Comments on: Go on, throw your vote away http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/07/go-on-throw-your-vote-away/ smarter than your average squirrel, on most non-acorn related topics Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:55:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Mike http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/07/go-on-throw-your-vote-away/#comment-23671 Mike Wed, 12 Sep 2007 13:26:39 +0000 http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/07/go-on-throw-your-vote-away/#comment-23671 Well, hopefully, in next year's election, we can all be happy with whom we vote for! I hear ya about voting more Libertarian. They really seem make sense these days. Well, hopefully, in next year’s election, we can all be happy with whom we vote for! I hear ya about voting more Libertarian. They really seem make sense these days.

]]> By: Jim http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/07/go-on-throw-your-vote-away/#comment-1178 Jim Fri, 08 Dec 2006 04:09:54 +0000 http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/07/go-on-throw-your-vote-away/#comment-1178 Voting the party line is usually better than not voting the party line. I hate being contrarian but... Ever talk to a Democrat? They're always deliberating based upon the candidates nuances. Ever talk to a Republican? They vote Republican. Accordingly, notwithstanding the "throw the bums out" in congress this year, which was more tied to Republican failure than Democrat accomplishment, our system favors the interest groups that support the Republican party instead of the interest groups that support the Democratic party because of Republican solidarity. So, we have a collective action problem. If every individual in society voted for the candidate they thought was best based on personal merit, we may have a more representative government of higher caliber leaders. As it stands, the party that more blindly votes is the party that wins. It's a team sport that requires solidarity. Rather than voting based on idealism, it's more beneficial to vote pragmatically. The exception is the "vote of no confidence" of voting for a third party. By voting libertarian, it adds to a statistic that jolts the republicans into pursuing potential constituents with a platform of small government. By voting green, it perks the democrats to do something about the environment to get the votes. It aint perfect, and you'll never get all that you want out of government. Maybe if we had proportional representation things would be different, and the qualities of the candidates would matter more. As the system stands, the most efficient way to have one's political ideas translated into policy is to vote based on party platforms instead of candidates. Voting the party line is usually better than not voting the party line.

I hate being contrarian but…

Ever talk to a Democrat? They’re always deliberating based upon the candidates nuances. Ever talk to a Republican? They vote Republican.

Accordingly, notwithstanding the “throw the bums out” in congress this year, which was more tied to Republican failure than Democrat accomplishment, our system favors the interest groups that support the Republican party instead of the interest groups that support the Democratic party because of Republican solidarity.

So, we have a collective action problem. If every individual in society voted for the candidate they thought was best based on personal merit, we may have a more representative government of higher caliber leaders.

As it stands, the party that more blindly votes is the party that wins. It’s a team sport that requires solidarity. Rather than voting based on idealism, it’s more beneficial to vote pragmatically.

The exception is the “vote of no confidence” of voting for a third party. By voting libertarian, it adds to a statistic that jolts the republicans into pursuing potential constituents with a platform of small government. By voting green, it perks the democrats to do something about the environment to get the votes.

It aint perfect, and you’ll never get all that you want out of government. Maybe if we had proportional representation things would be different, and the qualities of the candidates would matter more. As the system stands, the most efficient way to have one’s political ideas translated into policy is to vote based on party platforms instead of candidates.

]]> By: rentzsch http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/07/go-on-throw-your-vote-away/#comment-859 rentzsch Wed, 08 Nov 2006 19:32:56 +0000 http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/07/go-on-throw-your-vote-away/#comment-859 Bad *and* crazy, of course ;-) Bad *and* crazy, of course ;-)

]]> By: Alfred E http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/07/go-on-throw-your-vote-away/#comment-852 Alfred E Wed, 08 Nov 2006 04:09:16 +0000 http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/07/go-on-throw-your-vote-away/#comment-852 Good grief. You really have no idea? You're how old? (over 16?) League of Women Voters Anyone who doesn't answer their questionaire in a contested race is a certified ass-hat. Good grief. You really have no idea? You’re how old? (over 16?)

League of Women Voters

Anyone who doesn’t answer their questionaire in a contested race is a certified ass-hat.

]]> By: spitgirl http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/07/go-on-throw-your-vote-away/#comment-851 spitgirl Wed, 08 Nov 2006 01:19:10 +0000 http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/07/go-on-throw-your-vote-away/#comment-851 Hrm... no clue. I did some investigation at midnight last night (an hour after my bedtime) and made a decision. And I biffed the vote two times... wait, three... I blame it on the computerized political call to my CELL PHONE at 6:30am. Hrm… no clue. I did some investigation at midnight last night (an hour after my bedtime) and made a decision. And I biffed the vote two times… wait, three… I blame it on the computerized political call to my CELL PHONE at 6:30am.

]]> By: SeniorĂ© Soosy http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/07/go-on-throw-your-vote-away/#comment-849 SeniorĂ© Soosy Wed, 08 Nov 2006 01:06:10 +0000 http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/07/go-on-throw-your-vote-away/#comment-849 Every election I get frustrated by this as well. I didn't know about Project Smart Vote. I'll have to check it out. Every election I get frustrated by this as well. I didn’t know about Project Smart Vote. I’ll have to check it out.

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