Why I Might Vote This Year - A Non-Voter's Take posted

I'm not going to say anything profound in this article. I'm sure all of this stuff has been said, but this time, it's coming from me... and as you probably know, I'm not into politics - at all. I've never followed them, nor have I paid attention to them. In fact, I've always said that, until a presidency is directly affecting my daily life, I have no reason or need to vote. ...I realize that both of those statements can be argued, and they have been... but that has been my reasoning.

Basically, I've chosen to be politically ignorant - and I do not think that misinformed, underinformed, or ignorant people should be voting, whether it's their right or not. I've always trusted that the majority of Americans, who are (hopefully) paying close attention to our presidential candidates will make a good decision for me.

So here we are in 2008 and I'm suddenly feeling like politics and our president are affecting my life. Gas prices are crazy and the economy is horrible. These both affect me and are causing me to pay a little more attention lately.

Here are the things I want that may cause me to lose my voting virginity.

  • I'd like to trust in my investments - mainly my 401k and my mortgage.
  • I'd like to not spend $450 a month on fueling our vehicles.
  • I want an intelligent president. A president who is not a joke to the world. McCain might not be as bad as Bush in that regard, but Palin already is.
  • I want someone who knows how to get on the internet. How can I trust a president who isn't in touch with technology introduced 15 years ago to be in touch with technology today? How can someone that is just learning how to get online going to drive technology tomorrow? By drilling for more oil and worsening our dependency? I want vehicle and energy advancement and I do not think that McCain/Palin will help provide that.
  • I want innovation. Remember when America was about innovation and not beating everyone up?

These are not new ideas... but they are definitely new to the past 8 years. And with the direction our country has been moving, I want change. We need change. I do not think McCain/Palin are going to offer this country any form of positive change. I believe they are going to keep pushing down the same horrible path that Bush has been - worsening our economy, dependency on oil, and relations with other countries.

So, with all that said, I think that Obama/Biden are more intelligent, more experienced, and stand for real, positive change for our country.

Presidential candidates aside - one of the main reasons I may vote this year is that we need a new party in office. That is how our country runs. We simply need to alternate presidential parties... and it's time to alternate back to a democratic office for a term or two.

So there you have it. My 2 pennies. That's all I can afford to give right now.
I said something political!
Tags: Barack Obama, Politics

comments

  • Congrats. I agree 100% with what you said. I hope that a lot of people feel the same way. We need all the support we can get to beat mccain/palin.

    harper posted

  • Where have you been? We needed your vote 4 years ago...

    Josh posted

  • i've been ignorant, duh.

    derek posted

  • Dude, I was Republican growing up...probably more Indepentdent then anything anymore (never believe in something 'to much')...but this is bang on. I vote for change.

    rico posted

  • i too was raised republican but became independent as soon as i was old enough to make that decision.



    i think my family was simply republican because that's what christians think they have to be.

    derek posted

  • You may want to rethink a few things. (and I'm sure this is why you avoid politics. Well, except for school board...)



    McCain is tech savvy, the claims about him not knowing how to use a computer aren't true. Because of his POW injuries, it is painful for him to use a keyboard. He was talked about 8 years ago as the tech savvy candidate, and that hasn't changed.



    McCain advocated against giving the Freddie Macs and Fannie Maes the ability to make all the poor loans they did. Obama took the 2nd most money from those two companies over the past 10 years, and he and his party have been pushing to allow even more bad decisions to be made. They even said they want to create a government agency to buy bad debt from companies. Meaning as a financial company, I'm free to make whatever risky business decision I want, and if they work I get the profit, but if they don't, then the government will just take it off my hands. That costs us money, and it drives the value of our investments down.



    Obama's idea of how to lower energy prices is to get us to use less. Which won't work on it's own merits, but think of all the things that oil is used in, including the wheels of your Heely's. Are you willing to give up those kinds of things in order to have cheaper gas?



    I agree with you about innovation. The way to get that innovation is to get government out of our way. That's not Obama. Don't buy into the ads, they don't tell the truth. And btw, I don't like McCain, either, and don't plan to vote for him. But don't make your decision based upon false information.

    Elmo posted

  • $450 dollars in gas? Before you vote, you should sell your truck.

    Cedric posted

  • what do i do with my $dollars when i sell my truck?

    derek posted

  • ezinearticles.com/?W...825022

    Cedric posted

  • cedric, you punk. you win this round!



    elmo, way to argue a brand new voter.



    as for ads, have you forgotten that i don't have tv? i've been literally ad free during this campaign. i have seriously only seen 1 presidential ad during this entire race and it was during the iowa/iowa state game last week. it was a mccain ad.



    all of my opinions are based on what i have read, seen in interviews published online, and discussed with people.



    regardless, if you read the last major paragraph in my blog, my main reason for wanting to vote is the switch of parties in office.



    but you're right, i'd much rather not burn so much oil in vehicles to save it for use in products like heely wheels, which are a rather unimportant part of my life... but yeah.

    derek posted

  • I'm not arguing, I'm trying to inform.

    Elmo posted

  • jesus, elmo, start by informing yourself...



    "I am learning to get online myself, and I will have that down fairly soon, getting on myself. I don't expect to be a great communicator, I don't expect to set up my own blog, but I am becoming computer literate to the point where I can get the information that I need." --New York Times interview, July 13, 2008



    tech-savvy my ass, my grandparents can get online, and they sure as hell aren't running for president

    nick posted

  • yeah, the nytimes interview with mccain was the exact source that prompted my comments above.



    plus, dj tittsworth sampled mccain saying it on the mccain mix.

    derek posted

  • McCain is a terrible decision. Obama isn't great, but BY FAR the lesser of the two evils.



