Thinking Of Not voting At All - Talk Me Out Of It

[PlanetBev]

I haven't missed a vote in 31 years. Now, given the 2000 selection and my vote for Davis in the November election now nullified, can anybody give me any reason to vote anymore? Why should I participate in what I now know to be an exercise in bullshit? This is a mockery of Democracy.

[quinnox]

1. It would be a shame to break a record like that

eom

[aquart]

2. I'll spit on you in the street if you don't?

All you have left to fight with is your vote.

You go to the polls and you vote against the recall. Then you vote for a candidate like your Lt. Gov. or anyone who isn't Arnie, I hope.

And don't you dare let the fascists win BECAUSE YOU GAVE UP.

[jiacinto]

3. Because every vote counts

I know that that sounds cheesy, but it is the truth.

[DemBones DemBones]

21. Does every vote count? When the GOP steals elections, recalls

or impeaches Democrats that were duly elected?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

4. cause that is exactly what the repukes want you too feel...

and i will not let them inslave me and give them victory over my spirit....i will vote!..

[PlanetBev]

8. OK, guys, you convinced me...

But it's gonna be hard. Even if Gray is toast,I might go for him again, simply because I feel the recall is wrong.

[Cha]

5. Why should they make You give up? Don't Ever Ever Ever

GIVE UP! THat's exactly what rePUKES count on!

Ya gotta take the bag of Lemons and make the Best Lemonade in the World outta them. :kick:

[union_maid]

6. If enough people don't vote, they just keep winning

And that's the bottomline. Voting them the hell out of everywhere should be the only important thing to a voter. Keep complaining, keep voting, keep fighting.

[slor]

7. The risk of 4 more years of Bush...

is reason a'plenty. Yes it is frustrating to see the democratic process being hijacked. But would you not be more devastated to see, say, bush win by ONE vote while knowing you sacrificed your chance to cast your vote. If you think of it in those terms, you will know what to do. That being said, if he steals the next election, shall we all meet for drinks in our new hometown of Toronto?

9. Don't vote

But don't become cynical. The realization that the voting system and our "democracy" is a joke doesn't mean that there aren't other ways of fighting for justice (actually if anyone thinks that voting fulfills this obligation to fight for justice they're deluded and if they don't want to fight for justice then they suck).

[indigo32]

19. Oh my

no one here is saying voting alone fulfills some obligation to fight for justice.... but by God/Goddess/whatever, we cannot let them disenfranchise us further. Don't tell anyone NOT to vote.

[Benevolent_Rabbit]

10. because the only way to prevent future mockeries of democracy

is to vote in candidates with a respect for the constitution.

[salin]

11. Because the only way to prevent the repubs from completely ending

democracy (as in - over turning elections - over turning constitutionally determined redistricting, etc.), is to reinvigorate democracy. To get MORE eligible voters to vote. To bring more people to the poles. And by sheer numbers/volume of voters, voting against the anti-democracy republican party, taking away from them the ability to abuse power in the ways they have done of late.

Thus, we not only need you to vote - we each need to identify five or ten people who haven't voted in the past and convince them to vote. Tough to do, when you are so disillusioned that you, yourself don't want to vote. But think of this - that is a big part of their plan. To suppress voter turn out. It works to the GOP advantage. The one ray of light after last november was the run off election in Louisiana. The GOP pulled all the stops out to depress the vote (including hiring African American youth to hold up signs in predominantly African American neighborhoods saying: Senator Landrieu, What have you done for me lately?) But the opposite happened. Towards the end of the race the tactics were countered, big (and successful) GetOutTheVote efforts were mounted - and she won.

If you don't vote - they win.

If you vote they still might cheat to win.

If we work together to get a handful each of previously nonvoting people to vote - WE WIN.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

12. There's nothing good on TV that day anyway..gets you out of the house

Do it for NO REASON.

[Cheswick2.0]

15. ha ha

jinx

[Cheswick2.0]

13. what else are you going to do that day?

and you won't get a groovey little bendy pin for your lappel.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

16. HaHa!

jinx!

[WindRavenX]

14. Because if you don't vote, you help the Republicans

I know I'm just as outraged as you are with this sham recall "election", but we have GOT to send Republicans a message that we are NOT going to fold and not fight this.
Please don't just give up! We must fight this kind of stuff.
JM2C

[jfkennedy]

17. I see a Revolution

America is about due for a revolution.

[indigo32]

20. Have you noticed that no one is taking your bait?

eom

[robbedvoter]

18. Because if you give up on democracy - it's gone!

It's up to each of us to uphold it - even if it means believing in it against hope. i'll be damned if I'll make it easy for them to make this a fascist state!

[ButterflyBlood]

22. Because then you're giving up and the Republicans win