If Donald Trump wins the Republican nomination, I'm thinking that I probably won't vote this time.

[LivingWordUnity]

So if the choice is between him or a socialist I probably won't be voting this time.

Edit:
Just to clarify, I'm only speaking for own personal choice. I'm not saying that other Republicans have to do the same as me. And I'm only saying that I think I probably won't be voting if the choice ends up being between Donald Trump or the socialist Democrat candidate. If it ends up being a different Republican candidate then I will probably be voting.

 

[Sword of the Lord]

Me either. But he won't win.

 

[MikeK]

Why would you refuse to vote just because you don't like either of the two main candidates? People died to give you a voice, find a candidate you support and vote for him, demonstrating to the mainstream candidates that they will have to ammend their positions if they want your vote next time. Abstaining sends no message at all.

 

[MikeK]

Me either. But he won't win.

I'd be surprised if he won too, but I'd be careful on the prophesies, considering that you said Romney would win the nomination and the election.

 

[AvilaSurfer]

I never got the "I won't vote" attitude. There's never a perfect candidate. But there is always the lesser of two evils. If you don't vote, you should stay quiet for the four years after.

 

[Sword of the Lord]

I'd be surprised if he won too, but I'd be careful on the prophesies, considering that you said Romney would win the nomination and the election.

No, I didn't. I said he was my candidate if he decides to run, which was said more than half a year ago or something. Going by the same logic, I'd be careful with trying to predict anything ever because odds are you have been wrong before. In fact, there is only ever one winner, making millions of voters and experts wrong. Something tells me you've predicted a winner before and were wrong. But it doesn't matter because I never said what you're saying I said. However, Rubio will win.

 

[mark46]

I'd be surprised if he won too, but I'd be careful on the prophesies, considering that you said Romney would win the nomination and the election.

Why would anyone "be careful" about predicting based on current information?

Do you think that folks shouldn't speculate?

Obviously, may folks were saying that Romney had won the election on the day of the election. Sometimes folks are very wrong.

 

[MikeK]

Why would anyone "be careful" about predicting based on current information?

Do you think that folks shouldn't speculate?

Obviously, may folks were saying that Romney had won the election on the day of the election. Sometimes folks are very wrong.

Predictions and speculation are fine, factual statements are rather another thing. Clinton will win, Trump will lose, Sanders and Paul will join forces and be on the same ticket, the Apocalypse will happen if Obame becomes President, the apocalypse will come if Obama is elected to a 2nd term, the Cubs will win the World Series. "I suspect" or "I believe" statements are one thing, factual statements that we aren't qualified to make are another.

 

[MoonlessNight]

I never got the "I won't vote" attitude. There's never a perfect candidate. But there is always the lesser of two evils. If you don't vote, you should stay quiet for the four years after.

An individual vote for the presidential rate has almost no effect whatsoever on the outcome of that race.

In fact, I would say that writing even a single letter to your senator or representative is more likely to have an impact on the world than voting for president.

This is not to say that people should not vote. But I am mystified when people complain about those who do not vote, because they cannot support the candidates, as if voting was the only civic duty.

 

[mmksparbud]

Isn't that how Obama got into office?? All those who didn't want him, didn't vote---those who did, voted!!

 

[Fantine]

I don't see much difference between Trump and the other Republican candidates except that he's more blatantly uncouth. Scott Walker and Ted Cruz are also pretty loud and rude, with a blatant disregard for American workers.

As for the rest? Donald Trumps wearing a thin veneer of respectability,

 

[mark46]

An individual vote for the presidential rate has almost no effect whatsoever on the outcome of that race.

In fact, I would say that writing even a single letter to your senator or representative is more likely to have an impact on the world than voting for president.

This is not to say that people should not vote. But I am mystified when people complain about those who do not vote, because they cannot support the candidates, as if voting was the only civic duty.

There are many, many elections that have been decided by a few votes. Catholics who stayed home in 2000 in NH elected George Bush. There are many other examples.

That is certainly the case in the primaries and caucuses, where a few votes can change the course of an election cycle.

 

[AvilaSurfer]

An individual vote for the presidential rate has almost no effect whatsoever on the outcome of that race.

