If you don't vote you are part of the problem.

[smartso]

Precursor, this is mostly a Canadian oriented rant after our election last night.

I was reading the post Canadian election results on cbc.ca and one of their lead stories was that only 59.1 percent of Canadians voted in the last election: a new record low. One of the first user comments I read I believe is quite telling of this phenomenon, ‘I didn’t vote because there is no difference between the Liberals and the Conservatives, it’s like voting for the worse of two evils’. This of course was met with the standard response, ‘If you don’t vote you can’t complain”, but I don’t think that is a valid retort anymore. What we should say to people who don’t vote is, “If you don’t vote you are part of the problem”! Politicians count on people not voting, they actually want people to not vote, why? Because it makes their job easier, they don’t have to care about as many people and can tailor their message to the fewer number of people that do vote.

Let’s look at some numbers to illustrate my point; the Conservatives won only 37.63 percent of the popular vote, the Liberals 26.24. the NDP 18.20, the Bloc 9.97, and the Greens 6.80. For the time being lets forget about the fact that the Bloc can win 50 seats in the house of commons with only 9.97% of the vote while the Greens get none with 6.80%. I think it’s pretty safe to assume that a good chunk of the 40.9% of people who voted probably wouldn’t have voted Bloc so that leaves the other 4 parties. I could be very wrong in this assumption but I feel that many of the 40.9% probably wouldn’t have voted Conservative, they may not have even voted Liberal, they seem more likely to have voted for a candidate that they knew wouldn’t get in. If either of the two leading parties knew that extra 40.9% was voting they would need to court that share of the vote in order to keep power, they would need to broaden their policies to something more people liked which would effectively make them less evil. So, by not voting you are actually further perpetuating the problem with the system. Working the argument even further, by not voting you are actually hurting the system even more because even parties receives money for each vote they get. This is to give smaller parties a leg up in future elections and help them build a solid base.

[tokenuser]

That sounds about normal for a US election.
When 40% of the population dont vote, that means that the actual winner of the election is apathy ... and means that the coutry deserves what it gets - more of the same, or change you didn't really want.

[comhcinc]

i am all for people not voting. this whole "get out the vote" idea is truly flawed.

i only want people who care about the issues to vote. if you don't care then you shouldn't vote.

[tokenuser]

i am all for people not voting. this whole "get out the vote" idea is truly flawed.

i only want people who care about the issues to vote. if you don't care then you shouldn't vote.I sort of agree with you ... provided that for the next 4 years they have to carry a "I didn't vote so I have no right to bitch" placard.

[comhcinc]

people are going to bitch no matter what. i rarely run into people that spend their time bitching about the gov. who didn't vote. most of them don't give a hoot.

[mier]

I have a standing bet with a friend that the next great revolution will take place because someone got inconvenienced. You can trample rights and garnish their wages but damn if you disconnect their cable or internet, you better hide.

I agree with you Comh, I would like an electorate that is connected with the issues and not just a cult of personality.

[smartso]

I sort of agree with you ... provided that for the next 4 years they have to carry a "I didn't vote so I have no right to bitch" placard.

If you don't know the issues then you should take a couple minutes and read up on them.

[tokenuser]

If you don't know the issues then you should take a couple minutes and read up on them."I read that Obama was an arab (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14479.html)"

You can read up on the issues, or you can believe the falsehoods that are fed to you. Some people think that they are informed voters because of things they have read ... without having the critical thinking skills to ask "is this a credible source".

[skyz]

but damn if you disconnect their cable or internet, you better hide.

:D sometimes when the cable internet is down and they say 'they are working in the area' i feel like going out to find them and yell at them to hurry up :D

I agree with you Comh, I would like an electorate that is connected with the issues and not just a cult of personality.

the thing about the cult of personality is it reminds me of the experience many of us may have had of wanting such and such a person in our lives and later thinking of taking out a restraining order

what is distant and far may seems often hopeful but in closer contact becomes less agreeable than we might have imagined

[smartso]

"I read that Obama was an arab (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14479.html)"

You can read up on the issues, or you can believe the falsehoods that are fed to you. Some people think that they are informed voters because of things they have read ... without having the critical thinking skills to ask "is this a credible source".

