomas Jefferson
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Phred
Fred's son
Registered: 10/18/00
Posts: 12,949
Loc: Dominican Republic
Last seen: 9 years, 2 months
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: Gijith]
#3251497 - 10/19/04 12:39 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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Gijith, I just watched your new sig and all I can say is you had damn well better be female.
pinky
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Innvertigo
Vote Libertarian!!
Registered: 02/08/01
Posts: 16,296
Loc: Crackerville, Michigan U...
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: Phred]
#3251504 - 10/19/04 12:41 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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....Not that there's anything wrong with it being a dude....
-------------------- America....FUCK YEAH!!! Words of Wisdom: Individual Rights BEFORE Collective Rights "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." -- Thomas Jefferson
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Annapurna1
liberal pussy
Registered: 05/21/02
Posts: 5,646
Loc: innsmouth..MA
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: Gijith]
#3251537 - 10/19/04 12:47 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Gijith said: Even if you wake up election day and are still somewhat undecided (as I probably will be), go out and vote. If you don't vote, you lose all rights to bitch about the next four years.
as if theres even anything left to bitch about now..given the inevitability of a bush win...
-------------------- "anchor blocks counteract the process of pontiprobation..while omalean globes regulize the pressure"...
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unbeliever
Yo Daddy!
Registered: 05/22/04
Posts: 5,158
Loc: Gallifrey
Last seen: 15 years, 20 days
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: Phred]
#3251554 - 10/19/04 12:51 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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If you don't know who or why you're voting, then please don't. That's my opinion.
-------------------- Happiness is a warm gun...
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Phred
Fred's son
Registered: 10/18/00
Posts: 12,949
Loc: Dominican Republic
Last seen: 9 years, 2 months
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: unbeliever]
#3251567 - 10/19/04 12:54 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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If you don't yet know who to vote for, vote Badnarik. Why? He's the only presidential candidate dedicated to the repeal of the drug prohibition laws in the US and finally putting an end to the WoD.
Legal shrooms, people.
pinky
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unbeliever
Yo Daddy!
Registered: 05/22/04
Posts: 5,158
Loc: Gallifrey
Last seen: 15 years, 20 days
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: Phred]
#3251577 - 10/19/04 12:56 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
pinksharkmark said: If you don't yet know who to vote for, vote Badnarik. Why? He's the only presidential candidate dedicated to the repeal of the drug prohibition laws in the US and finally putting an end to the WoD.
Legal shrooms, people.
pinky
Wrong. Single issue voting is almost as bad as voting without a clue. Not quite, but close. I recommend trying as best as possible to do as much research on the candidates who might interest you. If you find one you think you like, one who supports the same basic principles that you do.. vote for them. Don't get caught up in political histrionics.
-------------------- Happiness is a warm gun...
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Gijith
Daisy Chain Eater
Registered: 12/04/03
Posts: 2,400
Loc: New York
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: Phred]
#3251590 - 10/19/04 12:58 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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I blame the admins. The original version wasn't nearly as gay (or at least the gay elements were balanced out with straight ones). But it was also a few megs. Cutting it to 64k was a bitch.
But yeah, now that I look at this one... maybe I need some therapy.
-------------------- what's with neocons and the word 'ilk'?
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z@z.com
Libertarian
Registered: 10/13/02
Posts: 2,876
Loc: ATL
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: Annapurna1]
#3251630 - 10/19/04 01:08 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Annapurna1 said: as if theres even anything left to bitch about now..given the inevitability of a bush win...
Why do you give up so easily? Ever heard of fighting the good fight?
-------------------- "Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." - C.S. Lewis "I would rather be exposed to the inconveniencies attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." - Thomas Jefferson
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Phred
Fred's son
Registered: 10/18/00
Posts: 12,949
Loc: Dominican Republic
Last seen: 9 years, 2 months
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: unbeliever]
#3251665 - 10/19/04 01:16 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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unbeliever writes:
Single issue voting is almost as bad as voting without a clue. Not quite, but close.
Of course. There are many other great reasons to vote for Badnarik as well, and no downside to voting for him, but if someone isn't voting cuz they don't know who to vote for or why, he's the closest to being an all upside, no downside candidate on the slate.
