Does the act of not voting invalidate one's political opinions?

[Paulie]

I put more effort into the primary season where I try to get the candidate I actually WANT on the ballot in November, then most people ever will on their one trip to the polls every 4 years just to pick a D or an R.

My no vote this November is fine and I'll continue to have my opinions. Thanks.

So what your saying is that no matter what the outcome it is what you wanted.

No, and this is a great reason why a lot of people here think you're a moron.

 

[Paulie]

I put more effort into the primary season where I try to get the candidate I actually WANT on the ballot in November, then most people ever will on their one trip to the polls every 4 years just to pick a D or an R.

My no vote this November is fine and I'll continue to have my opinions. Thanks.

So what your saying is that no matter what the outcome it is what you wanted.

It's the opposite, actually. No matter that the outcome, it is what I DIDN'T want.

I can't reconcile a vote for either one, so it's illogical to think that voting for one of them somehow affords me a right to opine.

What good is walking out of the booth feeling like you lost no matter what?

 

[Toro]

No.

It is your democratic right not to vote.

 

[Paulie]

Being a registered republican, I understand that my lack of participation only helps Obama. But that doesn't upset me any more than my participation helping Romney.

I think they both suck equally. Therefore, I have no reason to assume I'm under any obligation to vote for either one of them.

 

[beagle9]

This thread is in response to a post by Grampa Murked U.



I decided several months ago that come November I was not going to bother to vote in the general election. I can't vote for either Obama or Romney, since they're essentially clones of one another, and while I might throw Gary Johnson a vote if there was another race, such as Senate or House, that had a candidate worth supporting he isn't good enough on his own to warrant taking the time out of my day to go vote for him.

So should my opinion be invalidated despite the fact that my decision not to vote is as principled as anybody's decision to vote, and not simply motivated by apathy?

I think it depends on the opinions given, where as if you want your opinion empowered, then go out and vote for the man or woman who will do this for you, but if you sit on the side lines, and yet have an opinion that can only be empowered by your vote, and this along with countless others the same, then I don't see why you would even get involved at all (opinions included). Of course it is your choice to give an opinion or not in life always, but if putting down another who is opposite your opinion, and yet you are allowing this person to have power over you and your opinion in order to squash it, and all because you don't vote, then I guess it's just that you love to debate and engage, but really care not if it is productive for you, otherwise you just love to conversate based upon the level of your ego needing nourished I guess, and this as is found in such debates or conversations that you engage in.

But what am I to do when there is nobody to vote for who would "empower" my opinion?

Vote for the person who gets the closest to empowering your opinon, and then start being more involved to even get a better solution on down the road from that point.

 

[beagle9]

Being a registered republican, I understand that my lack of participation only helps Obama. But that doesn't upset me any more than my participation helping Romney.

I think they both suck equally. Therefore, I have no reason to assume I'm under any obligation to vote for either one of them.

No, but one thing is forsure, and that is that with your attitude it could be a sure win for Obama, and if you are willing for the Reids, Palosies, Bidens and others to have another run at it again, then they want you to do exactly as you say, and stay out of it.

 

[Wiseacre]

Being a registered republican, I understand that my lack of participation only helps Obama. But that doesn't upset me any more than my participation helping Romney.

I think they both suck equally. Therefore, I have no reason to assume I'm under any obligation to vote for either one of them.

Maybe you should re-evaluate your reasons for being a registered republican. I cannot fathom any person of conservative principles who cannot see the widely divergence between both parties and candidates and realize that 4 more years of Obama would be disastrous.

 

[Sherry]

No, but it's a right that many have sacrificed a lot for...so even if one goes in the booth and does a write-in, at least they are making some sort of positive statement. Not that it's always the case for people who choose not to vote, but I don't respect indifference and apathy.

 

[Politico]

I'm not sure that I'd consider voting "doing something about it." Especially since in this election voting would essentially be me doing the opposite of what I run my mouth about.

As I said earlier. The question is worded to allow for an argument no matter the answer.

Well since I was asking for opinions I would've thought that was obvious. In fact, I think most topics on this board are in that same vein. The point, however, is not for an argument, but for a discussion.

Yes it was obvious. That's why I said what I said. You don't want a discussion you want an argument. I don't care to argue with you nor does anyone who has a life. Vote or don't vote for whoever you want to and accept the consequences of your decision.

 

[editec]

This thread is in response to a post by Grampa Murked U.

No vote = keep your opinion to yourself imo

I decided several months ago that come November I was not going to bother to vote in the general election. I can't vote for either Obama or Romney, since they're essentially clones of one another, and while I might throw Gary Johnson a vote if there was another race, such as Senate or House, that had a candidate worth supporting he isn't good enough on his own to warrant taking the time out of my day to go vote for him.

So should my opinion be invalidated despite the fact that my decision not to vote is as principled as anybody's decision to vote, and not simply motivated by apathy?

I think the act of not voting AS A PROTEST could be far better served if we had a NONE OF THE ABOVE choice.

That way when one refuses to vote for anybody, your NONE OF THE ABOVE ballot is registered for what it really is rather than dismissed as mere apathy.

And if enough NONE OF THE ABOVE votes are cast (say more than any candidate), we also ought to REDO the election with new candidates.

You're thinking: "Only in his dreams," right?

Yeah, you're absolutely right.

