If you didn't vote yesterday, why not? (I didn't)

by AlmostAtheist 19 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  AlmostAtheist

  In the U.S. we had a voting day yesterday that decided more than just any one candidate for any one position, but which ideology (Democratic or Republican) would hold sway over the government.

  If ever there was a time to weigh in, you'd think this woulda been it.

  But I didn't.

  Of course I'm lazy. Of course I'm distracted, and busy, and unsure of where to vote. And I've never done it before, so there's anxiety.

  But the real reason is that I simply had no idea who to vote for. The information readily available on the candidates is either given by themselves ("I rock!") or their opponents ("They suck!"). To get anything approaching the truth, I reasoned, I'd have to invest lots of time and effort. And for that time/effort, I would get to cast one vote. Meanwhile I hear idiots on TV being interviewed saying they are going to vote for this guy because they think he "seems honest", or that guy because he "promised to do something about [x]".

  My one informed, carefully weighed vote would mean no more than the one they scraped off the bottom of their shoes. I just don't see the value in bothering.

  A friend of mine said that she goes to http://vote-smart.org to make her voting decisions. If it's all in one place and I feel like I can come to a reasonable decision in an hour or two, I could probably go for it. Look for me at the polls in 2008! (Maybe)

  Dave
• 

  kittyeatzjdubs

  Because I didn't really like any of the candidates to begin with, and I just moved to a new state and haven't registered to vote yet.

  ~luv, jojo
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  MeneMene

  I voted yesterday for the first time in my life. .. I almost backed out but my daughter convinced me to go with her. Lightning didn't strike me either. ... I though for sure it was going to when I started to read Crisis of Conscience a few years back. : )
• 

  blondie

  Many states have absentee ballotting, you can get the form to request them online, they mail it to you, you fill out, and then mail back postage already paid.

  Sometimes it's a matter of voting for the one that you dislike least. Even if you don't vote, you are still voting. (Let JWs chew on that one).

  Blondie
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  doogie

  i've decided that politics (at least in this country) is like chess. the pawns do what pawns do; the knights do what knights do...etc. the two teams battle each other for dominance of the board, meanwhile the spectators, seeing that they have absolutely no part of the game, get bored and walk away from the table leaving the two sides to their business. and i mean business. i've become so cynical of business' involvement with our political system that i don't really see the point of assisting one side or the other get into office. either way, the corporations win.

  OTOH, if someone is running on a platform which i definitely am opposed to (say anti-abortion), i will vote for the other guy just to keep the first guy away from the power...but then, i'm just playing my part in the game, too...the guy i vote for to block the scumbag is in all liklihood a scumbag himself in some other way. plus, the whole voting thing is kind of pointless for me because i live in texas and Kinky wouldn't have won anyway. :)
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  justsomedude

  I went and voted mainly for the p ropositions. As far as the candidates went, I wasnt really blown away by any of them and really didnt see any benefit of one over another.
• 

  Good Girl or Bad Girl?

  I had every intention of voting: I registered, I read up on things, I talked with lots of different people about the issues/referendum and their views/opinions.

  Then I got the flu. And it was bad.

  I finally dragged myself out of bed and out the door, just to find out I was 30 minutes too late. (I thought my polling place closed at 9PM, but it was actually 8PM.)

  It figures - getting to something too late is the story of my life. I mean, I was genuinely ill. I do realize my one little vote may not have made a difference. But I felt it was my right as a citizen, and for the first time ever it was available to me (as a JW I believed it was NOT available to me).
• 

  hambeak

  I know it is only 1 vote but all those do add up. This election and the results will tell a lot for the next 2 years and who will occupy 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington DC
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  AK - Jeff

  Dave - What you said applies to me pretty much.

  Still, I was planning on making the mid-term plunge for the first time in my life. I called the county officials to confirm my polling place on the morning of the day - somehow, though I had followed the precise instructions given for registering on time and in the right place - my name was not on the rolls. I got disenfranchised - and not even a souvenier [sp] 'hanging chad' for it.

  Jeff
• 

  SB

  my boyfriend asked me why i didn't vote. i almost cried and said "because i've been told its wrong my entire life, it's an issue i havn't addressed yet and don't have any opinions on and i don't know anything about politics or people running for office or what office does what". then he asked if i was registered to vote. I said "no". "what!"...AGAIN, i've always been told if i register to vote i will die. it's not something that comes naturally to me.

  How hilarious is that? in a sad sort of way. :) i will vote next time.

  p.s. i must be retarded, b/c i don't know how to post a new topic. can anyone tell me?? :)

  thanks,

  SB