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Be Honest
Alright, time to be a little honest. I know this might cause a little bit of a fight and might make people mad at me or those who comment, but I think it could be an interesting discussion. Here goes.
Who’s planning on not voting?
And maybe a second question that will be followed up in the comments. Who’s brave enough to say they aren’t voting?
Ready? Go.
Well… it all depends on if I ever get around to mailing in my absentee ballot or not… it’s 50/50 at best…
I will be voting, assuming that I get my absentee ballot soon.
I plan to vote. But probably not for one of the two main choices. I don’t really like either one of them. It’s a sucky position to be in. It is bad when you feel like you have to vote for the one that stinks less.
If only Ron Paul was on the ballot.
I do not plan to vote… Im serious.
Why You Ask?
I’ll tell you why with a Question.
1. How many of you that Voted for Bush wish he wasn’t president?
2. How many of you Voted for Clinton wish he was Impeached?
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No matter who you vote for, you will hate them with in 4yrs. And if you don’t you will hate them after 8…
I am definitely voting. You can’t have a voice if you don’t speak up.
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i’m voting. going to do my ballot tomorrow i think.
I’ll vote – but because I’m vested in the LOCAL issues and local candidates. But for the big boys? I agree with Blake:
. It is bad when you feel like you have to vote for the one that stinks less.
My 17 year old daughters have both been pestering me to commit to who I’ll vote for. They’ve asked “who do you like more?” and I’ve answered “it’s a matter of who I dislike least.”
Without getting too involved and because I’m typing from my iPhone I will say Im not voting this time around.
At first I was leaning towards McCain but the more I saw the differences between him and Obama I started leaning towards Obama. If it weren’t for Obama being pro-choice I would vote for him. I can’t have that blood on my hands I know abortions are going to happen with or without a law but Im not going to help enable it.
Ugh. It crossed my mind. I have NO IDEA who I’m going to vote for. For every point I have in favor of a candidate, there is one as equally convincing in favor of the other.
But, I really believe that if you don’t vote, you can’t complain. So soon enough I’ll have to make a decision.
I think that makes it sound like I’m voting so I won’t feel bad about complaining later haha. You know what I mean.
Of couse I’m voting. It’s not only a right, it’s a privilege. Try living in other countries where they would give anything to be in our shoes. One more thing, there is no perfect choice and there will never be one. If you don’t vote then don’t complain.
I’m planning on just voting on the local and state level. Being in one of the”swing states” I’m voting for President even if I don’t vote.
I also am most concerned with local issues this go around, but I’ll vote for president as well. Having said that, I completely respect the conscious decision not to vote.
I agree with Randy… but I do plan on voting,
I definitely agree with James. Voting is a privilege I’m proud to have and use. Yes, the candidates both stink but if you ask me one definitely stinks WAY more than the other one. Since everyone else has remained anonymous about who they’re voting for, I guess I will too…
I’m DEFINITELY NOT voting.
Because I can’t!
That wasn’t that hard to answer (:
I’m going to vote with my eyes closed and poke around on that digital machine like I’m trying to crush ants. That technique will be about as good as any.
I pray to vote my conscience…
I do not plan on voting.
Why? Because I’m not going to vote for the “lesser evil” as everyone always says. Evil is evil. And at this point I see evil in both choices.
If my voice is found in a ballot, that sucks pretty huge.
Raquel – ha ha! You are funny.
I will be prayerfully voting, for sure. God will be placing a man in office, and NOT voting is not allowing Him to use you to accomplish His will.
I know, pretty strong, but that’s what I believe.
I would like to vote, but I haven’t gotten my absentee ballot yet. It’s not looking good. Of course, in my state it’s not even a contest for who will win so I doubt my ballot will be opened anyway. I’d still like to vote.
Sent my absentee ballot in last week….
I was tempted to write in Mickey Mouse just because I’ve always wanted to do that….
But decided to vote against who I didn’t want in office…not that either are ideal picks.
I’m votin! For everyone who fought for the freedom to vote….as a citizen you should vote regardless
My comments have been said here already but by different people.
I plan to vote. I believe too many people fought for my right to vote for me to disregard their sacrifice by abstaining. As a woman, I feel the pressure even more since it took so long for an American woman’s voting rights to be acknowledged.
I also see the presidential contest as choosing between “the lesser of two evils”. The lesser is STILL “evil”! As one who has to check a major party box in order to vote in the primary in my state(CA) even though I feel I don’t “fit” into either box, I have voted in every presidential election since 1996, but I have never voted for either major party candidate.
