Is An Uninformed Vote Better Than No Vote?

"Steve" wrote in message
...
Greg says: "Sometimes...the most responsible thing a person can do on
election day is stay at home ... If you really don't know enough to
cast an intelligent vote, you should be eager to let your more
informed neighbors make the decision."

But there's the rub. No one really knows **** about any candidate, I don't
care how *informed* one claims to be. History is replete with examples of
duplicitous baffoons telling us what we want to hear, only to be elected to
local, state or federal office for one or the other two major parties. The
only people these so-called candidates are beholden to are the parties that
they ran for and the interests that paid their way in.

Op --cynical, HELL YES I'M CYNICAL!--

"Steve" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 7 Nov 2006 18:05:11 -0500, "Opus McDopus"
wrote:

But there's the rub. No one really knows **** about any candidate, I
don't
care how *informed* one claims to be. History is replete with examples of
duplicitous baffoons telling us what we want to hear, only to be elected
to
local, state or federal office for one or the other two major parties.
The
only people these so-called candidates are beholden to are the parties
that
they ran for and the interests that paid their way in.

Yeah, we ended up with one of those out here.
Arnold talked tough but when that didn't work he hired the Democrat's
consultant and put his feet up on the desk.

What I find truly sad is that neither the Dems nor the Repubs care one hoot
about the entire electorate voting. If they did, we wouldn't be relegated
to a 12 or 14 hour period in which to do so. I find it funny, in a sad sort
of way, that in the states and their counties where the voting machines have
malfunctioned, judges are extending polling *hours.* If a person is unable
to cast their ballot the first go round, what makes anyone think that they
will come back to their polling place at 10:00 PM in the night? Why not
force the polls to open again the next morning, as folks are on their way to
work again? Why can't the polls remain open for a few days? I mean, this
is a most important civic responsibility--or so I am told?

Why can't someone figure out a way in which to give every registered voter a
"voter's number", which would be their's for life, no matter where they
might move to. This number could alway be tracked, by the federal
government. Then we could have a secure phone number to call into to cast
our vote. The phone lines would be open for say a week or two, in order to
give everyone a chance to vote their choice.

Is secure voting really so complicated that some great mind can't come up
with a viable method?

Op

Opus McDopus wrote:
What I find truly sad is that neither the Dems nor the Repubs care one hoot
about the entire electorate voting. If they did, we wouldn't be relegated
to a 12 or 14 hour period in which to do so.

There's a reason why the F/F's put it during the day on a Tuesday.
It's a republic, not a democracy, for a reason.


Why can't someone figure out a way in which to give every registered voter a
"voter's number", which would be their's for life, no matter where they
might move to. This number could alway be tracked, by the federal
government.

Ummm, the answer to this should be obvious to any of
the resident cynics (not to mention the tin-foil hat crowd).

Is secure voting really so complicated that some great mind can't come up
with a viable method?

Nah, it's easy as long as you trust a large bureaucratic
untrustworth government to implement it.

There's easier methods. Vote-by-mail is REALLY nice!
- Ken

wrote:
Opus McDopus wrote:
What I find truly sad is that neither the Dems nor the Repubs care one hoot
about the entire electorate voting. If they did, we wouldn't be relegated
to a 12 or 14 hour period in which to do so.

There's a reason why the F/F's put it during the day on a Tuesday.
It's a republic, not a democracy, for a reason.

Oh, good God, will this intellectually vacant canard NEVER die?!

Why can't someone figure out a way in which to give every registered voter a
"voter's number", which would be their's for life, no matter where they
might move to. This number could alway be tracked, by the federal
government.

Figuring out how to do it is child's play. Selling the idea is another
matter entirely.

Ummm, the answer to this should be obvious to any of
the resident cynics (not to mention the tin-foil hat crowd).

O.k., kennie doesn't understand the question.......anyone else care to
stand up and be counted?

Is secure voting really so complicated that some great mind can't come up
with a viable method?

Nah, it's easy as long as you trust a large bureaucratic
untrustworth government to implement it.

There's easier methods. Vote-by-mail is REALLY nice!

Reminds me......did you get that check yet?

Wolfgang

"Wolfgang" wrote in message
oups.com...

Why can't someone figure out a way in which to give every registered
voter a
"voter's number", which would be their's for life, no matter where they
might move to. This number could alway be tracked, by the federal
government.

Figuring out how to do it is child's play. Selling the idea is another
matter entirely.

Hell, we all carry a federal i.d. now, SSN. Why can't that # serve the
purpose for voting?

I have never pretended to be of any great intellect, but this seems a no
brainer to me? Am I incorreect in assuming that the government has a record
of all VALID SSN #s. If so, why couldn't that # be use to vote? You can't
get a job or driver's license without it, in NC anyway.

Wolfgang

" wrote in message
oups.com...

