Since I am cutting and pasting what I just wrote on a message board. I was going to blog about this anyway, and was trying to decide when my blood pressure would be low enough to do so…however after reading once whiney and apathetic statement after another, I think I nearly had an aneurism. So, here is what I said there…my apologies in advance, as it is not as well constructed as I would like, due to the aneurism and all.
“First off…yes I voted.
Second off, I was going to quote some people, but after reading so many of the same apathetic statements, I gave up. Yes, everyone should vote. However, if so many of you actually care about actually changing anything, get off your asses and got to the caucuses. There you can *gasp* [i]actually tell the party what is imprtant to you and get it on the platform[/i]. You can make resolutions. You can vote on what candidate gets the party nomination.
Go to meet and greets with candidates and tell them what direction you would like them to go in, what issues are important.
Write letters to the candiates and those already in office and tell them what you want, as they are respresenting you.
All this bullshit about how the parties “don’t represent me” is bullshit! If you look at the fundamentals of the green “party” and the independent “party” alongside those of the DFL…you will find they are pretty much the same. If there are things within the party that you disagree with, then do something about it. Want a lefter leaning candidate? Go and get one the nom at the convention.
In the election of 2004, I went as far as I was able to go in terms of conventions. I did not run to go to the state convention for our subcaucus, as it was already a large pool, and there were many who had been much more involved in our candidate’s campaign. My candidate did not get the nom in the end. I expected that, but I supported him as long as he was in the race because he brought valuable insight to the other candidates, challenged them, and made people aware of a lot of things that I feel matter. As much as I would have loved to see him be president, I knew it was more valuable for me to support the better candidate of the two. However, I kept active, and I still make sure that the people that represent me know where I stand. My candidate through the caucus and convention process was so left that he could have easily taken the easy way out to get on the ballot and take his toys to the green party. He did not. He instead chose to make the most difference he could as far as he could into the race and make his voice heard. If Hutchinson or Pentel would have the balls to do that, then maybe they would have my vote. Instead I went with the candidate who was the most qualified of those who went through the more difficult process (not that it matters, but Hatch did have my support from the beginning. He was the most qualified of those who sought the nom, again had either of the other two gone through the process I might speak differently). I hardly call that voting for the “lesser of two evils.” I call that getting involved in the whole process, and not bitching because I couldn’t be bothered, and saying that none of the candidates were appealing because I couldn’t be bothered to tell the party what I wanted. Government is about compromise, and doing the best for the most people.
IRV has the potential to help, as we wouldn’t be stuck with someone who the majority didn’t vote for.
And this is coming from someone who voted for Perot in ’96 (to answer Mr. Grimes question). I was fresh out of high school, where nobody told me you could do anything other than vote for the third party. I don’t regret voting for him, because I learned something from it. It made me get more involved, and get the people and the issues that were important to me on the ballot.
In short, elections are few and far between. Yes, voting is important, but nothing will change if that is the only time you expect to change things. Try changing your sheets or your clothes or your oil once every two or four (or eight) years and tell me how that goes for you.
Sorry, but this issue is truly a burr in my saddle.”