tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post115493040304170354..comments2023-10-31T05:03:38.910-07:00Comments on Letters from a broad...: Confessions of a former Nader voter, part 1C. L. Hansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12698855413639518095noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-1158923732169962692006-09-22T04:15:00.000-07:002006-09-22T04:15:00.000-07:00Thanks Mattman!!!I don't know if I have notificati...Thanks Mattman!!!<BR/><BR/>I don't know if I have notification emails turned on or not -- I suppose that's something in the blog settings somewhere...<BR/><BR/>Good comments -- I'm pretty much in agreement with your politics. :DC. L. Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698855413639518095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-1158870800506504122006-09-21T13:33:00.000-07:002006-09-21T13:33:00.000-07:00I know I'm late to this party, but hopefully you h...I know I'm late to this party, but hopefully you have comment-notification emails turned on. I only recently added you to my regular read list just because I was overwhelmed for a while. I must say I'm enjoying your blog very much. Anyway, on to my comments...<BR/><BR/>I too voted for Nader in 2000 because I think of the choices he was the best man for the job (yeah, that sounds sexist because the system is sexist -- he did have a female VP, though, so added bonus there). I had regularly arguments with a coworker about my "wasted" vote. I would stand on my soapbox and defend my position that I was voting for the candidate I thought was the best choice, not based on whether it was winnable or not.<BR/><BR/>My coworker's position was that in our two party system, you basically have to vote for the lesser of two evils as a vote against the person you're sure you don't want in there -- pointing out that my vote for an unwinnable candidate was essentially a vote for the person I did not want in there.<BR/><BR/>I didn't back down, and here we are 6 years later and I'm finally seeing his point. And it stinks that the system is that way.<BR/><BR/>I often avoid politics on my blog or anywhere because it can affect friendships and such. And my own rejection of mormonism (and religion in general) has changed my political stance *a little*. Even when I was still morg, though, I was environmentalist, anti-corporate-control, green, "liberal", etc etc. But now my leftist leanings in many areas have become stronger.<BR/><BR/>For example, I'm now more strongly anti-republican because (here we go with the stereotypes) they are typically the evangelical types that cater to religious perspectives on everything. It wasn't always that way. The religious right has hijacked the republican party, as far as I'm concerned. And I see nothing "conservative" about fucking over the planet for corporate greed, or robbing the poor to pay the rich, or consuming resources so fast that we couldn't survive as a nation without ties to 3rd world war-ridden nations of extremists (talking about oil here). Anyway, enough of that.<BR/><BR/>I don't subscribe to or identify with any particular political party. These days I'm more of the thinking that it's just disgusting that what I call "career politicians" are so overwhelmingly corrupt and dirty. The democrats are just as guilty at this as the republicans.<BR/><BR/>I guess I'd mostly be favor of something more along the lines of a socialist democracy, but generally no one understands what I mean by that and I end up tarred and feathered. Go figure.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, love the posts, appreciate the comments you leave on my blog from time to time, and ... [wolf whistle] keep the pics coming. ;)MattManhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03074590319118987024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-1155016789343518972006-08-07T22:59:00.000-07:002006-08-07T22:59:00.000-07:00It would be one thing if the electors were actuall...It would be one thing if the electors were actually chosen according to whatever republican-not-necessarily-democratic means the founding fathers intended. However, since the consensus is that the president is to be chosen by the populace in a general election, why not actually go with that instead of having a system that weights some citizens' votes more than others.<BR/><BR/>This system hardly gives more power to the states. Those few that choose to split their electors instead of going with the ususal winner-take-all system quickly find that their state is a less important one for the candidates to bag.<BR/><BR/>And it's not just a question of the electoral college -- the fact that the system has no runoff of any kind -- i.e. no way of voting "I want candidate X, but if it comes down to it, I want candidate Y over candidate Z."<BR/><BR/>Other countries have this, and it is the only way that smaller parties have any possibility of accurately demonstrating how many voters support their platform (since of course the U.S. doesn't have a house chosen by party representation in its legislature, either).<BR/><BR/>As Bull points out, this prevents the fringe from having any power. It also means that the major parties have less motivation to be responsive to voters -- since voters can't realistically turn to some other party if they're not satisfied -- so the major parties are free to represent whatever corporations and contributors they see as their constituents.C. L. Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698855413639518095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-1155000491707746542006-08-07T18:28:00.000-07:002006-08-07T18:28:00.000-07:00I really should have said democratic-republic inst...I really should have said democratic-republic instead of constitutional democracy... But either way I think that we area living under one of the best systems. :-)Cyn Bagleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08404416186783891402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-1155000288926826792006-08-07T18:24:00.000-07:002006-08-07T18:24:00.000-07:00Hey Bull....I lived in Panama for seven years and ...Hey Bull....<BR/><BR/>I lived in Panama for seven years and I saw what happened with an unbridled democracy... Really scary.