First Presidential Election

[WakeCarver]

Congrats on your first vote Cheesy! Just remember to "Vote early, vote often, vote Republican!";D

 

[cwa107]

I just got out of the polling place. I stood in line for just over two hours.

The lines at the early voting places where I live have been running between 1-2 hours all week, according to the news. They expect tomorrow (the last day before election day) to be even worse.

Turnout looks to be unreal this year.

Good. Glad to hear that people are actually taking an interest this year. It's about time people, other than the senior citizens are making their voice heard.

 

[Dimitri]

It's generally been a pretty long line where I lived the last 2 elections. I'm almost afraid of how it'll be this time.

 

[leecho7]

Hmmm, I'm a bit worried. I registered to vote this year, but I haven't received my card yet. Should I be worried?

 

[Dysfunction]

I've never had to have a card on me to vote. Most states don't even have ID requirements. I'd go in, worst case they'll let you cast a provisional ballot

 

[Kash]

This will be my second Presidential election. I've voted in several midterm elections, as well as local elections, plus a few primaries. Good men and women fought for my right, you bet I'm gonna put that right to good use

 

[PapaNoHair]

Hmmm, I'm a bit worried. I registered to vote this year, but I haven't received my card yet. Should I be worried?

Call your local elections office and explain that to them. I am sure (if you registered in time) they will work out something for you. I would not take a chance on waiting until voting day - there might not be a person where you vote that can help you.

 

[louishen]

Good men and women fought for my right, you bet I'm gonna put that right to good use

Good call.

People fought hard for the right of the common man and woman to vote. And many died in the struggle against dictatorships in WW2, so don't take your vote for granted. Your individual vote may seem like nothing, but no politician can ever be too comfortable when they know they can be voted out.

 

[cwa107]

Good call.

People fought hard for the right of the common man and woman to vote. And many died in the struggle against dictatorships in WW2, so don't take your vote for granted. Your individual vote may seem like nothing, but no politician can ever be too comfortable when they know they can be voted out.

Unfortunately, in the US, they get comfortable anyway since their terms are so long and (at least in the Federal government) there's no opportunity to cast a vote of no confidence.

 

[QDaMan]

This is my first election too, I'm very excited I just received my voter registration card last week!

XJ-linux, very wise comment on executive vs. legislative power.

 

[eric]

my first was 1988. no one won that year; and really no one could have won.


i'm pretty excited about this year - probably more so than i have been in any other election in which i was able to vote.

 

[Dysfunction]

my first was 1988. no one won that year; and really no one could have won.


i'm pretty excited about this year - probably more so than i have been in any other election in which i was able to vote.

HAHAHA Dukakis/Bush 1

Me too, I voted Zappa.

to be honest, I'm about as excited by this one as I was in '88.. although this one has bigger consequences I think.

 

[XJ-linux]

I feel sorry for whoever wins... we've placed such high expectations on the next President it's pretty much guaranteed a mere mortal will be unable to deliver what we're asking. Poor Sap whoever it is.

 

[eric]

that's my fear for Obama - the Jimmy Carter Effect - coming off of a republican into a horrible economic climate, resulting in voters with notoriously short-term memory eventually rebuffing the democrat. probably won't bode well for the house and senate either, at least in another two years.

 

[Dysfunction]

I might be more excited if I didn't figure that no matter the outcome the divisions in this country will simply continue to grow.

 

[lifeafter2am]

I might be more excited if I didn't figure that no matter the outcome the divisions in this country will simply continue to grow.

I agree completely. Politics is one of those topics that I HATE to discuss, because EVERYONE has their opinions, and they are all right (at least in their minds). I believe it was either Aristotle or Plato who said "You cannot argue with emotion". And politics, for most people, isn't about facts and numbers, it's about emotion. Or, it at least turns into that at some point.

I have been saying for years we need another party, the two party system is broken, and, like you said, it is only going to get worse and worse.

 

[eric]

there are plenty of other parties. even the D's and R's are barely the same parties they were a couple generations ago.

i voted green a couple elections ago, voted my conscience and helped get someone elected who was completely unfit. while i like the idea of third parties, i can't do that again until i'm not literally afraid of the republicans that are on the ballot.

 

[lifeafter2am]

there are plenty of other parties. even the D's and R's are barely the same parties they were a couple generations ago.

i voted green a couple elections ago, voted my conscience and helped get someone elected who was completely unfit. while i like the idea of third parties, i can't do that again until i'm not literally afraid of the republicans that are on the ballot.

First, I totally agree that today's D's and R's are nowhere near what they were. The libertarians are actually closer to what the R's used to be way back, but that is a little off topic.

What I should have said was a VIABLE third party. A third party with a chance, not one who may get 5% or less of the vote in any given election. America is very dichotomous, and I think that is really reflected in our political system. There is no middle ground, you are with us or against us (in-groups versus out-groups), you either want to own guns or you hate gun owners, you either want to fight the terrorists or you are one, etc. etc.. That is really the mindset of soooo many Americans that it really is scary to me, and believe me, I know, I study people for a living (and really in this context too, I am a Social Psychologist). Middle ground people, seriously, there is a whole grey world in between your black-and-white thinking!

 

[bubba]

Voted last Thursday for the lesser of the two evils -- McCain.

 

[eric]

well the funny thing is that most americans are pretty centrist, and neither party can really go too far from that and expect to get elected. so what we end up with are two parties that are just right of and just left of center. typically most third parties are further away from the center, and with the polarizing issues you alluded to (civil unions, gun ownership, abortions, universal health care; no one party would ever be able to find the center.

that said, a lot of the problem also comes from misinformation fed to and the general apathy of most americans. most of us are happy to find someone who thinks like us for the most part and then buy the pap that supports our guy and cuts down the other one. so if guy x is close to our p.o.v., and we're made to fear guy y, we're likely to never even consider guy z.

i think the only way really to get away from the two-party nonsense we're embedded in is to wake people up a bit. maybe hard times are the best thing for this country now, maybe people will start to pay attention... but i'm not hopeful.