 

[Intense]

You have a Right to Vote or Not Vote. Each is a Statement. Whether One Votes or Not, should have no bearing on One's Right to Speech or Opinion.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

As I said earlier. The question is worded to allow for an argument no matter the answer.

Well since I was asking for opinions I would've thought that was obvious. In fact, I think most topics on this board are in that same vein. The point, however, is not for an argument, but for a discussion.

Yes it was obvious. That's why I said what I said. You don't want a discussion you want an argument. I don't care to argue with you nor does anyone who has a life. Vote or don't vote for whoever you want to and accept the consequences of your decision.

How do you define argument versus discussion? An argument, to me, is different than a discussion in that it includes sarcasm, insults, probably some sort of picture memes, and people trying to be "right." Now you can still disagree in a discussion, in my opinion, but the difference is that you do so respectfully. With those definitions in mind, this thread was intended to be a discussion for people to explain why they feel the way they do about the subject. And I think to have a good discussion one should be prepared to defend their position.

I wonder why you bother posting on a message board at all when you object to threads that, in your words, are "worded to allow for an argument no matter the answer," since that would probably be right around 99% of them.

 

[Paulie]

Being a registered republican, I understand that my lack of participation only helps Obama. But that doesn't upset me any more than my participation helping Romney.

I think they both suck equally. Therefore, I have no reason to assume I'm under any obligation to vote for either one of them.

Maybe you should re-evaluate your reasons for being a registered republican. I cannot fathom any person of conservative principles who cannot see the widely divergence between both parties and candidates and realize that 4 more years of Obama would be disastrous.

I don't trust Romney. I'm not going to vote for someone because I HOPE they're going to be conservative. There was only one candidate I could trust because every single thing he ever said, he ACTED on. But he didn't win. So if I do vote, I'll be writing my candidate in.

 

[Borillar]

This thread is in response to a post by Grampa Murked U.



I decided several months ago that come November I was not going to bother to vote in the general election. I can't vote for either Obama or Romney, since they're essentially clones of one another, and while I might throw Gary Johnson a vote if there was another race, such as Senate or House, that had a candidate worth supporting he isn't good enough on his own to warrant taking the time out of my day to go vote for him.

So should my opinion be invalidated despite the fact that my decision not to vote is as principled as anybody's decision to vote, and not simply motivated by apathy?

Your opinion isn't invalidated, but then you can't really complain about the election's outcome either. I generally vote for the candidate or party platform that is closest to my viewpoint. That has meant occasionally voting third party. If there isn't someone to vote for, there is usually someone to vote against. At worst, you could always ask some well meaning fool and then vote the other way.

I can understand that if, for instance, I didn't vote in the previous election, then complained about Obama being elected instead of McCain. That type of complaint would be pretty foolish. I think the premise of this thread, however, is the complaint that whichever of the candidates from the two major parties is elected, it's a bad thing.

So the complaints wouldn't be that Obama is in office instead of McCain, or that either Obama or Romney is in office after the upcoming election, but that whoever is in office sucks. The complaint is that the choices available aren't worth a vote, not that one should be elected rather than the other, and I think that is an important distinction.

Write in your own name then. Whoever wins and then screws up, you can say "don't blame me, I voted for myself". Plus you have voted for someone who matches your point of view exactly.

 

[Avatar4321]

Invalidate? Nope. Doesnt invalidate your opinion. Just tells us you dont really give a crap about Fixing the problem. Even if you just vote third party or write in yourself or someone else it would be better than remaining silent when it really matters.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

Invalidate? Nope. Doesnt invalidate your opinion. Just tells us you dont really give a crap about Fixing the problem. Even if you just vote third party or write in yourself or someone else it would be better than remaining silent when it really matters.

Or maybe it tells you that I don't think voting has anything to do with fixing the problem? I voted for Ron Paul in the primary because I thought that would help fix the problem. I'm not voting in November because I don't see how it fixes the problem.

 

[thanatos144]

Invalidate? Nope. Doesnt invalidate your opinion. Just tells us you dont really give a crap about Fixing the problem. Even if you just vote third party or write in yourself or someone else it would be better than remaining silent when it really matters.

Or maybe it tells you that I don't think voting has anything to do with fixing the problem? I voted for Ron Paul in the primary because I thought that would help fix the problem. I'm not voting in November because I don't see how it fixes the problem.

What it says is you dont wish to do your civic duty and whose opinion on politics has little value to those actually in the game.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

Invalidate? Nope. Doesnt invalidate your opinion. Just tells us you dont really give a crap about Fixing the problem. Even if you just vote third party or write in yourself or someone else it would be better than remaining silent when it really matters.

Or maybe it tells you that I don't think voting has anything to do with fixing the problem? I voted for Ron Paul in the primary because I thought that would help fix the problem. I'm not voting in November because I don't see how it fixes the problem.

What it says is you dont wish to do your civic duty and whose opinion on politics has little value to those actually in the game.

It's not my civic duty to flip a coin and vote for Clone A or Clone B. And for somebody who now seemingly disregards my opinion you're doing a lot of responding to my posts.

 

[Ravi]

If enough people voted for the other guy, it might teach the party a lesson. A landslide victory means one party picked the wrong candidate.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

If enough people voted for the other guy, it might teach the party a lesson. A landslide victory means one party picked the wrong candidate.

And if absolutely nobody voted then everybody might realize we're tired of the horrible choices they put up every single time.