<BR/><BR/>I agree with your post.Cyn Bagleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08404416186783891402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-1154996643170351792006-08-07T17:24:00.000-07:002006-08-07T17:24:00.000-07:00I voted Liberterian in 1992, and Republican ever s...I voted Liberterian in 1992, and Republican ever since. Just like Joseph's Left One, since I have left the morg my political identity is shifting too. As my wife says when she sees GWB on the tube, "His lips are moving again, here come more lies." I am starting to hear that too. Growth is interesting. <BR/><BR/>As for the electoral college, I still support it. I see it as part of the great compromise of our republic. Hey it gives North Dakota and its 3 votes a very big say in close elections. However I do see your argument for changing it. A bientot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-1154993019364841232006-08-07T16:23:00.000-07:002006-08-07T16:23:00.000-07:00Hey Bull - I was totally going to point out the re...Hey Bull - I was totally going to point out the republic thing. I re-evaluated a lot of my political stances after taking a political science class at BYU (of all places). It was a GE, and I DID NOT want to take it, but I'm really glad I did -- one of the most informative classes I've ever taken. Now I'm actually MILDLY interested in politics, instead of completely oblivious...<BR/><BR/>Chanson, I LOVE that you wrote this: "It left me with a strong sense that political activism is vital to a functioning democracy, however I personally will never participate in it ever again." For some reason that's just really funny to me. :)Rebeccahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10006115623631732544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-1154990115328320082006-08-07T15:35:00.000-07:002006-08-07T15:35:00.000-07:00Hurray for Cynthia!Someone who actually understand...Hurray for Cynthia!<BR/><BR/>Someone who actually understands why things were set up the way they were.<BR/><BR/>I'll also point out that we don't live in a democracy. We live in a republic which incorporates some democratic principles.<BR/><BR/>The founders were for representative government but were also aware of the dangers of unreigned democracy. If you need an example of democratic excess look no further than the French Revolution or even 1830s Missouri.<BR/><BR/>The winner take all system is to force everyone to the middle and to prevent fringe parties from becoming king makers. I still remember the Bolivian presidential election while I was a missionary that had something like 102 candidates. No one would compromise because all you needed was a plurality to be in the game.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, interesting how religion colors politics and vice versa. Sadly, I haven't seen my politics change much despite drastic religious changes :)Bullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01343937101221163598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-1154989755514497002006-08-07T15:29:00.000-07:002006-08-07T15:29:00.000-07:00Politics is often false advertising. They promise...Politics is often false advertising. They promise big things but hardly deliver! Is that because most politicians are men?!? J/K ---well, maybe not!<BR/>Good post!Just one of manyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16499357350979429777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-1154984179998140112006-08-07T13:56:00.000-07:002006-08-07T13:56:00.000-07:00I am not a Clinton fan either. LOLEspecially when ...I am not a Clinton fan either. LOL<BR/><BR/>Especially when my birthday coincided with his... I had a lot of hostility about that personal fact.Cyn Bagleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08404416186783891402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-1154984087491640712006-08-07T13:54:00.000-07:002006-08-07T13:54:00.000-07:00Well.. if we hadn't made the state senators ---pop...Well.. if we hadn't made the state senators ---popular party votes, then we wouldn't be seeing a breakdown of the popular president vote...<BR/><BR/>It was really meant for <BR/>Representatives--represented the people<BR/>Senators--represented the States<BR/>President--through casting votes and then casting electoral votes representated the people and the States.<BR/><BR/>The political systems was supposed to be another check and balance of the system. <BR/><BR/>I think if it goes completely popular vote then we will become a democracy and not a constitutional democracy... :-)<BR/><BR/>So I don't agree. But, the fun thing about politics is that no one agrees with anyone... Great for debates. I used to debate these issues with my two best friends. I was the conservative and they were liberals.Cyn Bagleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08404416186783891402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-1154958429790011202006-08-07T06:47:00.000-07:002006-08-07T06:47:00.000-07:00LOL, Sinister porpoise!!!Hey JLO!!!I know how you ...LOL, Sinister porpoise!!!<BR/><BR/>Hey JLO!!!<BR/><BR/>I know how you feel. When I first stopped believing in Mormonism, my politics went into kind of a state of flux (as I suggested at the beginning of this post).<BR/><BR/>I embraced Feminism and environmentalism more whole-heartedly -- I had already been openly in favor of both causes even as a Mormon -- but as for the rest, I didn't want to just do a knee-jerk 180 degree turn without thinking about it just to spite my parents or something. ;-)<BR/><BR/>So over time I explored different ideologies, as you can see from this story.<BR/><BR/>The main reason I've avoided politics so far is because it annoys the hell out of me when people accuse me of hating America and/or "siding with the terrorists" just because I'm not happy to see my homeland being driven into the ground by the current incompetent and short-sighted administration...C. L. Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698855413639518095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-1154933134694155512006-08-06T23:45:00.000-07:002006-08-06T23:45:00.000-07:00Well, I'll give Clinton credit for one thing, he ...Well, I'll give Clinton credit for one thing, he did more for the cigar industry than any other U.S. president...<BR/><BR/> I'm not a Clinton fan, and not really happy with Bush after the wiretapping thing.The Sinister Porpoisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06598370622023551565noreply@blogger.com