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Vote!
If there is just one thing you do today, it should be to vote. I live in New York City. I have no races I am passionate about. Hillary and Spitzer are going to win in landslides. Cuomo and Hevesi are hard to pull the lever for. Their opponents are even harder to vote for. But I am going to go early and vote before my 8am breakfast anyway. It is our responsibility and duty to vote.
A non vote is a vote for the status quo. And I am hoping and praying that this election is a national election and referendum on the bull in the china shop president (portrayed in this week's most excellent New Yorker cover) who has smirked his way through this election cycle. Maybe he knows something I don't. Maybe this mid term election is not a national election and referendum on his leadership.
But I am hopeful that it is and that the american public will go to the polls and pull the levers in a way that signals their unease with the direction he has taken our country. My votes aren't going to count. Yours might. Please go out and vote today.
A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke
November 7, 2006 in Politics | Permalink
Comments
When I was younger, I never bothered much about voting. As I learned more about the rest of the world, and discovered the number of people who DON'T have the right to vote, the people who died fighting for the right to vote, and the people who still risk death to cast a vote - I can't NOT vote. Not to vote invalidates so much effort from so many people that it now seems ungrateful in the extreme not to exercise the right.
Whatever side you fall on, Fred has it right - VOTE!
Posted by: Ric | Nov 7, 2006 7:58:37 AM
I feel like, while not voting is a vote for the status quo, a non-vote is a real statement. If you go into the booth, vote in the races where your vote matters and you have a candidate worth voting for, and don't pull any levers for the candidates in lopsided, you are making your own statement. You are counted as a voter who passed on that race, and if enough people do that, it will start getting noticed.
Posted by: Nathan Weinberg | Nov 7, 2006 8:38:05 AM
I'd also advise everyone who can to become a permanent absentee voter--if the government sends you a ballot in the mail, you really have no excuse not to vote. You probably burn more in gas driving to a polling station than the cost of a $0.63 stamp.
Posted by: Chris Yeh | Nov 7, 2006 10:17:38 AM
What if you want the status quo? Do you need to vote to keep it? Why does a vote necessarily mean you won't get the status quo?
Posted by: Alexander Muse | Nov 7, 2006 10:23:19 AM
I live in Chicagoland.
Here the dead vote early and often. Some very interesting races going on here.
1. Jesse Jackson just endorsed a Republican for Cook County Sheriff. Cook County is the County Chicago is located in. Cook County has an annual budget of $3 billion. The 25th largest economy in the world. Over the past 18 months, 13 inmates from Cook County Jail have escaped.
2. The Democrats have been in charge of Cook County for 40 years. A very close race for President of Cook County is being run today with the possibility of a Republican in charge of the County after 40 years.
3. Race for Governor in Illinois is very close. Barak Obama was exposed for a real estate deal with indicted democrat financier Tony Rezko. Tony Rezko was Blagojevich's top fundraiser and is being held on $1 million bond. Our last Governor was a Republican who is serving time for bribery. This Democratic Governor might do the same. The Governor race is very close even though the Governor has outspent his opponent 12 to 1.
The Obama Real Estate deal may ruin his future Presidential hopes.
4. A Major race for a a vacant Republican seat is happening today. Tammy Duckworth was an Army helicopter pilot in Iraq. She was shot down and lost both her legs. She is running as a democrat against Peter Roskum. This seat was vacated by Henry Hyde. Tammy did not live in the district and was recruited by the National Democratic party to run against Roskum. This will be a very close race.
If Tammy wins, look for national exposure, just like Obama. She'll be considered a rising star in Congress.
5. Dennis Hastert looks to win his seat easily. But a very real chance he wont be Speaker of the House anymore. Hastert's district is staunch Republican.
Illinois is a very interesting State and not getting enough National coverage. Missouri, Montana, Pennsylvania have overshadowed the Illinois races.
6. Pennsylvania - Lynn Swann is running against the incumbent Democratic Governor. It seems that voters are split along football allegiances. Steeler Fans are voting for Swann, while Eagles fans support the Democratic Governor. Swann, while running as a long shot is the Republican. This is his first race.
I've been watching C-SPAN and have watched debates from across the country. I must say the Rick Santorum / Casey debates was very interesting. In the debate I saw, it look like Santorum was getting unhinged and desperate. While Casey kept his cool. I think Santorum will be out.
I also watched the Michigan Governor debate. Michigan is in serious economic trouble with the near collapse of the auto-industry. They are having a very hard time economically.
The Nevada Governor debate was very interesting. Dina Titus was very articulate, and her Republican opponent has a PhD in Hydrology which will be important for water management in a desert State. One thing to note is that Nevada has a huge budget surplus, but yet the education system there is not the best.
Many of the debates stressed alternative enrgy needs. From Michigan to illinois to Indiana to Nevada. Candidates from both sides are for it. This is very good for Ethanol, Solar, Hybrid, and even Nuclear enrgy alternatives.
The big key is not to loose sight of energy alternatives and become comfortable with low gas prices.
Posted by: JEiden | Nov 7, 2006 11:46:37 AM
Who says there's nothing at stake here? Anyone who says that non-voting is a vote against the status quo clearly isn't reading the newspapers. Because electing Spitzer is indeed a vote against the status quo.
