November 4, 2008
So Should You….
Regardless of whether you choose to vote for, or against, any of the names or issues on the ballot today… by casting your own vote, you have earned the right to bitch and complain about the job performance of your elected leaders!
Voting is one of the only times, we, as individuals, get to silently voice our wishes about how our Cities or Country should be led. TODAY is your chance to do so… If you choose NOT to vote today, in my opinion, you are forfeiting your right to complain until the next time your chance to vote comes around…
Whenever I get into a discussion with someone about political issues… “Did You Vote?” is generally one of the first questions I introduce to the discussion. If the answer is no… the discussion usually goes in a completely different direction!
If you need help understanding voting machines, need to know when the polls are open in your area, or just want to understand How to Vote. Check out the Learn How to Vote post at DIYReviews.
16 Responses to “I Voted Today - So Should You!”
Got something to say?
Posting tweet...
Well I’m not from USA, but I usually vote, as you mentioned above, you have the rights to bitch and complain.
Cheers,
The Moneyac
Well, Let us wait for the results! It is going to be great!
Psst, who did you vote for?
We voted Saturday with the early vote! Took about 1 1/2 hours! I think i’ve followed politics this year more than ever!
Get out and vote today and tomorrow we can all celebrate the end of a long campaign. I’ll give whoever wins their first 100 days (grace period), then the bitching begins!
Hey Mark
I voted today. I actually wrote in my vote today. I am in favor of an education course for voters. I’d like to make voting a privilege, not a right. Kind of like a drivers license. This way people are educated in the topics at hand instead of it being a popularity contest.
Its kind of like how I come to your site to learn about building niche sites since you are an expert at it. This way I cannot complain or bitch at nobody but myself if my sites are not getting ranked or making money. If I do not succed its my own fault because you taught me how to do things.
While I understand the frustration for many voters, I don’t agree with the comment above about making voting a privilege. Taking a course on the issues could substantially limit the voting process to a certain level of education among voters. Plus, how would you handle an education course? Would you tell them to ignore the smear campaigns run by every candidate? Would you have them learn to pick out false statements or misleading information provided by the candidates? It just doesn’ t seem workable even if you could believe in installing such a system.
Brain
That’s the whole goal. Don’t let the people vote who do not want to take the time to educate themselves on the issues. Voting based on “popularity” or “I’ve always voted Democratic” shows you did not take the time to educate yourself about the issues at hand. So therefore I do not want you voting at all. Its like saying I want to fly a 747 but not take the time to learn how to fly one. Of course your not going to let me fly. If one vote means so much shouldn’t you make sure you are making an educated decision? There would be no more smear campaigns. This would hold candidates and voters accountable. If elected this candidate better follow what they say they are going to do because 4 years later the people will remember what they were told was going to happen. You can read my whole post above if you want to discuss it. Don’t want to take up space on Mark’s great site talking politics when its about building niche stores.
I live in Australia and voting is compulsory or you get a $60 fine-has always baffled me why America is not the same considering all the money spent on promoting the candidates-like many countries when America sneezes we catch a cold-feel this is going to be a new turning point for the world-more peace and love to the fellow man I truly hope so -we need that change.
Sorry mark but I do not agree with your statement “if you don’t vote don’t complain”
If candidates on either side, or Politicians in general, do not live up to a persons expectations then you have the right not to vote but still retain the right to complain. Everyone has a right to complain if the right choices (for them) at a particular time are simply not there.
If you were in favour of a total ban on smoking but the only choice, in a vote, was to allow people to smoke inside their own homes or in buildings over 500 square feet, You would probably not vote. But you would still have the right to complain if the outcome of that vote affected you.
Harish Davis,
I see your point BUT there was more then just the President running for office. You can vote for them and leave the President column empty.
I received this comment from one of my affiliates today.
I saw an interview with one of his top campaign aids last night. When questioned about the tax increases she said that Obama was aware that tax cuts was the best stimulant for the economy and he would keep the Bush tax cuts in place. I thought, why the hell didn’t he say that during his campaign? Why did he say the exact opposite? But, as I said before, he needed an enemy to campaign against. That enemy was the evil rich. He, like every other politician, will say whatever it takes to get elected. Now, we will see what he does with his opportunity.
Great comments… and why having our own opinions and the ability to express them, is so important!
I agree with you on the time in office Bob- regardless of who was elected yesterday, and BOTH were very good candidates with different ideals, I will stand behind them and allow the time for the change to occur, measuring the efforts and the results.
@ Harish -
Even in situations where you do not agree with ANY of the candidates, there is a write-in option, where you can even vote for yourself if you wish! When I cast my votes, not all of them were in favor of a certain person, and many were votes AGAINST the other person… a lesser of the two evils vote, which some call a wasted vote.
If you don’t vote, you can’t complain?? I hear so many people say that. It’s a bunch of garbage. So, if I don’t vote for either candidate, because in my opinion, neither one is a good choice, I can’t complain? No one knows what we’re really getting by listening to all the “promises” made during a campaign. After the winner takes over the office is when we really find out the truth. And find out if America elected a good leader or a bad one. If the bad one emerges, I want everyone to complain - whether they voted or not. Voting is not mandatory. And if I choose to vote for the lesser of two bad choices, is that really a better solution? I think not.
I keep forgetting Americans don’t have to vote. In Australia voting is compulsory! Supposedly we can get in pretty big trouble if we don’t (I’m not gonna test it to find out :D)
@Mark,
What plugin are you using for your polls? How do you get them to appear within a post, instead of on a sidebar??
@ Alice -
I use the democracy poll plugin… instead of using the sidebar widget, I use the code call instead.
You just hit the code view in your editor, and put in the code:
[democracy:6]
6 is the poll ID.
Mark