Well, here we go; another session of voting for mystery peeps that we really dont know anything about. We all hear a lot of badmouthing about major candidates for senate and all that jaz; but i am more concerned about the guys that really make a difference; our city councelors, judges, county commissioners and stuff; these are the guys that make a big impact on your world in an immediant fashion, but finding anything about about these guys is like squeezing blood from a ghost; it is not easy and you will hurt yourself in the process; sheesh. Everybodies web sites say; hey, I am great, vote for me and I will work hard. What tripe, anybody else get bent about voting for mystery candidates like I do?
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I'm stoked. I live in what is turning out to be an extremely competitive congressional district, and I know every vote is going to count. It's rare for me to get so fired up, but this year I know it really matters.
But to your point, yes, mystery candidates are frustrating.
All you Americans out there... VOTE! (Especially if it's for the people I like.)
Director of Narrative
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The Governor's race in my state has two independents on the ballot(that have a chance), so I'm exited. Also, I get to vote for a great congressman that I have voted for for years. He holds one of the seats that the big redistricting thing a few years back sought to upset, but he keeps winning. I also prefer the local and statewide voting to national voting as it feels like it has more of an impact on my life.
I voted early, as usual. Remember when you used to have to justify why you wanted to cast absentee ballots?
If I can just get poll workers who are under 120 years old, I'll be happy.
Nobody's even opposing the country clerk or commissioner in my district. I'm voting around 4 and it's never too busy 'round these parts so you can just walk into the building and straight into a booth.
As for who is good and bad... they're politicians, born with the desire to rule. So I don't feel much trust. I'm just voting for who I think will do the least damage and hoping for the best. For me it more about surviving politics.
As for who is good and bad... they're politicians, born with the desire to rule. So I don't feel much trust. I'm just voting for who I think will do the least damage and hoping for the best. For me it more about surviving politics.
It's sad, but that's about it. In over twenty years of voting, I don't think I've ever voted *for* anyone--but I've voted against a lot of people. I'll be going later in the day too. Our school district has this "Kids Voting" program that doesn't start until after school gets out, and my daughter wants to go.
--Fang
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As for who is good and bad... they're politicians, born with the desire to rule. So I don't feel much trust. I'm just voting for who I think will do the least damage and hoping for the best. For me it more about surviving politics.
It's sad, but that's about it. In over twenty years of voting, I don't think I've ever voted *for* anyone--but I've voted against a lot of people. I'll be going later in the day too. Our school district has this "Kids Voting" program that doesn't start until after school gets out, and my daughter wants to go.
--Fang
I'm in total agreement with Jade and Fang.
I personally, have never voted for anyone. I've always voted against people. Sad but true.
Thoth-Amon
I am ecstatic about voting today. Not only am I participating in a tradition that stretched back to Athens and Rome, but I am getting to be heard in a world where so many people have no say.
I love participating in the process, and trying to make a differenc one man at a time. I love recognizing the sacrifice of those who died for our country by celebrating one its most fundamental activities.
I do, however, agree that anonymous, faceless party candidates who make commericals that tell me nothing about them suck. I do regret that sometimes our choices are poor. And I do regret that there are others who will nto vote, but who will surely complain.
As for who is good and bad... they're politicians, born with the desire to rule. So I don't feel much trust. I'm just voting for who I think will do the least damage and hoping for the best. For me it more about surviving politics.
This lead to poor perspectives for democracy. It's the same problem here in France, people don't trust their leaders anymore. In my humble opinion you got the politicians you deserve whether it's in France or in the USA or anywhere in the world. If you don't believe in what they are doing, if a sharp tongue and physical charisma are more important than leadership, efficiency and a strong desire to serve the common good, then why should they develop the latter qualities? You only get what you pay for. And on top of that I would never vote for a woman or man if I am not convinced he or she was born with the desire to rule. Those in power absolutely need this ambition. What I hope for is that they can handle the power I give them with my vote for the greater good, and not especially to please me or to enhance my privileges. Old Europe suffers enough from this disease. If you don't believe in the system it simply won't work. But each time you witness someone in charge who doesn't fit, make him or her know with your vote. Democracy is about confidence with intelligence.
Just my 2 cents.
Bran
Very astute read, Bran. But sometimes it feels like representative democracy has degraded into a contest to see who can motel strangle less hookers than the other guy.
"Tom Guy doesn't want you to know that he's killed sixteen ladies of the evening while our incumbant Fred Dude has proven in court that he has only killed two. Tom Guy: the wrong guy... who killed fourteen more hookers."
"I'm Fred Dude, and I approve of this message... send more hookers."
I've researched and I've voted, but I'm afraid confidence will never play as factor in my understanding of politicians and their true motivations.