Spitzer has repeatedly infuriated Wall St with his aggressive prosecution of financial disclosure. More important than that however is his steadfast declaration that he supports releasing the entire CFE judgment to the schools of New York. If you have kids of school age in New York City, this is the single most important issue of our educational lifetime.
In case you don't know, after many years of appeals, last year the highest court in the state of NY awarded $11.2 BILLION to the Council for Fiscal Equity on behalf of NYC public schools because it was proven that the state has systematically deprived children to a "basic education." These monies have been held by the corrupt and deadlocked NY Senate and Assembly. (Pataki allowed a token $5M disbursement.) Spitzer alone has made it a point to say that he will get all the monies released (in stages); not one other candidate said he is willing to do what it takes to get that money disbursed.
If that isn't a reason to vote for Spitzer--and vote passionately, contra Fred--then you are either blissfully ignorant of the stakes in this election or you're wealthy enough to send your kids to private school. (As for the rest of the pack, especially Cuomo, I couldn't agree more that they're all hacks.)
Posted by: Craig Bromberg | Nov 7, 2006 12:32:43 PM
The only time your opinion matters is when you are in the voting booth.
Posted by: Chartreuse | Nov 7, 2006 1:27:19 PM
Market at new highs. Unemployment very low. Taxes still high but lower. Nothing blown up in USA since 9/12/01. Al-Queda obviously severely wounded financially and in terms of potency.
I supported removing Saddam (along with most Democrats that will win today) at the time that the decision was actually made---so it makes no sense to change my mind in hindsight (as most Democrats that will win today have done) now that it's taking Iraqis so long to take control.
Status Quo doesn't sound too bad to me, and I'll vote that way today. On the flip side, it's probably a good thing if the House goes DNC and the Senate stays GOP, because then perhaps the federal government would be incapable of doing anything without an overwhelming majority. Sounds right to me :)
Maybe we should be able to vote for "Everyone Stay Home"?
Posted by: Andy | Nov 7, 2006 2:39:06 PM
I don't care if you vote Green, Republican, Democrat, or Libertarian. As long as you have studied impartial analysis of the issues, and the Diebold Purple Voting Monster doesn't eat your vote, then I'm copasetic.
In case you have qualms about the legitimacy of your polling place and its practices, please use the video camera in your cell phone to record and document the issue and then send it via MMS to vote@veeker.com. Your video will be pushed on www.veekthevote.com almost immediately.
Even if you don't have voting problems, take some video asking others why they vote... let's serve notice to the powers-that-be that we will protect the legitimacy of our elections with the weapons of our Digital Revolution: cell phones!
Posted by: Kemble K. Pope | Nov 7, 2006 3:34:33 PM
oops, forgot my disclaimer: VeekTheVote is strictly non-partisan and I'm a former Regional Field Director of Rock The Vote and a current consultant for Veeker.
Posted by: Kemble K. Pope | Nov 7, 2006 3:36:36 PM
I took my daughter (who is almost 5) with me to vote. I showed her how it all worked, talked about everyone getting together to help make decisions about important things.
Posted by: Erik Schwartz | Nov 7, 2006 4:22:44 PM
In honor of election day and living in the Chicagoland area, I registered deadvoter.com today.
I plan on making it into a website dedicated to Chicago politics. Especially since that is how Chicago got the nickname "Windy City."
Along with electorates.org; and bushblame.com, I'm working toward building an online political presence.
Posted by: JEiden | Nov 7, 2006 5:06:16 PM
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Posted by: YY11 | Nov 7, 2006 8:51:06 PM
House won by moderate and some very conservative Democrats. Senate almost equally divided and barely in GOP control. Even as a "GOP leaner", it's great to see checks and balances.
Fred, I'd be very interested if you get the time to write a parallel of politics to management. You know, the dangers of everyone in power coming from the same angle, the corruption that almost always occurs when "management" is too comfortable, etc.
Posted by: Andy | Nov 7, 2006 11:15:38 PM
ok ok I voted I voted....but none of my libertarians won. Now with a slim chance of my Michigan (ranked 49th) economy getting better, it's now going to get worse as the Dems are still in power. YEA! More taxes! YEA! More unemployment! YEA! More houses for sale! YEA! More people leaving the state!
"The masses are incurably ingnorant" Aristotle
Posted by: Hockeydino | Nov 8, 2006 6:30:01 AM
Just in case nobody else clicked on the Asian characters above, it's a link to some naughty films.
You know I'll vote for that!
Posted by: jackson | Nov 8, 2006 1:30:42 PM
BTW, I was in Delaware all day yesterday and couldn't make it to the polls - I think I'm going to sign up for the absentee thingy, because in my line of work this could easily happen again - then again, I'm a New York Democrat....can you say forgone conclusion? I knew you could.
Posted by: jackson | Nov 8, 2006 4:27:39 PM
Hi everyone,
Thought I'd drop by to give you the skinny on the outcome of Veek The Vote.
It was a huge success with over 750 veeks from across the country and by Americans of all ages, races and political persuasions.
Check out the article at http://mobilecrunch.com/2006/11/21/veeker-veeks-the-vote-and-tweaks-competitors-with-a-landslide-victory-in-the-participation-category/
Posted by: Kemble K. Pope | Nov 27, 2006 5:15:45 AM
