Not voting gets a bad rap IMHO. I didn't vote in the 1996 or 2000 GEs because I didn't like the choices. No one knows what my vote *means.* I don't get to add a personal note to my ballot that the president reads. It's just a vote, and if it gets tallied its seen only as an endorsement of the choices.

You can say, that, for that reason, I shouldn't complain - but not voting WAS my way of complaining. And in all the media coverage of elections, that large group of nonvoters was a big story. "People aren't voting because they don't like the candidates" or "they don't like divisive politics." When I didn't vote, I and others like me GOT NOTICED. In fact the rest of the country wouldn't shut up about us, and obsessed about how to win us over and get us to the polls.

This year, I got someone I wanted to for, so I voted. He lost, but I know he was on the ballot in part because one of the parties started listening to me. And if I feel that they are continuing to listen to me, I'll vote for them again.

This election is a big fucking beauty pageant that make the majority of the public feel like they are taking part in the democratic process. Reality is that the presidential election isn't decided by your vote. If people really cared about all of the things mentioned by the pretty people, then they would participate in their local elections, and in turn change the way politicians respond to American public and the things they actually care about. That said I am probably going to vote only because Natalie Portman told me to. She is hot.

If you don't vote, and you still complain...

That makes you an utterly stupendous douchewad.

Stop bitching and exercise your franchise. It's what better people have died to guarantee for you.

Here's some food for thought:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7065205277695921912

It may be a long video, but it does raise some interesting points.

The problem is, that to many people are voting that have no fucking clue what they are voting about. This type of ad's should stop. Let the people who have a clue vote, don't try to make the ignorant vote.

That's an insult to Tralfamadorians, Rob. And I doubt she would like their assertion that there would be no human babies without homosexuals.

As Mr. Vonnegut said:

"True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country."

Funny most of Congress doesn't vote and they're getting paid for it, or are they being paid not to vote, uh I forget.

Did the guy who got the most votes last election get to be president?

Hail Eris

What a patronistic message!

Just keep thinking voting doesn't matter or that the new boss will be the same. If you don't think there's a difference between folks who would NOT have sent us to the fuck show in Iraq and the folks who did, I invite you to run that past some people who've lost family.

You can be as angry or ambivalent as you like. If you don't participate, the Man wins. He doesn't want your opinion and not giving it to him is just dandy by him.

Will the person I vote for make everything perfect? Nope. I understand that.

Get off of your ass and do something.

Whining about not being heard isn't doing any fucking thing. Get heard. Or join whatshisname in a big set of bong pulls and a couple of days of HALO.

Jesus, I get tired of people in my generation being such pussies about politics.

At least they don't tell you who to vote for? As if there is a difference or will make a difference. As the WHO said, the new boss is the same as the old boss.

Unless someone is talking about getting rid of all of congress, not to mention the bureaucrats who really run things, I'm not listening.

Because we don't even get to vote on those people.

OK I'm totally on the fence with this one: is Sarah Silverman hot or not? After being forced to watch that Carl Lewis video I'm having to question all things in life.

reverse psychology and sarcasm are always excellent political motivators.

I'm pretty jaded, but tonight I felt like Joe Biden gives a fuck.

Just where do you go when you're on "walkabout" anyway?

We can't relate to Biden. Palin might be from planet Tralfamadore. "The American stomach has room for success”, is as ass backwards as an F-150 or a bag of Tampax. We have no interests in killing Bin Laden. Please stump about what we are and what we need to become. It's going to be hard but it has no bearing on what party we vote for...

Can we vote for teflon saddles?

Forest Whitaker convinced me. I'm not voting!

Whoa, I care about all those things.

But, uh, which candidate gives a fuck?

what if you don't have 5 friends?