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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"Tom Guy doesn't want you to know that he's killed sixteen ladies of the evening while our incumbant Fred Dude has proven in court that he has only killed two. Tom Guy, the wrong guy, who killed fourteen more hookers.""I'm Fred Dude, and I approve of this message... send more hookers."
I've researched and I've voted, but I'm afraid confidence will never play as factor in my understanding of politicians and their true motivations.
You really should be in the political ad business Jade, that's spot on.
NPR had an interview the other day with two of the guys that do voiceovers for the political ads. To show how much their inflection matters, they read nursery rhymes. It was hilarious - I would never vote for Humpty Dumpty. All that guy did was sit on his wall and then caused it to fall.
But anyway, the greatest wisdom I've seen comes from the illustrious Homer Simpson.
"When will people learn - democracy doesn't work."
I wish I had heard that interview, Sebastian. Easy to imagine though. And I fondly recall the moment when Homer first taught us that lesson for the day.
If you don't vote I don't want to hear any complaining later...
Well, here we go; another session of voting for mystery peeps that we really dont know anything about. We all hear a lot of badmouthing about major candidates for senate and all that jaz; but i am more concerned about the guys that really make a difference; our city councelors, judges, county commissioners and stuff; these are the guys that make a big impact on your world in an immediant fashion, but finding anything about about these guys is like squeezing blood from a ghost; it is not easy and you will hurt yourself in the process; sheesh. Everybodies web sites say; hey, I am great, vote for me and I will work hard. What tripe, anybody else get bent about voting for mystery candidates like I do?
In my county, pretty much every person was running unopposed. So it didn't really matter what their views were, only 1 choice...
I wish I had heard that interview, Sebastian. Easy to imagine though. And I fondly recall the moment when Homer first taught us that lesson for the day.I found the link!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6450663
Thanks for finding that, Sebastian! That was a real kick. I can't help but to attempt imitations.
"London Bridges falling down... and who's to blame? My fair lady. It's time for a change."
But sometimes it feels like representative democracy has degraded into a contest to see who can motel strangle less hookers than the other guy.
The image made me laugh. I know what you feel and have experienced the feeling myself quite a few times. I also notice that you keep on voting even if it's in a "defensive" way which I find very civic. I had a long time not voting for exactly the same reason and I'm now not very proud of this time. I wish the media could only ask open questions and be able to let us listen the answer without advertisement right in the middle. It doesn't help the debate.
In France political advertisement is forbidden so we're spared the shampoo marketing and the nursery rhymes for national and local polls. But I'd be interested in seeing them. Must be instructive :)
Bran
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It is time for some serious election reform in the US. Of course, I've been saying this every other year for at least the past 3 elections, but I never get around to do anything about it. But I think this year will be different. I've already started several essays, starting with how the election results can benefit my party (the Republicans), despite the losses we took. Hopefully I actually finish them.
I'm with you there. The GOP been run like an an old boys corporate cult for the last decade+. It will be nice to see actual Republicans again in about ten years, so that maybe I can vote for them again - someone that has my and my communities interest at heart.
Who's up for an impeachment and a war crimes tribunal for this joker who's own dad doesn't talk to him much in public anymore? I would say hanging is out, but maybe making him work (and live off his pay) at Walmart partime with no bennies or insurance for ten or twenty years might do the trick. He could be the only greeter with secret service protection.
Then instead of giving Iraq to US companies we can sell the whole thing to European companies for help in calming things down a bit first. Then once the situation is settled, go after that guy who murdered all those people I was reading about like five years ago. Why did we? ...Ah nevermind, it's probably not important.
It's all about priorities.
And I'm sure now the NSA has made me one of their's. So, if I don't post for a while it probably means I'm somewhere in Poland. I'm sure it's all for the good of the country though.
GGG
He could be the only greeter with secret service protection.
Is that an MP-5 under your smock or are you just happy to see me?
The part about politics that pisses me off the most is the extremism on both sides--the pandering to the lowest common denominator. No one panders to me any more...you know...that weird guy who votes for the candidate and not the party. This year I was about 40% Republican, 50% Democrat and 10% Libertarian. In '94 I was about 75% Republican...in '04 I was about 80% Democrat.....I say do away with political parties altogether. They're all a bunch of phonies anyway.
Well, here we go; another session of voting for mystery peeps that we really dont know anything about. We all hear a lot of badmouthing about major candidates for senate and all that jaz; but i am more concerned about the guys that really make a difference; our city councelors, judges, county commissioners and stuff; these are the guys that make a big impact on your world in an immediant fashion, but finding anything about about these guys is like squeezing blood from a ghost; it is not easy and you will hurt yourself in the process; sheesh. Everybodies web sites say; hey, I am great, vote for me and I will work hard. What tripe, anybody else get bent about voting for mystery candidates like I do?In my county, pretty much every person was running unopposed. So it didn't really matter what their views were, only 1 choice...
