[azreal60]

This was sent to me by a friend. I thought it worth reposting:
Primary elections are JUST as important as the General elections, but so FEW people pay attention to them (and don’t forget local government!). Only 60% of eligible voters cast votes in the 2004 election. Out of that, it was nearly a 49% to 51% split. People making any declaration that half the country believes this or half the country believes that are only making a statement for about 25-30% of our nation.

Government is a trickle UP process. If you support living in a democracy, you need to be a part of it. From local elections with referendums for schools or other things that affect education, ordinances, and taxes, to your presidential elections.
While it may seem ridiculous that campaigning is taking off for next year’s election so early, this should be taken as an opportunity to learn more about candidates and to help raise awareness of the election.
The media can be quite biased, on both sides of the line. But presidential elections are some of the most straightforward portrayals of candidates.
I’m encouraging all of you not only to be more aware of the electoral process, but to also write your local representatives demanding to see changes in the debate process.

Personally, I would like to see the following:
Candidates not being allowed to discuss the viewpoints of other candidates during a debate. No names. No mudslinging.
Begin the debate with a 5 minute pronouncement of what your base foundation is as a candidate.
When asked to discuss controversial issues, you get 5 minutes to explain what (not WHO) you think is wrong with the issue, and the rest of the time is to be spent discussing what you plan to do to fix it.

Not a bad set of rules and ideas when you think about it. Not sure on it's likelyhood of happening, but still.

[I_Like_Plants]

I'm going to be living in a camper in a backyard and doing mail out of a PO box, not sure if I'll be able to register.

[azreal60]

Yes you can. Talk to a local Registar. I used to be one when I lived in Westbend Wisconsin. Heck, you could Become a registar if you wanted to. It's not really that difficult.

Registering to vote isn't about owning land. As long as your a US citizen, you can register.

[Grautr]

its all bollocks. no realy it is.

[Bas]

so when are the next playoffs again?

[Baldwin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Gideon', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'P')rimary elections are JUST as important as the General elections

[Kristen]

Wel azreal60 I like your entusiam and totally agree with those guidelines. Have people gotten so immature that the only defense they have is pointing the finger at the other direction? If someone doesn't have the courage and confidence to defend their point of view than they shouldn't be running. What we have going on right now is all of the canidates are spending money early, trying to appeal to "the majority" of people. The problems with majorities is that they are often wrong. Remember the 1300's? "The Majority" thought the world was flat and later on in history even murdered poor Galileo who tried to disuade them. There's countless examples. What we need is someone to correct the majority!!!!

[azreal60]

Your never going to correct the majority. You can't. But what people don't think about is the people the majority get to pick from are picked from the active minority. That's where your vote matters even more I would say. The general elections generally aren't that close. But the primarys can be divided by just a few votes depending on the state. And a big win early can set the tone for winning everywhere.

This translates even bigger at the state and HUGELY at the local level. There, one vote really can be the difference.

[frankthetank]

I personally feel i can't change shit by voting, so i'd rather waste time browsing porn. Corporations rule this country, and they don't want my input.

[dinopello]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('azreal60', 'T')his translates even bigger at the state and HUGELY at the local level. There, one vote really can be the difference.

[seldom_seen]

The federal government is controlled by large scale oil, agriculture, pharmaceutical, finance and insurance super-organizations.

State government is controlled by highway/bridge building and automobile related conglomerates.

Local government is owned by real estate developers and real estate agents.

This doesn't leave much room for me and you.

This will all be changing the soon though.

The agent of change will not be the ballot box, but the rocks.

[SILENTTODD]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('I_Like_Plants', 'I')'m going to be living in a camper in a backyard and doing mail out of a PO box, not sure if I'll be able to register.

[TheTurtle]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('seldom_seen', 'T')he federal government is controlled by large scale oil, agriculture, pharmaceutical, finance and insurance super-organizations.

State government is controlled by highway/bridge building and automobile related conglomerates.

Local government is owned by real estate developers and real estate agents.

[mommy22]

While we were living overseas, I was unable to vote in 2 presidential elections because the hoops were so incredibly high for expats to register, and then vote. So, the last time we lived there, I became very involved in the registration process to make it easier for expats to register and vote. (I think I registered close to 1,000 Americans living in and around Paris). Anyway, there is a new online way for any Americans living abroad to register to vote. Go to: www.VoteFromAbroad.org if you find yourself living in a foreign country, and want to register to vote.
Given that there are upwards of 7,000,000 American living abroad at any time (!!), you can see that making sure they vote in a General Election can be really important.
Personally, I think we should do what the Australians do...everybody votes...otherwise there is a fine...minimal, but surely it gets more people to the polls. Any Aussies care to comment?

[MattSavinar]

@Gideon and Baldwin, both you guys, that was some damn funny stuff.

[katkinkate]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mommy22', '.')... Any Aussies care to comment?

[azreal60]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')n the mid 80s, I realized that my vote meant nothing at the state level.