letting my voice be heard

[Entsuropi]

...what an amazingly silly idea...

So you want to add the option to drag out the elections longer than they are, and make the new leaders the second choices of even their own parties?

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

Yeah, I think that such a none of the above selection would cause us to have a crappy, stable-as-a-2-ton-boulder-balanced-atop-a-needle-just-over-an-overripe-banana government like Italy's.

[Skar]

"Most of the people I know (small city in Idaho) just vote straight Republican because they don't have the time/energy/interest to find out who they would  want to vote for for the issues.  Most just figure one or the other will be better for the general economy.  Americans just aren't responsible enough to become a true democracy."

This is the problem with not only a "true democracy" but also with our representative system.  Too few people think anymore.

<partisan>I know lots of people that are very liberal and think John Kerry is the answer to their prayers.  The only objection that I've heard any of them make to Bush is that they think he's a moron.  And they say it with great vehemence.  These same people overlook the fact that Kerry changed his position on the war in Iraq twice in the course of a single debate.  And when I point it out they act like it doesn't matter.</partisan>

No one takes enough of an interest in the affairs of the country to become informed.  We're all too busy playing games, watching movies and TV, partying, working, etc...  

It seems to be a given now that one must turn to experts to get an opinion and that which experts you choose indicates your political preference/leaning.  Most people reading this post (spriggan excluded:))are at  least as smart as any expert and can master enough of the subject material in any given area to be able to make intelligent judgements, but no one does.  


Why the heck not?

*I tend to place a large measure of blame on TV.  The idiot box is justly named.  Why read even a basic book on economics if you can sit down, crack a beer, and live vicariously through naked sweating men in masks and speedos pretending to wrestle.  Or watch "real" people eat cockroaches. Or whatever else is on nowadays.  And (I know this is a knife in the eye to everyone here, myself included) most of the fiction we're reading as a nation is not much better than TV.  

[House of Mustard]

I would tend to agree with most of what you said Skar.  It amazes me how much people squander the freedom to vote, by not being informed.

There was an interesting column in the Salt Lake Tribune today talking about this very subject.  He quotes a recent study done by the Cato institute: (here are some quotes so you don't have to follow the link if you don't want to...)

''Particularly significant is the fact that, on many issues, the majority is not only ignorant of the truth, but actively misinformed. For example, 61 percent believe that there has been a net loss of jobs in 2004, 58 percent believe   that the administration sees a link between Saddam Hussein and 9-11, and 57 percent believe that increases in domestic spending have not contributed significantly to the current federal budget deficit.''

...

Widespread voter ignorance is not a recent phenomenon. One month after Republicans took control of Congress in 1994, 57 percent of Americans had never heard of the architect of the takeover, Newt Gingrich, despite massive press coverage. In 1964, at the height of the Cold War, only 38 percent were aware that the Soviet Union was not a member of NATO.
   ''Most of the time,'' writes Somin, ''only bare majorities know which party has control of the Senate, some 70 percent cannot name either of their state's senators and the vast majority cannot name any congressional candidate in their district at the height of a campaign.''
   Somin then makes this shocking and depressing statement: ''Overall, close to one-third of Americans can be categorized as 'know-nothings' almost completely ignorant of relevant political information.''

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_2430156

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

One thing that article points out, that contradicts Skar's word choice of "anymore" is that this ignorance is not new. Maybe I'm just too Chekovian in outlook, but people are pretty much the same as they've ever been.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

more political humor. (ok, it's only political in that it features George W. Bush, from two different realities, in fact), but he's right, what could be more awesome?

[Skar]

True.  The more I study it the more I realize that the majority of Americans have never been informed or in any way interested in becoming involved.  

For instance, did you know that less than 1% of fighting age males in the colonies fought in the revolutionary war?  And that there were more Americans fighting with the British than with Washington? How about this.  During the hard times at Valley Forge there was no shortage of food or warm clothing for the American people, just a shortage of people willing to extend Washington's army the credit needed to purchase them.  Soldiers died of exposure at Valley forge within sight of food and warmth.  Thank heaven these men were internally motivated.

So, SE you're right.  It's an ongoing problem rather than  a new one.

"Men fight for liberty and win it with hard knocks.  Their children, brought up easy, let it slip away again, poor fools.  And their grandchildren are once more slaves."  ~D.H. Lawrence

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

I hate it when I'm pessimistic and right. I mean, I love the being right part. It's when I'm right about such depressing things.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

and... another timely comic

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

How's this for letting your voice be heard?

[Gemm: Rock & Roll Star; Born to Rock]

So, a friend of mine say signs that read: "Bush and Kerry make me want to Ralph!"

[Oldie Black Witch]

Not happy with the candidates?

Perhaps this is the solution:

http://www.geocities.com/tantila/gandalf.html

I apologize in advance for any and all pop-ups.

[Spriggan]

All of you should see this weeks South Park, which is, obviously, about voteing.  Though it's dealing with a school mascot election Stan I think reflects many of our feelings when he says "No, I think voteing is great, But I can't realy get excited about when my choices are a dusche and a turd."

And it makes fun of PETA, which is allwayse good for a laugh.