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[iapetus]

http://www.pbs.org/elections/essays.html

The Cringely Voting Plan is personal, not organized, it is nonpartisan and ought to help every party equally, and it can work. The Cringely Voting Plan doesn't care why people don't vote (this voter apathy problem, by the way, is not peculiarly American; it afflicts much of the developed world). Its only goal is to get people to vote. The technique is simple: just use the energy of motivated voters to motivate apathetic voters. This presidential election in particular is characterized as much by rabidly partisan voters as it is by voter apathy. Voters either fervently support one candidate or they just don't care at all, so the trick is to use the relationships between fervent and apathetic voters to get the apathetic voters to register and vote.

The Cringely Voting Plan isn't nagging, it is bargaining. Apathetic voters either don't care who wins or they don't think it matters in their lives who wins or they just can't get out of bed to cast their votes. But they do care about their mothers or brothers or girlfriends or golfing buddies. Apathetic voters may not feel the effect of John Kerry or George Bush in their lives but they do feel the effect of Mom. So here is what we do. If you are a motivated voter, look at your friends and relatives and decide who among them are truly apathetic-the eligible voters who simply don't give a darn who wins. Choose three of these friends or relatives and approach them today. Tell them, "Instead of buying me a birthday or Christmas gift this year, I want you to promise me you'll vote for candidate X." The language of the Cringely Voting Plan is quite specific so don't go winging it by saying something like "Promise me you'll vote in this election," because that will fail. You, as the motivated voter, have to require that your apathetic buddy vote for the specific candidate of your choice in exchange for being released from some social or cultural obligation he might be more likely to perform than voting. Forget the birthday gift, vote for Kerry. Don't mow the lawn, vote for Bush. You get it. Then, as the motivated voter, it is your responsibility to make sure your three apathetic friends register (get the paperwork, help them fill it in, then mail it for them), and do everything you can to get them to the polls on Election Day.

Discuss.

 

[MIMIC]

Tell them, "Instead of buying me a birthday or Christmas gift this year, I want you to promise me you'll vote for candidate X."

Uhh, option B?

 

[Funky Papa]

http://www.pbs.org/elections/essays.html
Discuss.

Only educated people with a decent knowledge on all the concurring parties should be allowed to vote.

Just my two cents.

 

[Manabanana]

Candidate X!? He must be REALLY rad! He's got MY vote!

 

[iapetus]

Extreme voting.

 

[Jim Bowie]

Candidate X!? He must be REALLY rad! He's got MY vote!

Candidate X is Racer X's brother!!!! LOOK OUT SPEED!

 

[Manabanana]

Candidate X is Racer X's brother!!!! LOOK OUT SPEED!

Eh...closest thing I could find to surprised.

 

[slayn]

speaking as one of the lazy ass apathy group. This won't work.

 

[NohWun]

> speaking as one of the lazy ass apathy group. This won't work.

How about this approach:

Vote or else I'll "call a coupla hard, pipe-hittin' [dudes], who'll go to work on [you] with a pair of pliers and a blow torch. [We'll] get medieval on your ass."

Does that sound more persuasive?

[edit: replaced pejorative term]

 

[shoplifter]

Only educated people with a decent knowledge on all the concurring parties should be allowed to vote.

I'd -like- that too, but I would never support any bill for it.

 

[Ned Flanders]

pipe-hittin' niggers

Umm..if you're black, you spelled "niggas" wrong, and if you're not = BANNED

 

[NohWun]

It's a quote from Pulp Fiction, from the IMDB. Thus the quote marks.