Brief Plea by Kip Hansen
”It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” — Winston Churchill, on the floor of Parliament in November 1947.
“The system won’t work if you don’t vote”. — Jim Hanson
“Those who do not exercise their right and duty to vote in each and every election get the government they deserve. Today, most US citizens have another chance to make a difference.
If you want a better world, VOTE. If you want some law to be changed, VOTE. If you want different local, State or National policy, VOTE. If you like the way things are going, VOTE. If you don’t like the way things are going, VOTE. But, PLEASE VOTE.”
— Kip Hansen
I’ve often heard some people say “Why vote? The outcome is pre-determined anyway”, or “My one vote doesn’t really count, why bother?”
In 2016, the election of President Donald Trump, against all odds, defying pundits, pollsters, and popular wisdom, proved that in fact, every vote does count, and outcomes are not pre-determined. – Anthony Watts
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To All Those who Voted:
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I as a UK born, now Austraalan,. I think that our system is about as good as democrancy can b be.
The proportaional reppresentation system does give one multiple choices in selecting a cantigate , and compulsary voting, i.e. getting your name crossed out, at least brings you to the voting station. You do not have to cast a vote, but most do.
Sometimes its a 49.5 versus a a 50.5 result. If you are on the losing side well you shudder then just put up with the result.
We do have the advantage of not having a President, instead we have a kind of referee in the form of the Queens so called representative, Ie the Governer General. It works so why change it.
I as a UK born, now Austraalan,. I think that our system is about as good as democrancy can b be.
The proportaional reppresentation system does give one multiple choices in selecting a cantigate , and compulsary voting, i.e. getting your name crossed out, at least brings you to the voting station. You do not have to cast a vote, but most do.
Sometimes its a 49.5 versus a a 50.5 result. If you are on the losing side well you shudder then just put up with the result.
We do have the advantage of not having a President, instead we have a kind of referee in the form of the Queens so called representative, Ie the Governer General. It works so why change it.
MJE
Doesn’t look good for Trump from reports here in Aus.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/us-midterm-election-unprecedented-turnout-marks-start-of-voting-20181107-p50ef1.html
At 22, Porter Nelson considers himself an independent and says he is a regular voter, but a ballot measure in Washington state creating a carbon tax motivated him even more this year.
“It seems kind of like the world’s ending and if we don’t do something pretty quick, you know, I would like to have kids that have a planet. I would like to have a planet. So anything on any ballot anywhere that I see as being for the environment … I’m all for that.”
Nelson thinks Congress, too, needs to take climate change more seriously. “I would love to see our political body finally get it through their heads that the gerrymandering, the politicking, the races, the runoffs don’t matter if in 20 years the whole West Coast is on fire.”
*sigh*
It has NEVER looked good for Trump (or for any sane person) on the coast of Washington State (or much of anywhere south of there, either).
Looking at only the “fly to” States as an indicator for the mood of the United States is about as useful as, say, looking to Michael Mann as an indicator for the state of science.
Trump always receives bad press here is Aus and most Aussies just lap it up as fact. Trump doesn’t care as he knows bad press is just as good and good press in popularity contests.
The good news as far as I can see it, Trump will retain power in the Senate, so what the Democrats do in the House is largely wasted air IMO.
Of the two house, the Senate is the more important for the simple reason of getting judges appointed, especially the Supreme Court. If another vacancy in the Supreme court should occur in the next two years, be thankful that the Republicans still control the Senate.
That said, the Dems in the house will do all they can to make life difficult for the White house with investigation after investigation, subpoenas up the wazoo, and attempts at impeachment (depending on how many moderate Dems with integrity remain in that chamber will determine if they manage to pass any of their laughable articles of impeachment, which will then fail in the Republican controlled senate).
They’ll also pass bill after bill filled with their agenda that will die in the Senate or (if by some miracle they pass the senate) by vetoed by the President. as well as block any attempt at legislation that Trump wants. Meaning Trump will have to go entirely with the Obama playbook of executive orders to get anything done (and which can easily be undone by the next Democrat president)
Speaking of which. RBG is back in the hospital having fallen and fractured 3 ribs (this is the second time she’s fractured some ribs from a fall). If her health issues end up forcing her out in the near future, be very, very glad the Republican control of the Senate has been strengthen this election.
Drain the swamp.
ABC here in OZ is having a field day pointing out all the Democrat gains ,seems to be a few Aussies on here that like me would vote Republican if we could .
Colbert said the Dems got half of one of the three branches of government.
If Russia and China had their way with these US mid-term elections, this is probably the best they could have hoped for, short of the Dems also taking the Senate. The US government has been effectively hamstrung.
The House does not have to accomplish anything for the next two years, other than continually demonizing the President, and conservatives in general. The goal is to have the House and the Senate in the 2020 elections, with a socialist President moving into the White House. History will likely acknowledge 2020 as the year Western Civilization ended.
Perhaps Don McLean will right another song.
Maybe even “write” one 🙂
I find it puzzling how people say that it’s a “responsibility” to vote, even if you don’t know anything about the issues and just voted for a candidate who promised most free stuff. And of course these are the same people complaing about the “idiots, who voted for evil democrats/republicans”. Depending on which side you are on.
Vote well, or don’t vote at all. That’s what I always say. If you don’t know, then do the rest of us a service and don’t vote. If you are going to vote, then atleast put even a tiny effort into it, because writing a name on a paper is just too easy. And whole point of the thing is not to make yourself feel good. Government is not there to increase your self-confidence.
IMO one of the problems is that we are not treating democracy as just a tool for better future. We treating it as the better future, like democracy should be the end goal, instead of a way to the end goal. I think this is dangerous and could easily lead to stagnation. Because maybe Churchill was wrong and we haven’t tried all forms of government. Some people are suggesting that democracy could be improved by making right to vote something that you need to earn first, instead of it being just freely given. Like it could be treated just like any other job. Afterall I can’t just become a police or doctor. I have to earn it first. There also many other suggestions. Maybe these could work, maybe not. We don’t know until we try. But that won’t happen if we keep treating democracy as a religion.