I write in the name of someone I can vote for in good conscience(college professor, Allen Keyes, deacon from my church, etc.). Some say it’s a wasted vote b/c the person will never make it to the White House. Why vote for the lesser of two evils when I can vote my conscience?
To Blake I say – Go ahead and vote for Ron Paul if that is who your conscience says is the best man for the job.
@Rowan – Interesting that I also wrote in Alan Keyes one time (I think it was the last time). But I was reading on Ron Paul’s website today that he encourages people not to write him in because it’s truly a wasted vote. Not because it won’t be for a candidate that might actually win, but in most states it won’t even be counted.
Also, while I think both are wrong, I think it’s interesting that people draw different conclusions between killing when it comes to unborn babies or wartime casualties.
I will and do vote! Main reason I vote is because people fought for my right to vote.
Being the guy who says, I’ll just hate who I voted for or it doesn’t make a difference really bothers me. Difference or not. Why wouldn’t you want to?
never really thought about my vote not counting until this year. being as i live in ca, unless i vote for obama my vote won’t matter because apparently he gets all our electoral votes or whatever anyways. i am going to, most likely, unless i am in labor that day, but not because anyone fought for my right to vote or i want my voice to be heard, but because i can vote, so why wouldn’t i? that would be sort of silly…
I’ll vote, mostly for the local elections. That’s where change can happen. The thing to remember is you’re voting for a human. They will mess up sooner or later. They’re not perfect. You have to make the best choice of the candidates, even if there isn’t a great choice.
The only time I don’t vote in a particular race is if I’m not aware of the candidates.
Ok, I may be setting myself up as well. But, here’s what I believe. True, I must vote for the lesser of two evils. I believe that “God’s” choice was probably aborted years ago….for what that’s worth. Anyway, I feel that His Word is clear that He ultimately puts powers in place and removes them as well…all the while using them for His plan. [Psalms 75:7, Daniel 4:35, Daniel 2:21] We do not know, nor have to know His will all the time. His ways are higher than ours. Although God can do anything, He uses His people to do His will. Otherwise, He would simply save everyone without calling us to be witnesses. To do nothing is completely irresponsible and foolish. So, yes I will vote…prayerfully and carefully.
As of now I plan on not voting. I am struggling with if I vote am I giving my loyalty to someone else other then God. Do I have the right to force my beliefs on to someone through voting if they do not believe the way as I do?
Thomas
I am voting. I finally made the decision on the “who” this past week.
It may or may not count. The system is not so “cut and dry”, because of our electoral college. I almost didn’t vote last time b/c of it. However, somewhere along the lines it must matter. If everyone voted, I think we may in fact see a difference…what KIND of difference, I don’t know. But I imagine there would be a more accurate division of “sides.”
It seems like we put a LOT more emphasis on the president vs. the congress and senate, which concerns me. The president indeed has certain pivotal powers (appointing judges/veto power), but the congress and senate have equally pivotal powers and in some ways MORE pivotal.
I wonder what our country would look like if we were better informed (vs. brainwashed by influential media) and if we understood more clearly how our government was set up to function.
This probably wouldn’t make the decision as to the “who” to vote for much easier…but then again, could it? And could it influence our choice to vote at all? Just makes me wonder.
I already voted!
I believe that we should vote.
I am not voting for two reasons. First, I really can not decide between the two choices.
Second, I didn’t register in time.
If you do not cast your vote for YOUR “lesser of two evils” then when the one YOU thought was the eviler one wins…… how ya gonna feel then?
Just a thought.
Even if you are only voting for the lesser of two evils- it is your right and privalige to do so- and you should.
Although- you don’t HAVE to. That is the beauty of our freedom here in America.
I hope after this election- that we still have some of those freedoms.
I’m voting for mine.
Hmmm, very interesting thing to post. I am surprised and not surprised by all the responses. I have already voted cause I will be in Japan on the 4th. Honestly, I am sure that had I not married a man in the Navy I probably would not have registered in time. But now that I have this connection with the government, I feel a dire need to voice my opinion as I entirely fear what will happen to our lives having a democrat president. Let me just say that a democrat president for military is really not good. You may think we are safer cause they don’t want war, but that is a naive way of looking at it and totally untrue.
And for all you who don’t like either candidates…. NO ONE DOES! There is this spot on your ballot that you can write someone’s name in. Do it. I assure you, and believe it more this time than other elections there will be many doing it.
I’m not voting. Alot of people who are voting don’t even believe in the system anyway. Let’s be honest eh..
