ClassyPenguin
Banned
I live in California. Direct democracy sucks.
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- Thread starter Davedough
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shanshan310
Member
This is why you should have compulsory voting.
who said that? I didn't say that >.> How controversial.
Dr.Palutena
Member
I voted in May and it wasn't for Obama!
Also the tenth is closing for Secret Santa Real-Gaf
Also the tenth is closing for Secret Santa Real-Gaf
No. Compulsory voting is stupid and honestly people who don't care are better off not voting than voting for some dumbass for a shitty reason like well I HAVE to vote so I'll vote for this guy because his name is funny.
shanshan310
Member
No one really does that though. And if it was compulsory employers would have to give people time off, so people who usually wouldn't have time to vote get a chance to. You do get a few idiots but most people usually have some sort of opinion and make themselves more aware. It would be more Democratic, at least.
Nope. It's compulsory here in Brazil and you get one day to vote and that day is a saturday. So you know what you get? To stand in godforsaken lines for hours because dohohoho compulsory voting and no days off because why bother with that? It's a shitty system and I know that there are many people who are just not interested in politics in any way so they'll get some dumb reason why to vote for one particular candidate who probably doesn't even deserve the vote. It wouldn't be more democratic, you're being forced to do something. If you honestly feel that both candidates are terrible then don't vote, that is more democratic as it's your free will not to participate in the election. Being forced to pick a lesser of two evils is horrible and I doubt it'll make anybody more aware. If anything I hate voting since it's boring and I don't care about politics.
nostalgia bomb EXPLODE
The electoral college renders all hope for a democratic process invalid.
I don't support compulsory voting under the U.S. system but that's not how it would work at all. If your vote was mandatory you would be forced to vote for a representative (and if you could do so by mail, the whole bit about lines would be pretty much null) and since you would just need to choose a representative, not choose between two candidates- if you really couldn't identify one, you could choose none or write in Homer Simpson. Third parties would get far more votes under a compulsory voting tally and just being apathetic isn't a great reason not to vote, nor do certain people deserve the right to vote more than others. Everybody should vote. It's the way the votes are counted in this country that makes the system undemocratic
If there isn't a candidate named Gordon then why even vote.
Voluntary voting systems just ensure that politicians have to pander desperately to motivate people to even get to the voting booths, which leads into a slide into increasingly idiotic "My side will give you the best deal EVER" "My opponent is a baby-eating demon from hellsberg" behaviour, instead of actually being able to concentrate on the issues (even if the issues are 'minor' to the average voter).
It may be more democratic on the small scale for individuals to be able to choose not to vote, but in aggregate I think it works against democracy because only it's far more likely that only invested parties will be expressing a voice.
It may be more democratic on the small scale for individuals to be able to choose not to vote, but in aggregate I think it works against democracy because only it's far more likely that only invested parties will be expressing a voice.
CrudeDiatribe
Member
Voting isn't compulsory here, but getting time off to vote is. Wouldn't mind compulsory voting though.
So attack ads aren't common in Oz?
Even if the way campaigning operates is less than desirable, there will be differences when it comes to what the candidates do when elected.
I'd rather have one that kinda rather sorta has my best interests in mine than one that believes I'm an entitled moocher. Plus all the local elections and state propositions/amendments that affect you more directly than national voting.
I'd rather have one that kinda rather sorta has my best interests in mine than one that believes I'm an entitled moocher. Plus all the local elections and state propositions/amendments that affect you more directly than national voting.
They're not quite as venomous.
There's enough venomous attacks in Australia already.
Hey Pau! I made another recommendation post that was 100% ignored
. You might be interested in the last part of it!!!http://m.neogaf.com/showpost.php?p=43685196
Professor Beef
Banned
Bush getting elected twice killed my ambition to vote, honestly. It's a big reason why I didn't bother voting in 08, and why I wasn't in a rush to get my info changed this year.
That's a good list of comics right there. :O Man, I really need to get a job so that I can sustain such an expensive addiction. Bulletproof Coffin sounds particularly awesome. And I still need to pick up Hawkeye...Hey Pau! I made another recommendation post that was 100% ignored
http://m.neogaf.com/showpost.php?p=43685196
ShockingAlberto
Member
Man up, Beef. Don't use this an excuse for apathy!
