Will you vote in 2008?

I was raised to believe that it is a civil duty to vote.

The real problem with voting is that we don’t have one national election for president; we have 50 small elections. Almost every election is all-or-nothing. My state (Texas) will no doubt will go Republican. My vote can not possibly make any difference because wheater the Republicans win with 51% or 99% all of my state’s electoral votes will go to the Republican candidate.

The only states where your vote matters is in closely contested states. Candidates know that so they spend the lion’s share of money and time campaigning in the contested states ignoring the states they know they will carry and the ones they know they don’t have a chance in.

I do still vote but since I live in a heavily Republican state I’m effectively disenfranchised. My vote for president can’t change anything. It doesn’t suprise me that so many people stay home since most people don’t live in closely contested states; they live in ones that will go either strongly Democratic or Republican so the electoral college guarantees that their vote won’t matter.

I plan to vote in 2008. If you don’t vote, then you’re part of the “problem”…no matter what your stance on issues, voting is key.

For myself, I also subscribe to a political newsletter. I highly recommend it to anybody, find one that matches your views, and subscribe, help your fellows, even if it’s only electronically, you can make a difference.

national holiday

Perhaps…Australia, I believe, has “compulsary voting” eg, you have to vote. Something like that might be effective, if it was coupled with a day off of work.

if i were 18 i would vote. ppl always joke about turning eighteen that way they can vote. its sad that i really want to. hehe.

no =( im to young