It is within you both to change that. Community activism can be a very constructive when it is used to bring people together to compromise rather than divide.
A person's voting record on key issues is availible on the web. Usually you can find the one's that most effect you, but be warned the person in question might have voted against something both you and she like because of some small rider clause. So never believe the line: "She voted for such-and-such 15 times in 6 six years." You sometimes have to look deeper. And if you find the person isn't doing the job you hired them for (i.e. representing your district) then fire them and get someone new. The problem is most folks vote for the image and not for a person's ability to handle a the job. Remember it is always a job and that they are supposed to be working for you not the other way around. For instance, if I found out that I had an employee who repeatedly lied to me and used billions of my money for the sake of a few of his friends and no-one else I think I would sack that person on the spot.
Ever Idealistic,
GGG
He could be the only greeter with secret service protection.
Is that an MP-5 under your smock or are you just happy to see me?
The part about politics that pisses me off the most is the extremism on both sides--the pandering to the lowest common denominator. No one panders to me any more...you know...that weird guy who votes for the candidate and not the party. This year I was about 40% Republican, 50% Democrat and 10% Libertarian. In '94 I was about 75% Republican...in '04 I was about 80% Democrat.....I say do away with political parties altogether. They're all a bunch of phonies anyway.
In the past the GOP and the Dems would hang out after hours, play golf and go out together with their families. It was as I understand a very collegic environment and most times you could find compromise on both sides of the isle. Since the "Contract on America" the GOP has tried repeatedly to run things their way without any input from the minority party Dems. Kinda like a privately held company. This has led to a all-hands-on-deck and if-you-ain't-with-us-you're-against-us mentality that even the older Democrats and some Republicans are apparently worried about, as the new Dems just coming into the Congress in the last few years (and today) really don't know about the cigar room commingling of decades past. Also the us-vs.-them mentality of the current administration the controlling party up until yesterday did not provide any oversight of the Executive Branch allowing it to just -you know- make up laws at it went along. These two things in my opinion have severly damaged the workings of government here in the U.S. and it will probably be years before that's fixed. A good first step though might be the the Democrats extending a olive branch to yesterday's loosers and saying let's go forward, but together this time.
GGG
What tripe, anybody else get bent about voting for mystery candidates like I do?
I wasn't bent about voting (and I second the 'yay!' for absentee ballots), but for us Washingtonians the ballot was only about half people. We also had a slew of propositions, referendums, initiatives, and charter amendments. (The ballot was so long, it required extra postage. o.o) Even if we didn't want to vote for a single office, our participation was still needed and valuable.
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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In the past the GOP and the Dems would hang out after hours, play golf and go out together with their families. It was as I understand a very collegic environment and most times you could find compromise on both sides of the isle. Since the "Contract on America" the GOP has tried repeatedly to run things their way without any input from the minority party Dems. Kinda like a privately held company. This has led to a all-hands-on-deck and if-you-ain't-with-us-you're-against-us mentality that even the older Democrats and some Republicans are apparently worried about, as the new Dems just coming into the Congress in the last few years (and today) really don't know about the cigar room commingling of decades past. Also the us-vs.-them mentality of the current administration the controlling party up until yesterday did not provide any oversight of the Executive Branch allowing it to just -you know- make up laws at it went along. These two things in my opinion have severly damaged the workings of government here in the U.S. and it will probably be years before that's fixed. A good first step though might be the the Democrats extending a olive branch to yesterday's loosers and saying let's go forward, but together this time.GGG
QFT. I'm another moderate disgusted with the way the GOP has been behaving since 94, and in particular since 2000. I don't particularly like either party's social agenda and in my ideal world, they should be working together to unite this country and bring people together on their common values, not divide them with b++&!*&% extreme positions. It's sick how polarized the country has become, particularly when we could have been and should have been united after 9/11. That's the greatest failure of this administration.
That being said after having spent 5 years hearing that you are a traitor if you disagree with Bush, or a coward if you support multi-lateralism, or how Clinton (and Clinton alone) could have stopped 9/11 and failed to do so, it's really hard not to root for revenge. Of course, I can't think of a functioning revenge-atocracy off the top of my head (the strategy sure doesn't seem to work in the middle east), so I'm hoping reconciliation and bipartisanship prevail. I hope Fox news can bring itself to endorse the idea of working together and compromising rather than being right at all costs.
Well said, GGG and Sebastian.
What tripe, anybody else get bent about voting for mystery candidates like I do?I wasn't bent about voting (and I second the 'yay!' for absentee ballots), but for us Washingtonians the ballot was only about half people. We also had a slew of propositions, referendums, initiatives, and charter amendments. (The ballot was so long, it required extra postage. o.o) Even if we didn't want to vote for a single office, our participation was still needed and valuable.
