Voting for who represents your views is never a wasted vote. Unfortunately, American society is so competitive that people get sucked in to thinking that an election is like a horse race, and you are trying to bet on a winner. Not so, policy can never shift if people's views aren't expressed. Special interests have their ears, as do senior citizens, because they contribute the most to the campaigns. But in the end, those special interests are banking on American voting apathy to carry them on Election Day. If only half the population shows up to vote, and half of that are seniors and older Baby Boomers, then the special interests just need to win those demographics to win the election.
I realize this is all elementary. I voted for Ralph Nader in 1996 and 2000. I voted for Kerry in 2004 and regret a little for doing so. But really, my cause at that time was to somehow just get Bush out of there. I hated becoming a one-issue voter, another powerful segment of the voting population. Now that I think about it I kinda am a one-issue voter: environment. But you can divide that into many areas, preservation, recycling, alternative power, education, incentives for new efficiency ideas, etc., etc.
In any case, vote for who represents you! You know Nader is not going to win, but there is something to be said by standing to be counted. Denver passed legislation last year to decriminalize marijuana in the possession of an adult of up to one ounce. For those of you who don't realize, an ounce of weed on your person is A LOT. And we're talking Colorado here people, local growers galore, you would stink to high heaven. If someone were to splash you with tomato sauce it is because they think you were sprayed by a skunk.
So it can happen. Jesse Ventura! That's my kind of politics! Grassroots, numbers showing up in unexpected droves of younger voters and previously indifferent eligible voters. Sure Jesse was ground up by the media and an uncooperative legislature, but it can happen. And his bad-ass jungle warfare buddy, my boyhood idol...an IMMIGRANT who could barely be understood in English, went on to create widespread fame, fortune and influence in bodybuilding, then became the biggest action movie star in the world, and THEN (for free) becomes the leader of one of the top economies in the whole world - Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Come on, seriously - if someone told you in 1993 that Arnold Schwarzenegger would be the Governor of California and (a stretch but a POTENTIAL), though not legal yet, Presidential Candidate - would you have believed that? Or, if some drunken, drugged up clairvoyant haze you were in Vegas and placed a BET that in 2002 Arnold would be the governor, how much money would you have made? The odds must've been ridiculous, like 10,000 to one.
America, vote for who represents you.
1.31.2007
Why Ralph Nader Is Not A Wasted Vote and other musings
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10 comments:
Overfloater, I like your blog. I am actually more involved in politic more than I ever was. I will not share who I will vote for, until he at least announces his nomination. Ok, fuck it...it's Eric Mangini.
Smell ya later. By the way, do you like your pics you ungrateful fucks.
That's funny, Unruly. Mangini, of course that would remove him as your football coach, so you might want to think what means more to you. That's what I thought - da Jets.
I like my picture, but give me a Giants jersey please. My skin is starting to itch from that Jets jersey. Actually, it's burning.
Hey Unruly, don't go drinking the KoolAid yet buddy, it's only been one year under Mangini.
Over, don't you dare blaspheme the Jets on this blog, save that for your other 10 blogs.
As for your blog, I sort of agree Over, but it's a two party system and it's gotten to the point where you have to vote against somebody (Bush) than vote for somebody or something. Until the two-party control changes (ummm, which will be never, as Perot was the closest and he didn't win a state) you have to basically vote against somebody for your vote to count. Sad but true.
Although he'll never be president because the Constitution says he can't (I don't see an "AR-NOLD" Amendment anytime soon) I would definitely vote for the guy. And not just because of his comedic genius in "Twins" (insert laughter track here), but because he is a genuine guy. And who the fuck cares if he did 'roids and banged 43 girls at once when he first got to the States. Who the fuck wouldn't in his shoes??? He's a virgin compared to most of these scumbag politicians.
I get Rolling Stone, which I've come to hate (except for the movie and album reviews and some music articles) for their intense liberal political views, and they said Al Gore should run because of his indie hit movie regarding global warming. My question to them is, will he still be a robot?
Fuck Gore, Fuck Obama, Fuck Hillary, and Fuck Kerry (I could have done better in the last election, it was handed to him on a silver platter and he couldn't take a stance and win the fucking thing, (my vote was against Bush, not for him, by the way)) but fuck whoever the Repubs put up as well. Maybe John Caine, and I would vote for Colin Powell, but he ain't gonna run.
Regardless, our country if fucked if you ask me. We have a lot of problems and the middle east is a fucking time bomb, waiting to bring us all into WW III.
On that pleasant thought, beat it...
I actually voted for Bush last time and I would vote for him again...I voted for Nader the rest of the times I could vote.