Opus McDopus wrote:
What I find truly sad is that neither the Dems nor the Repubs care one
hoot
about the entire electorate voting. If they did, we wouldn't be
relegated
to a 12 or 14 hour period in which to do so.

There's a reason why the F/F's put it during the day on a Tuesday.
It's a republic, not a democracy, for a reason.

I don't buy that for a second. The Founding Fathers perspective was
entirely different than that of today. And for your information, a Republic
is a form of representative democracy. There are no pure democracies in
existence, that I am aware of. Republican (representative) democracies were
formulated to protect minorities within majorities, again, IIRC.

Why can't someone figure out a way in which to give every registered
voter a
"voter's number", which would be their's for life, no matter where they
might move to. This number could alway be tracked, by the federal
government.

Ummm, the answer to this should be obvious to any of
the resident cynics (not to mention the tin-foil hat crowd).

Please enlighten me? You and I both carry an SSN # everywhere we go (not
physically, necessarily). So, please don't say people wouldn't accept the
government tracking their every move via a government issued number.


Is secure voting really so complicated that some great mind can't come up
with a viable method?

Nah, it's easy as long as you trust a large bureaucratic
untrustworth government to implement it.

Well not that I believe that trust has anything to do with it. Who else
would you propose?

There's easier methods. Vote-by-mail is REALLY nice!

Oh, so its up to the USPS, UPS, FedEx... to secure our voting rights?

Great, no untrustworthy government interaction there, well except for the
USPS. of course.

Op

- Ken

Opus McDopus wrote:
"Wolfgang" wrote in message
oups.com...

Why can't someone figure out a way in which to give every registered
voter a
"voter's number", which would be their's for life, no matter where they
might move to. This number could alway be tracked, by the federal
government.

Figuring out how to do it is child's play. Selling the idea is another
matter entirely.

Hell, we all carry a federal i.d. now, SSN. Why can't that # serve the
purpose for voting?

I have never pretended to be of any great intellect, but this seems a no
brainer to me? Am I incorreect in assuming that the government has a record
of all VALID SSN #s. If so, why couldn't that # be use to vote? You can't
get a job or driver's license without it, in NC anyway.

Like I said, it wouldn't be hard to do. The trouble is that there are
a lot of people opposed to the idea for all kinds of reasons.
Personally, despite some serious concerns about privacy issues I don't
have much trouble with this one. As a matter of fact, Becky and I were
discussing this matter on the way back from voting earlier this
evening. It occurred to me that I could easily have walked in, given
my neighbor's name and address, and voted for him.

Wolfgang

"Wolfgang" wrote in message
ups.com...

Opus McDopus wrote:
"Wolfgang" wrote in message
oups.com...

Why can't someone figure out a way in which to give every registered
voter a
"voter's number", which would be their's for life, no matter where
they
might move to. This number could alway be tracked, by the federal
government.

Figuring out how to do it is child's play. Selling the idea is another
matter entirely.

Hell, we all carry a federal i.d. now, SSN. Why can't that # serve the
purpose for voting?

I have never pretended to be of any great intellect, but this seems a no
brainer to me? Am I incorreect in assuming that the government has a
record
of all VALID SSN #s. If so, why couldn't that # be use to vote? You
can't
get a job or driver's license without it, in NC anyway.

Like I said, it wouldn't be hard to do. The trouble is that there are
a lot of people opposed to the idea for all kinds of reasons.
Personally, despite some serious concerns about privacy issues I don't
have much trouble with this one. As a matter of fact, Becky and I were
discussing this matter on the way back from voting earlier this
evening. It occurred to me that I could easily have walked in, given
my neighbor's name and address, and voted for him.

Wolfgang


had my mother not been working out in the rain, soliciting Dems and my aunt
Sara mot have been a poll worker, I too might have voted for just about
anyone in Lenoir. I have never been asked for ID. I don't think it would
bother me much. I understand the argument, but don't believe it to be
valid. Hell, why not claim that the gas it cost to drive to the polling
place a poll tax? If a person really cares about a *possible* voice in
government, the cost of a State ID isn't all that difficult to handle, IMO.
Again, the goverrnment could issue special IDs to low income people,
determined by tax return forms, right?

Op

"Opus McDopus" wrote in message
...


But there's the rub. No one really knows **** about any candidate, I
don't care how *informed* one claims to be.

I know a little about Bush.

Opus McDopus wrote:
" wrote in message
oups.com...
Why can't someone figure out a way in which to give every registered
voter a
"voter's number", which would be their's for life, no matter where they
might move to. This number could alway be tracked, by the federal
government.

Ummm, the answer to this should be obvious to any of
the resident cynics (not to mention the tin-foil hat crowd).

Please enlighten me? You and I both carry an SSN # everywhere we go (not
physically, necessarily). So, please don't say people wouldn't accept the
government tracking their every move via a government issued number.

People get upset having to show photo ID to vote. Tracking your
vote via SSN would be a non-starter with a lot of people.
- Ken