And again, what does my age have to do with this? Does age necessarily equal wisdom? Does experience equal wisdom? Shouldn't you vote McCain then?dpwolf wrote:It doesn't, other than your age.
I participate in that I pay my taxes and don't go freegan or something, but I try to minimize participation in the electoral aspect which I believe is what provides ideological legitimacy to the system.Wise and admirable. Truly. But I'm not sure one can segregate beliefs from actions even if for some reason one wanted to, just as I don't think not voting equates to your not participating in the system.
And that is why I'll probably vote, simply because Obama seems more competent.Forget the parties; would you rather have McCain/Palin or Obama/Biden in the executive? Its as simple as that.
Actually I would argue it does help me, as I find participating in this system or granting it any kind of legitimacy a very demoralizing, soul-sucking process. Sort of like those games where you have to choose between raping your grandmother or stomping a puppy to death.Not voting doesn't help you meditate, be more true to yourself, further your cause, help eliminate the two party system, help others or even influence others, except perhaps through charisma not to vote.
I agree with Flex on the municipal/state levels. The smaller the scale the more an impact can be made.Dr. Medulla wrote:What I said shouldn't have been interpreted as any kind of endorsement of the Democratic Party. Indeed, like Flex was arguing, it's the lower levels where there's a greater chance of directly helping those in need, at the municipal and, to a degree, the state/provincial levels. The point is that if there's someone running who has a track record of contributing meaningfully in the community, be it in a private or public capacity, perhaps that possibility of doing further good is greater than hostility to the state. Perhaps, anyway.
And at the beginning of the Obama thing I thought maybe there was a positive candidate who would do something. But the Biden pick was like a punch in the face for me.
It's a possibility, which may make the voting an easier pill to swallow.Also, that Obama is running to the centre is not necessarily indicative of how he'd govern. Electoral politics is different than governing politics. The rule of thumb (ignored by Karl Rove) is that you run at your base in the primaries then run to the centre in the election. Clinton and Bush Sr. governed more to the centre (relative to their base), but Reagan and Bush II went back to the base when governing. So disillusionment with how Obama is running isn't necessarily predictive.