    There is a reason why Bush is has made Americans greatly disliked around the world. The USA needs a "change of management" sign, at the very least, to begin fixing things. Voting for McCain will change nothing. He's a terrible decision.

    Anonymous posted

  • Fyi : here is the NYT link where McCain admits he needs help from his wife or aides to get himself online : www.nytimes.com/2008...UTg />


    Straight from the horse's mouth. Direct quote, from McNasty himself.

    Anonymous posted

  • For those of you who are interested, check out this link to begin with :



    www.youtube.com/watc...R3zp4c

    Anonymous posted

  • yo, if the oil interests you, check out the front-page video of this website:



    therealmccain.com/ />


    He has voted AGAINST higher MPG on cars 3 times. Tell all your friends this link :     therealmccain.com/ />

    Anonymous posted

  • Oh, anonymous! I am familiar with you:



    www.quotationspage.c...us/ />

    Cedric posted

  • Ron Paul with T. Boone Pickens as his running mate is what this country needs!

    Anonymous posted

  • You are all fools!



    Mainly Derek, for getting all political on me like this! I came here for the Metallica thread...

    ben posted

  • Nick, he doesn't use a computer because he physically is unable to. He tried to learn using newer accessibility tools, but to claim he doesn't get online is just wrong. He goes online and responds to emails with his wife running the keyboard.

    Elmo posted

  • "Fyi : here is the NYT link where McCain admits he needs help from his wife or aides to get himself online :"



    Right. Because his shoulders were pulled out of their sockets so often, he is unable to lift his arms above his shoulders, and it's painful for him to use a keyboard.

    Elmo posted

  • From 2000:



    graphics.boston.com/...tml />


    "McCain's severe war injuries prevent him from combing his hair, typing on a keyboard, or tying his shoes."

    Elmo posted

  • "yo, if the oil interests you, check out the front-page video of this website:"



    Do your own research, don't believe what other people want you to think.

    Elmo posted

  • elmo, i didn't make the claim he couldn't get online, i just provided a direct quote out of the man's mouth...he is the one who said he had to "learn" to get online...what, learn how to use his shoulders? i think he means that he doesn't know how to get online, and i would claim that if you don't know how to get online, you cannot claim that you are "tech-savvy"...but i could be wrong, and i'm sure you will say that i am wrong

    nick posted

  • Elmo, could you cite a single time where McCain or his own campaign has said his injuries are responsible for his technology non-use? That was a theory first floated by someone outside his campaign a few weeks ago.

    mh posted

  • Actually (sorry for the double comment) it was Karl Rove: rawstory.com/news/20...4.html

    mh posted

  • And I pointed out you took the quote out of context, because you didn't note the reason he hasn't done it himself before is because of his physical injuries. He has gone online, but with his wife or staff driving. If you read the quote, he said "learning to get online myself". It's known that he has his wife or staff type for him, and why. BTW, calling him and his campapign tech savvy came from Joe Trippi, who was Howard Dean's campaign manager.



    You can choose to believe what others want you to think, or you can research it for yourself.

    Elmo posted

  • I already did, mh, it was in the Boston Globe article. From 2000.

    Elmo posted

  • So his campaign was tech-savvy in 2000. His current campaign is, by comparison, not nearly as savvy as the competition. The US has fallen down the list of countries in terms of broadband use, there's evidence that some companies are avoiding US traffic routing due to the lack of legal transparency in network monitoring (wiretaps), and McCain's stance on net neutrality is shaky.



    When it comes down to it, whether or not an excuse has been trotted out this election cycle is irrelevant -- but that one hasn't been used generally, possibly because other people care more than me whether or not he actually touches a computer. I'd rather he didn't use the internet at all but at least supported reasonable policies.

    mh posted

  • So not being as tech savvy as your competitor doesn't mean you're not tech savvy, just not as much as others.



    You care whether or not he uses a computer, but it's not relevant as to why he might not?



    BTW, very few elected Washington politicians use email. Clinton, for example, reportedly only sent two during his entire 8 years.

    Elmo posted

  • wizbangblog.com/cont...et.php

    Elmo posted

  • If you'd like to talk economics, let's relate it to your personal finances. When you are deep in debt and have to borrow in order to cover your basic expenses, what do you do? Do you keep spending and spending on things which you don't really need but are things you'd like to do? Or do you cut back your spending until you have your debts in at least a managable position?



    McCain wants to cut spending, Obama wants to add another trillion dollars a year. Which will improve our budget?

    Elmo posted

  • Derek's taken an interest in voting, has stated his views, and put it out there that he's probably willing to go into a voting booth (or vote absentee) this year. I think we both realize that regardless of whether we make arguments or not, we're not going to change what candidate he'll vote for -- if he votes.



    Arguing here isn't going to drive him to the voting booth for McCain, or even for Obama -- it's going to keep him from voting. Rick, of all people, you have to appreciate the fact that maybe it's better if someone gets into the voting system, even if they don't initially support all the same views you do, because some day you might be on the same page -- and you might need his vote.



    Or am I a day late and a dollar short on this one?

    mh posted

  • Nope, not late. Wanting to vote is great. Making an informed vote is even better. It's not about what I believe, I'm not voting for McCain, either. I just think it's important to know the facts.

    Elmo posted

  • I'm going to vote for Obama.. when I've voted republican before.

    gambling posted