Professor Beef
Banned
Well when the guy I voted for lost the popular vote, and then the following election the guy I voted for gives up, it becomes really hard to care after that.
Dr.Palutena
Member
I buy comics like once a year, otherwise i would be extra broke.
ShockingAlberto
Member
No, it doesn't. You should care even harder.
Professor Beef
Banned
wat
that makes no sense. My vote literally didn't matter in both of those instances. Why would I care more? I could understand it if it were a close race but bush won the P.Vote in 2000, and Kerry didn't give up in 04, but my votes actually did nothing during those years.
This is a big reason why I cannot stand the electoral college.
You guys who don't want to vote: remember that your local and state elections matter! You actually have a good chance at influencing those. Forget about the presidential election for a minute and read up about what is going to be on your local ballot. Please go and vote!
This. Propositions are so important and the main reason I'm voting. There are some really important education props in California.
ShockingAlberto
Member
First of all, to argue your vote didn't matter because the guy you voted for lost in 2004 is stupid.
Neither instance you describe is your vote not mattering. Rather than trying to get more involved and trying to convince more people why voting matters, you're taking a "It didn't work out so none of it works ever!" stance, which doesn't make any sense.
Professor Beef
Banned
It's hard for me to convince people that voting matters when I don't believe it myself. If I wanted to convince people by lying, then I guess I'd make a good politician.
Kerry losing in 04 alone didn't make me apathetic to the voting process. The fact that he quit sure the fuck did, though.
ShockingAlberto
Member
He ran a bad campaign and didn't do so at the very end. Good thing the nation stopped voting when someone ran a bad campaign. Kerry also emerged from that with the closest popular vote tie in history and those efforts directly lead to taking back the house in 2006.
But, you know. Doesn't matter, obviously.
Professor Beef
Banned
FINALLY we see eye to eye.
Dr.Palutena
Member
Seems very defeatist to me, my candidate lost once and another one ran a bad campaign SO I'M NEVER VOTING EVER AGAIN.
The thing is, the more apathetic a certain voting demographic is, IE young people, the more power it gives to other groups of people that may not share the same views.
I remember going to vote in the 2010 midterms, seemingly being the only person there under 40. If everyone was more engaged in voting, all the time, not just for presidential elections, then this country, or at the very least your local community would reflect the desires (or come to a close approximation) of the entire population, rather than those who only care to vote.
I remember going to vote in the 2010 midterms, seemingly being the only person there under 40. If everyone was more engaged in voting, all the time, not just for presidential elections, then this country, or at the very least your local community would reflect the desires (or come to a close approximation) of the entire population, rather than those who only care to vote.
Professor Beef
Banned
You are comically missing the point.
ShockingAlberto
Member
Well your ability to express your point isn't very good, so she decided not give you any more chances.
Professor Beef
Banned
Fair enough. I'm done trying to explain why I want my vote to matter.
Dr.Palutena
Member
At the very least listen to lissar and zeroray. I'm not so much missing the point as your point seems rather silly and or badly presented.
Not voting is certainly not a way for your vote to ever potentially matter, though.
Not voting is certainly not a way for your vote to ever potentially matter, though.
ShockingAlberto
Member
I never said you shouldn't care if your vote matters. I am saying you are a dunce for thinking it doesn't in these situations you have outlined.
ClassyPenguin
Banned
Most people don't care enough to even learn how the electoral college works, much less support their reasons against it other than not being "fair".
Hawkian, I think, had a great post on it in the old thread.
Hawkian, I think, had a great post on it in the old thread.
Professor Beef
Banned
Then we've reached an impasse, since my stance isn't going to change. Now gimme that dunce cap.
I know how the electoral college works and why people believe it's important, particularly those in smaller states. I still think the popular vote should be the deciding factor instead of electoral votes.
Chuckie
Member
Lol...exactly what I thought when coming in this topic.
lissar knows what she's talking about!
Johnny Dazzle
Member
WE HAVE SO MANY ACID AHHHHHHH