Why do you vote?

[ObamaChristian]

1) Why do you vote?

2) How do you get behind the rationale that a single vote doesn't matter?

 

[KitKatMatt]

1) Because I'd rather the lesser of two evils... but honestly I don't even know if that's possible to be honest. Maybe it's because it makes me feel better to think that way.

2) I go back and fourth on this. Sometimes I think a single vote matters, other times I don't think so. I end up voting anyways, so I don't know.

 

[Ada Lovelace]

1. I don't yet, but I am registering this year and intend to vote in every election I can. Why? I believe it's a privilege and a duty. That sounds like a bumper sticker-esque cliche, but I sincerely believe it's true.

2. I don't get behind that rationale. Weren't there just 537 votes from Florida electors that ultimately ended up putting George W. Bush into the White House in 2000? Or am I totally making that up that fact with my sleep deprived brain......

Sorry to tack on a question within your thread, but I'm curious to know thoughts on this quote about voting from one of the essays in David Wallace Foster's "Consider the Lobster: And Other Essays." I wasn't yippee with glee about the essay overall - read it because it related to something in school last year - but it had some points that got stuck in my mind. I just took a screenshot of the page for the sake of time / simplicity. The passage I'm wondering about is the first full paragraph on the page.

Oh, it has some light profanity. Apologies.

 

[ChristsSoldier115]

1) I've always viewed voting as a right.. even though.. I guess legally and technically it isn't. It should be.

2) lazy folks say that as an excuse to not be citizens, but they ironically also complain the most about the government or issues they never bothered to vote on.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I vote to preserve the system, not that I believe any meaningful changes will occur because of the election of certain people or a certain party.

Regarding the importance of a single vote, I think non-participation is as telling as a strong voter turnout. Lack of interest doesn't imply poor citizenship, nor does withholding your vote if none of the candidates meet your approval.

 

[jayem]

1) It makes me feel good to do my duty as a citizen. It's more fun than paying taxes, and it gets me out of work a little early.

2) I'm an optimist by nature. I rationalize my one vote with the same thought process by which I might buy a single lottery ticket. Though the chance of hitting the jackpot may be small, one can always hope. But if you never participate, you have no chance at all.

 

[ALoveDivine]

I don't vote. Neither party represents my views, and both hold positions I'm adamantly opposed to.

I favor social democracy over unrestrained capitalism
I oppose gun control and favor legalizing marijuana
I favor a strong national defense but oppose aggressive unilateral action
I oppose any and all cuts to social welfare
I completely oppose corporate welfare
I favor a strict separation of church and state
I oppose getting entangled in the affairs of other nations
I oppose abortion

As you see, I can't really vote Republican or Democrat. I agree with and disagree with both. I can't vote Republican because I can't in good conscience support a party that will deprive the poor and get us into blood middle east wars. I can't vote Democrat because I can't support a party that seeks to restrict a fundamental right (2nd amendment) and supports legal abortions.

Until we change the electoral system and allow for a real diversity of political parties, I will have to continue to stay home on election day.

 

[stamperben]

I vote to voice my conscience. A single vote counts big time in local matters much more so than nationally.

 

[Joykins]

1) Why do you vote?

To have my say in a representative democracy. And besides candidates, there are often ballot measures.

2) How do you get behind the rationale that a single vote doesn't matter?

One vote here, one vote there, soon you're talking about real numbers. In other words: there are plenty of people who vote like me, it makes sense to pump it up so we can win.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

1) Why do you vote?

2) How do you get behind the rationale that a single vote doesn't matter?

1) There are two reasons a person might vote:
A) To support someone they like
B) To try to keep the guy the don't like out of office

2) Many folks, myself included, understand the fundamental flaw with using the electoral college system in this day in age. The electoral college system allows for too many ways to rig the game...the biggest being the weighting system used in the electoral college.

...this day in age, we have the technology and capability to embrace a popular vote.

I guess it's not that a single vote doesn't matter, it's that single votes don't matter equally based on the state you live in.

Provided the chart is accurate, a person in DC's vote "matters" almost 3x as much as mine.

 

[Sketcher]

Whether or not my one vote actually tips the scale, I'm being part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

 

[ChristsSoldier115]

I honestly don't understand the point of the popular vote during presidential elections. To make us feel better?

 

[bhsmte]

1) Why do you vote?

2) How do you get behind the rationale that a single vote doesn't matter?

1. to cast a vote for the candidate that I believe is the best one.

2. For example, in the 2012 presidential race, my vote would not have mattered, because the state I am in, was heavy towards the candidate I didn't want to vote for.

 

[ArmenianJohn]

When I was a kid, I thought it was so cool that you could go into a little booth with a curtain and do the mysterious stuff that people do in there, so I voted as soon as I was able to and kept doing it.

I think today, if I'm completely honest, I do it for the free ice cream.

 

[Edial]

1) Why do you vote?

I don't, actually I stopped.

2) How do you get behind the rationale that a single vote doesn't matter?

It doesn't matter for several reasons.

1. Confusion.
People who liked Bush suddenly recognized Obama in Bush' 2nd term.
People who liked Obama suddenly recognized Bush in Obama's 2nd term.

2. Incredible amount of manipulation.
Last elections cost over 1 billion dollars.
This means everything I hear is a lie.
Lie costs money. Public relations firms are very expensive.

3. Single vote does not matter.
If I vote thinking I know I am making the right choice, I am either naive or stupid.
They spend billions of dollars making certain I deceive myself in thinking I know what actually is going on in politics and can make an intelligent choice between the same group of candidates (and their family members) we all learned to love and hate over the years.

And this carnival of politicians, after they body-slam each other for few rounds, have drinks together afterwards.

I NEVER thought Al Sharpton would survive Tawana Brawley.
Instead, he became stronger and more influential.

Why should I waste myself on this?

Thanks,
Ed

 

[Vylo]

A single vote doesn't count....until it does.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

People don't always vote for the best of reasons. Many voted for Obama simply because he was black. Many voted for McCain or Romney because they weren't.

 

[ChristsSoldier115]

If I recall my my history lessons.. prior to the big haboo with the political parties.. it used to be:
guy with most votes = president
guy with second most votes = vice president

We should go back to that.

 

[keith99]

1. I don't yet, but I am registering this year and intend to vote in every election I can. Why? I believe it's a privilege and a duty. That sounds like a bumper sticker-esque cliche, but I sincerely believe it's true.

2. I don't get behind that rationale. Weren't there just 537 votes from Florida electors that ultimately ended up putting George W. Bush into the White House in 2000? Or am I totally making that up that fact with my sleep deprived brain......

Sorry to tack on a question within your thread, but I'm curious to know thoughts on this quote about voting from one of the essays in David Wallace Foster's "Consider the Lobster: And Other Essays." I wasn't yippee with glee about the essay overall - read it because it related to something in school last year - but it had some points that got stuck in my mind. I just took a screenshot of the page for the sake of time / simplicity. The passage I'm wondering about is the first full paragraph on the page.

Oh, it has some light profanity. Apologies.

Bolding mine.

Be careful people might start calling you a conservative!

 

[Paulos23]

I vote becuase I see it as my duty, even if I voted for the losing side at least I was counted and now I can complain about the result. And if the other guy gets into office I still get to write him an email and give him a piece of my mind on an issue. He/she still represents me even if I didn't vote for them.

I find that while a single vote doesn't count, it counts more if others don't vote. I have always held that in several areas of the country you would see big shifts if everyone voted. Maybe even the rise of a few third parties locally.