I will never vote for the Democrats as they are presently constituted. So I guess I did vote against them. They have become socialists. I don't think communism is such a bad thing in priciple but it never works in practice. We cannot allow these people to have control. What did Clinton do when terrorists blew up our embassies and our ships? Nothing until a cum stain motivated him to launch some token missiles into places that were uninhabited. While the Dems have some domestic policies that appeal to my sense of Americanism (so do the Pubs), they are basically pussies on the world stage. So the world hates us now? Good. They fear Bush and his party because they aren't afraid to hand out beat downs. As f'd as the world is, it's my opinion that this is a good thing. I don't want to see the Jane Fonda's of the world, the Sean Penn's and the frickin' rest of their pussilinanimous pals being the face of my country...
Iran, N.Korea, insert crazy backwards medieval country here, and their ilk will develop a nuclear bomb and try to use it on us. This is much to the liking of the libs who only want it to happen while Bush is president...they are just consumed with hating and demoralizing the Repubs, not with actually doing anything positive or proactive. No matter what you think of Republicans or more specifically "W", you cannot deny that they are dedicated to figting these wackos. When the US Cole sank, Clinton was busy w/the ATF & FBI killing Americans in Waco.
It's unfortunate (and ultimatelty the fault of the Dems liberal build me up buttercup policies) that part of war now pushes nation building, spreading democracy, & all the while feeling guilty about it. For that reason I would welcome a third party with new ideas but it is paramount to me that the libs be exposed for their weak foreign policies that facilitate our enemies evil actions. And so at this point, I cannot throw my vote away supporting the Bull Moose party, Green Party, or the Marijuan Reform Party. Instead I will (like FH stated) use my vote as a weapon against my enemies instead of using it as support of any particular candidate.
PS - Gore is a moron. He should have stayed at NYU teaching lit classes (I'm sure he's a big fan of Chekov - insert yawn here). Here's the thing...the ice caps have been melting for millions of years. Way before there were aerosol spray cans and diesel buses, there were climate shifts. Were the Dinosaurs driving hybrid cars when the ateroid hit them upside the head? Lets get serious here...Global warming is bullshit. I bet, if we have ten cold winters in a row, some halfwit will come up with a reason that it's our fault that there is global cooling. We cannot see the core of the earth. We cannot accurately gaugue when and where the world shifts, lifts or separates. I'm not saying we saying we shouldn't show respect for our world. We should...but I think there are bigger fish to fry and that what our scientists understand about our world could fit in the Universe's third pocket of it's jeans. If the sun explodes and sends the earth into a million pieces floating in the cosmos, will you feel guilty about it? No, you'll be dead and no scientist will be able to tell you why. You know what you do? Hold your farts and treat your neighbor better. Don't go through life being some liberal pawn of guilt ridden worthlessness.
Another thing about the picture picture real quick...
We are so stupid because not just Nasa, but every country that has a space program is waisting their time. We look for signs of life in the stars but there are species of fish in the ocean that we haven't identified. We know nothing about our own world's depth. What lies beneath so to speak, is what we need to know to live. Yet we look to the stars while life goes on beneath us. It's really a shame.
Oh shut up already you say? Whatev's to you...
UJF, I think you should give Figgy his Giants outfit. Go ahead and do it. A nice Big Blue dress with the Bachelor's number on it should work quite nicely.
Oh sweet Jesus, a Naderite. So I can thank you for Bush. That's not the bush Ed prefers.
All of the politicians are crooked. We have to do a better job of finding those who are least bent.
Love the pic, though the beard is wrong. I can't grow one, even in my late 30's. Not even a wisp of a mustache (which makes the wife happy, she hates scruff if you know what I mean). Meanwhile, my Dad can grow a stache, has had one for years.
Isn't it weird how once someone has a mustache, we always picture them with the mustache. And we can't picture them without one...We feel violated when they shave it.
Unfortunately I'm a hybrid celt and while I can grow a red beard I can't grow mustaches. Well, I can grow a mustache but it's blonde for some reason like Larry Bird's was...and I don't know one person who didn't feel violated by Larry Bird's mustache!
Oh man, McFly, You have me laughing out loud and that is not easy as I do not have feelings.
Dude, I love the music. I am just chilling to your music while I am reading the blogs.
I can grow a beard but it gets so scratchy and drives me crazy. I always wanted to grow a mustach but my Irish comes through as it is always red. I kind of look like Big Jim Stud, except my facial hair is red not black.
I know what you mean about not being able to picture them another way. Take Magnum PI. He will always have a mustache as far as I am concerned. And Jesus of course. I can;t believe he shaved it.
My dad has shaved his off a few times. He looks bizarre because his upper lip is gone from having it for so long.
Back when "Generation K" was around, he actually grew a goatee. Weird. My dad is late fifties now, so he was in his 40's when he did that.
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