My point is that very few of the posters in this forum are anywhere near as ignorant of the issues as the majority of American voters. Though they may not be perfectly informed on every single issue, they sure beat the majority of those who will vote this year.
Anyone who has spent a month reading the posts in this forum regularly is probably better informed than 90% of those who will vote. As I said before, I disagree with many of the conclusions a lot of y'all somehow manage to come up with from reading that information, and some folks here who consume a steady diet of rense.com, Alex Jones, Noam Chomsky, Robert Fisk, Jonathan Pilger, Michael Moore et al will inevitably vote for the worst possible candidate, but at least even the devotees of the barking moonbats do discuss issues rather than merely absorbing a vague sense of them through osmosis, or choosing to vote the Kerry ticket because Edwards has beautiful hair and Kerry knows how to snowboard.
pinky
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GazzBut
Refraction
Registered: 10/15/02
Posts: 4,773
Loc: London UK
Last seen: 2 months, 23 days
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: Phred]
#3251667 - 10/19/04 01:17 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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If there were more than 2 realistic candidates and there were some actual major differences then I can see why you might have a point but as there are 2 choices who are both bankrolled by the major corporations I really dont see how it makes any difference whether the voter is "educated" or not. Puppet shows are for children after all.
-------------------- Always Smi2le
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Phred
Fred's son
Registered: 10/18/00
Posts: 12,949
Loc: Dominican Republic
Last seen: 9 years, 2 months
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: GazzBut]
#3251679 - 10/19/04 01:19 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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So vote for someone other than Kerry or Bush.
pinky
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luvdemshrooms
Two inch dick..but it spins!?
Registered: 11/29/01
Posts: 34,247
Loc: Lost In Space
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: Phred]
#3251721 - 10/19/04 01:33 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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Not a surprise. People are stupid and many seem to vote for a party because "that's the party they have always been".
There should be a test to vote.
-------------------- You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for that my dear friend is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it. ~ Adrian Rogers
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unbeliever
Yo Daddy!
Registered: 05/22/04
Posts: 5,158
Loc: Gallifrey
Last seen: 15 years, 20 days
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: Phred]
#3251848 - 10/19/04 02:06 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
pinksharkmark said: unbeliever writes:
Single issue voting is almost as bad as voting without a clue. Not quite, but close.
Of course. There are many other great reasons to vote for Badnarik as well, and no downside to voting for him, but if someone isn't voting cuz they don't know who to vote for or why, he's the closest to being an all upside, no downside candidate on the slate.
In your opinion... However, for people who think that libertarianism is an inherently flawed ideal, voting for Badnarik is not a reflection of an honest vote. There are plenty of othe good 3rd party candidates out there for people who want to think and vote outside the box (read: the duopoly of American politics). That said, I'm still voting for Kerry because I like enough of his ideas and specifically dislike how the incumbant has handled his responsiblity, to the point where I feel it is important to remove the chimp. Even if it means not voting for the candidate I would most like to see win, but realize doesn't have a chance.
Again, IRV, Condorcet or something similar would be a really nice upgrade to the American voting system.
-------------------- Happiness is a warm gun...
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Swami
Eggshell Walker
Registered: 01/18/00
Posts: 15,413
Loc: In the hen house
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: Phred]
#3251893 - 10/19/04 02:22 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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I detest Bush and am not thrilled with Kerry, but would not vote for Badnarik just to "send a message" even though he is my candidate of choice, as he has ZERO chance of winning.
The whole idea of voting for people (hundreds of issues in one vote - and your candidate is not legally bound to his campaign promises) and NOT issues, makes it clear that we are not even close to a democracy.
This is why people get apathetic and fail to vote. This will be my first election since I voted "against" Nixon.
-------------------- The proof is in the pudding.
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luvdemshrooms
Two inch dick..but it spins!?
Registered: 11/29/01
Posts: 34,247
Loc: Lost In Space
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Re: Why you MUST vote [Re: Swami]
#3251916 - 10/19/04 02:29 PM (19 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
not even close to a democracy.
The US is not, was not, and was never intended to be a democracy.
-------------------- You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for that my dear friend is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it. ~ Adrian Rogers
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Swami
Eggshell Walker
Registered: 01/18/00
Posts: 15,413
Loc: In the hen house
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But Bush wants Iraq to be a democracy "just like the US of A".
-------------------- The proof is in the pudding.
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