It's true, you may have to do a little work. But, doing a little work once every 4 years to ensure that you don't get totally screwed for the next 4 doesn't seem like a high price to pay for have a democratic system.

People do research before the buy a car or before any major purchase in their life. I fail to see why they can't give an election that could effect their livelyhood doesn't justify at least the same consideration.

[tokenuser]

People do research before the buy a car or before any major purchase in their life. I fail to see why they can't give an election that could effect their livelyhood doesn't justify at least the same consideration.People buy a Ford because they have always bought a Ford. They might get an Explorer this time around instead of an F250, but its still a Ford so they know what they are getting.

For a lot of older voters, they will vote the way they have always voted because its the way they've always voted, and it was good enough for their parent its good enough for them.

The internet is changing the voting patterns a lot. People no longer (necessarily) vote the way their parents did. They are generally far better informed of the issues than their parents are/were. Even those that listen to extreme left or right wing political commentators can see though much of the BS, and will hopefully see what the issues really are.

[comhcinc]

It's true, you may have to do a little work. But, doing a little work once every 4 years to ensure that you don't get totally screwed for the next 4 doesn't seem like a high price to pay for have a democratic system.

People do research before the buy a car or before any major purchase in their life. I fail to see why they can't give an election that could effect their livelyhood doesn't justify at least the same consideration.

ever four years? you do understand that there are elections and ballot to vote on ever year right?

in the grand scheme of things the president is only a small part.

[bigshotprof]

First "Mier-Ja VU" where have I seen that avatar before? More to the point, in a presidential election I wouldn't do this, but I think the system is so screwed up that the public should strike the next midterm election. We should just say we are fed up, and we are going to show our general discontent with a symbolic walkout. Maybe we could humiliate some of these people into summoning the sufficient shame to clean things up.

[therage800]

ever four years? you do understand that there are elections and ballot to vote on ever year right?

in the grand scheme of things the president is only a small part.

Most people realize it, but sadly, most people don't care.

[smartso]

Well I vote in provincial elections every 4 years and the federal election every 4 years. It's true I don't vote in my civic election but if I lived in the city proper I would. To be honest I've never actually even any information regarding when my civic elections are.

[phatlip12]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avmm8NWlkLU

[esophagus]

Well I vote in provincial elections every 4 years and the federal election every 4 years. It's true I don't vote in my civic election but if I lived in the city proper I would. To be honest I've never actually even any information regarding when my civic elections are.You only vote every 4 years? What happens when the federal elections happen in less or more than 4 years? I bet people are confused when you wait at a polling station when there is no election.

[smartso]

Fair enough, I vote in every federal and provincial when it comes up aprox. every 3.3 years or whatever it works out to be.

[esophagus]

Fair enough, I vote in every federal and provincial when it comes up aprox. every 3.3 years or whatever it works out to be.I know. Just joking with you.

[yohey9]

i am all for people not voting. this whole "get out the vote" idea is truly flawed.

i only want people who care about the issues to vote. if you don't care then you shouldn't vote.

So true...I run into people where I am from all the time that just say..."I don't really think about it, my parents told me to always vote republican so that's what I do....I don't have time to actually think about it." And these aren't just you know...17 and 18 year olds, these folks are in their mid forties.

It's one of those things where some of the worst atrocities in the world occurred because "people didn't think about it."

[yohey9]

ever four years? you do understand that there are elections and ballot to vote on ever year right?

in the grand scheme of things the president is only a small part.

So true....and so many people don't realize that city, county, and statewide elections are often so much more important and play such a larger part in everyone's daily life. With that said, be sure to vote "no" on prop 8 if you're from Cali. ;)

[esophagus]

From King of Queens:

"What about politics, we never talk politics."
"Good point... So... How did you vote on prop 4?"
"No."
"Really? Why is that?"
"Well. I have a system. Yes, no, yes, no, yes, no."
"Ah."

[rabidbadger]

sad but true :(