In fact, I would say that writing even a single letter to your senator or representative is more likely to have an impact on the world than voting for president.

This is not to say that people should not vote. But I am mystified when people complain about those who do not vote, because they cannot support the candidates, as if voting was the only civic duty.

People have died for the right to vote. To ignore that right, to say my one vote doesn't matter, is unconscionable. The lazy ignorant citizens that fail to vote should have no voice in complaining about anything to government does.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

I don't see much difference between Trump and the other Republican candidates except that he's more blatantly uncouth. Scott Walker and Ted Cruz are also pretty loud and rude, with a blatant disregard for American workers.

As for the rest? Donald Trumps wearing a thin veneer of respectability,

All Republicans are going to look the same to a Democrat as long as they see it as "us vs. them."

 

[MoonlessNight]

There are many, many elections that have been decided by a few votes. Catholics who stayed home in 2000 in NH elected George Bush. There are many other examples.

That is certainly the case in the primaries and caucuses, where a few votes can change the course of an election cycle.

The primary thing I am objecting to is the people who say "if you do not vote for the president, you have no right to complain about anything and you should be ashamed for abandoning your civil duty," but who at the same time do not care about doing anything more than that.

So discussions of getting involved in primaries and such doesn't affect what I was saying. I am glad to see people do that. My point is that in the average election getting involved in a caucus, or getting involved in local races or staying in touch with your representatives, etc. is likely to do far more than casting one vote for president.

So if someone decides not to vote for president, I don't take that to mean that he is not engaging in a meaningful way in politics. There are plenty of other things he could be doing.

People have died for the right to vote. To ignore that right, to say my one vote doesn't matter, is unconscionable. The lazy ignorant citizens that fail to vote should have no voice in complaining about anything to government does.

In most presidential elections one vote doesn't matter, especially if you aren't in a swing state. That's a statement of fact. It should never be unconscionable to state the truth.

Note that I am not saying that people should not vote in presidential elections. What I am saying is that it is not the only way to be involved in the civic process, and in many ways it is far from the most important part of being involved in the civic process. So I don't feel the need to condemn someone for not voting if there are no candidates which are worthy of support, especially if that person gets involved in other ways.

 

[Sword of the Lord]

People have died for the right to vote. To ignore that right, to say my one vote doesn't matter, is unconscionable. The lazy ignorant citizens that fail to vote should have no voice in complaining about anything to government does.

The right to vote also means that we have the right not to vote. It's not something I worry about anyways. Trump isn't winning. Truthfully though if he does win, I dislike and borderline hate Clinton so much that I would still vote. At the very least he would be better than that lying old bat and would actually do something about Muslim terrorists.

 

[MikeK]

CCC 2240 calls exercizing the right to vote "morally obligatory". Elsewhere, by our Biships, we've been taught that it is acceptable to abstain from voting in an overtly evil system that allows no true choices or puts us at risk of revenge from cruel regimes, but those aren't the case here or now.

 

[Albion]

So if the choice is between him or a socialist I probably won't be voting this time.

Edit:
Just to clarify, I'm only speaking for own personal choice. I'm not saying that other Republicans have to do the same as me. And I'm only saying that I think I probably won't be voting if the choice ends up being between Donald Trump or the socialist Democrat candidate. If it ends up being a different Republican candidate then I will probably be voting.

Well, if you have nothing against Socialism, that would make sense.

 

[Albion]

Obviously, may folks were saying that Romney had won the election on the day of the election. Sometimes folks are very wrong.

?? Before any votes were tabulated, you must mean.

 

[Albion]

The primary thing I am objecting to is the people who say "if you do not vote for the president, you have no right to complain about anything and you should be ashamed for abandoning your civil duty," but who at the same time do not care about doing anything more than that.

In a way, I agree. And in another way, I don't.

If a person doesn't vote, he doesn't lose his right to speak out and to expect lawful, ethical, government.

But OTOH, by not voting you are, in effect, saying that you'll take whomever the rest of the voters favor. That means that to complain about who wins the election when you took no part in the choice...no, I can't say that such a non-voter has much credibility if that's what he's going to gripe about.