I hear Arizona had 19 ballot proposals. But that only a few got through to the Dungeon adventure query meeting being held....Hmmm. That's odd. Michelle, I don't seem to have my calandar in front of me. Maybe you could help?
;)
GGG
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In France political advertisement is forbidden so we're spared the shampoo marketing and the nursery rhymes for national and local polls.
Oh, to be somewhere where political advertising is banned! You must have such peaceful times when watching television during the political season -- my wife and I sit with the remote in hand so that we can at least hit the "Mute" button when one comes on...
But I'd be interested in seeing them. Must be instructive :)
Only inasmuch as they are instructive in how much the truth can be bent to get one's point across. Being a good sci-fi/fantasy fan, they always remind me of a certain famous exchange...
[INDENT]Luke: Why didn't you tell me? You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father.
Obi-Wan: Your father... was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and BECAME Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I told you was TRUE... from a certain point of view.[/INDENT]
The attack ads [u]always[/u] make sure that they are true ... from a certain point of view...
In my county, pretty much every person was running unopposed. So it didn't really matter what their views were, only 1 choice...
When presented with such a "choice" on my ballot, I generally do not mark it at all. It may not be all that significant, but when a candidate sees that he only received 2000 votes when the pool of voters is 20000 people (hypothetical numbers, of course), perhaps at least a few of them recognize that voters are not happy with such "choices".
In the words of Jello Biafra, what we need is a slot on each balot that says "none of the above". And if enough people vote this way they do the whole thing all over with new candidates. Do this enough times and we can bleed the coffers dry and force them to put up legtimate candidates.
I make sure to vote in each election and I've noticed it's getting harder and harder to get reliable info on any of them. For incumbents the voting record is key. But new candidates make it tough.
hehe I live in New Mexico; I guess we are trying to make sure everyone knows that we can make a mockery out our elections far worse than Floridians ever thought they could. Sadly, I live in the most corrupt state in the union, so bad we made international news and some international groups want to send in non partisian election monitors; I am all for it. Stuff like having thousands of ballots not show up at precincts that have a high percentage of such and such registered party voters is very common. We all recieved voter registration cards in the mail last year; hehe about half of them have the wrong information meaning wrong precinct; name; age; mine was right, but several peeps I know who showed me there cards were wacked. It is hard to get excited about an election process when you know it is all jacked up. I wonder how many dead peeps voted again this year....
I'm not dead yet. Texas passed a new law this year that made tampering with a voting machine a 1st degree felony, punishable by up to 99 years in prison, or life.
we have lots of laws here too, but it only matters if someone will investigate or people will talk, because if you can't prove it; well, it didnt happen; least that is what were fed. we seem to always have scandals that are nobodies fault and nobody is responsible so nothing happens. I guess we are all supposed to just understand that some three thousand ballots for one district that happened to all be for Republicans; just happened to not show up until the polls closed. heck, we are not even sure this is true or what the facts are, this is just one of many; I really hope we do get some international investigators. If this gets fixed; maybe we can find out why the school system here has many more administrators than teachers and the administrators make more money.
Can anybody share how you find information out about judges? This is always my most difficult voting choice; vote to retain such and such for whatever court.
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Yeah, I had heard absolutely zilch about the judges in my area, and, admittedly, I was remiss in pursuing my own investigations.
I actually feel like my vote for governor counted this year, though. The Greens had to fight tooth and nail to get on the ballot (opposed mostly by the Dems, whose candidate won anyway), but they received a (to me, at least) fairly astonishing 11% of votes, meaning they have secured a place on the ballot and will not have to petition for it the next time around. I don't necessarily agree with all of their policies, but honestly, I'm hard-pressed to find any type of candidate who resoundingly represents my opinions and values, and I'm fairly certain today's America is no longer well-served by a two-party system.
Kudos to everyone who exercised their power and voted, whatever your political leanings may be.
Well, the congressional district 1 in NM is STILL being counted; they just threw out 376 ballots from supposed unregistered voters; wonder if they are gonna check how many of the registered voters are alive or real; sigh; the election is only 1200 or so votes apart; wonder if there will be fighting in the streets like in the Congo during their elections.
Well, the congressional district 1 in NM is STILL being counted; they just threw out 376 ballots from supposed unregistered voters; wonder if they are gonna check how many of the registered voters are alive or real; sigh; the election is only 1200 or so votes apart; wonder if there will be fighting in the streets like in the Congo during their elections.
*sigh*
"Somebody's gotta get stabbed! Somebody's gotta get stabbed!" --Danny Devito, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
well, believe it or not they are still counting. I think they are importing people to use their fingers and toes also. I guess they haven't heard of that new technological device called an abacus