Dee, are you advocating subverting one’s conscience for political gain? I don’t believe God has called me to make a wrong choice to avoid a ‘wronger’ alternative; He’s called me to make good & wise choices regardless of the political fallout and wordly pressures and trust Him to take care of it all.
I am so thankful I did not vote for the lesser ‘evil’ in the last two Presidential elections. I’m sure I would be in the same boat Randy is in now.
i vote brody for president!
Start getting the promotional buttons together, Jeff! haha
I wasn’t going to vote, but a conversation swayed my mind more toward voting. I don’t really like either candidate and don’t think that a “less evil” choice is a better choice. However, if it comes down to both choices being a bad choice, do I want whoever wins this election to possess enough power to make bad decisions with few objections? This president is going to be appointing people to some critical positions in the government. If he wins by a landslide, he will have a much easier time filling these positions with people who agree with him making the checks and balances in our government somewhat void. When neither choice is a good choice I don’t want a powerful president, so I’ll be voting for the man I think will probably lose to make this a close election.
hmm… this reasoning sounded so much more solid at 3 in the morning… perhaps I won’t be voting…
I agree it is hard to think that my one vote will make any difference with our electoral college and the whole system. But, how many times has God taken something small and seemingly insignificant and used it to do great and mighty things? [Gideon - the least of his tribe which was the least tribe in all of Israel, David - a small boy with a ruddy complexion, a boy's lunch to feed 5,000, a widow's mite - equal to about one-eighth of a penny] I can’t honestly say that I like the system within which we must operate. But, it is the system we have and doing nothing will not change anything. One thing is for sure. Those who vehemently oppose everything you stand for will be at the polls to cast a vote for their candidate. Does their “one vote” count?
[...] posed the question to his readers: Are you going to vote? The comments are thoughtful and real. Thankfully, it seems most of the answers are [...]
Amen, Mr. Ken!
Here’s how I see it. I am going to write in “None of the above – DO OVER”. Of course, I don’t know if we could handle another year like this one, politically speaking of the barrage of political ads (PC vs Mac anyone) of course.
Also, everyone likes to blame GW Bush for all that is bad right now. Well, how about blaming everyone who is in office. Since the big job is going to “change” anyway to someone on the ballot (which I feel should be none of the above), maybe we should look at all the other small offices on our ballets. If someone is presently in office, let’s blame them also and vote them out. That way there would be definately change. Change them all. They are all to blame.
And while we are at it, maybe we should change the way our government governs us….. hmmmmmm.
Make sure to vote your beliefs, whatever they are. C U @ the polls. -G
“Who’s brave enough to say they aren’t voting?”
But not brave enough to actually take part in the democratic process?
God says we are under earthly authority as well as the Kingdom. If we are under the authority of our government, it is our responsibility to take part in the political process.
If you really don’t like the two main candidates vote for one who you do like, even if they have no chance of winning, at least you are raising a voice that you don’t support what the two parties are giving us.
If not voting is smarter than voting, than you’re letting letting your inferiors pick your president!
All that not voting says is, “I don’t want to be responsible,” or “I’m lazy,” or “I’m scared of being wrong.”
One more thought, pray about it. Maybe God will let you know who to vote for.
As for me, I’m not sure who I’ll vote for yet, but I know I’m voting!
I just have to speak up for a second (again) the people who died for your right to vote also died for your right NOT to vote. That’s the glory and beauty of a democracy. I am so thankful that NOT voting is a choice (even though I will vote) and we don’t get fined for not voting.
There is so much more to voting in an election besides just the president. Think of all the important statewide propositions that are on the ballot. Voting is a way for us to flex our democratic (as in “democracy”) muscles. It is one very simple way for us to get good people into office move bad people out. It will always be hit and miss in an election and nobody will be perfectly happy, but not voting in my mind is irresponsible and it abdicates your rights as a citizen to others who may not want to advance positive things for our society. Too often we let others be responsible for our lives and decisions rather than grabbing life by the horns and making our own choices. I am sorry to say, but I think not voting is an adolescent posture. People all over the world would love to have the right to vote, but it’s so easy to take that for granted here in America. Only in America, huh?
Respectfully,
Ryan
[...] while back I asked you all who was planning on not voting. I got a whole bunch of answers ranging from folks not planning on voting, to people [...]
There are some proposals in Michigan like legalizing Marijuana for medical purposes (does that mean with a prescription – does someone take a prescription to the local dealer – what????) and also about stem cell research. So yes there is actually more than just the presidential candidates and the positions in office.