Vote today!

[Jason Roehl]

If you don't vote, you can't complain.

No political replies, please, keep it clean and compliant with the TOS.

[skip coyne]

early and often ;)

[Curt Harms]

If you don't vote, you can't complain.

No political replies, please, keep it clean and compliant with the TOS.

YUP. Don't let the 'activists' from any party call the tune.

[Rick Doyle]

If you don't vote, you can't complain.



I can't vote today - so, does that mean I can complain???:D

My only complaint would be with those who don't vote!

Good luck and please vote!

Rick

[Dennis Peacock]

I'll go vote but I still won't complain...................................much. :rolleyes:

[Larry Klaaren]

What?!! Is there an election today? :D :rolleyes:

[Curt Harms]

I'll go vote but I still won't complain...................................much. :rolleyes:

If You won't "complain...................................much", I'll just take up the slack:D :D

Curt

[Andy Hoyt]

I'm gonna do two things today:

vote - and plug the phone back in.

[Lee DeRaud]

I really like the electronic voting machines they're using here now. The old manual card-punchers took both hands to operate, but with the new ones, you can vote with one hand...and hold your nose with the other. :p :eek: :cool:

[Cecil Arnold]

I voted early so I could complain more.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Cecil............Did you mean more or sooner.....or both?

[Cecil Arnold]

Depending on the outcome, both.

[Andy Hoyt]

Just got back from the town hall, and our new technology based voting method was awesome. I had a choice between a yellow #2 and a black one. Couldn't decide on my own and it was too late to post the question here. So I used both. Sure hope I didn't mess up:D

[Wes Bischel]

As Skip says "Vote early and often"

Also, as they say back home in Chicago, "Being dead is no excuse" :eek: HUH? "I said: Being sick in bed is no excuse!":D :D ;)

Just a bit of down home humor - no offense meant.

Wes

[David Wilson]

Voted this AM. Hard to find the time but I made time.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Voted just after I got out of the dentist's chair.

[Ken Salisbury]

Voted at 9 AM this morning - Polls were pretty crowed.

I will have to wait until tomorrow to decide if I want to complain or not:).

[Joe Pelonio]

I'm gonna do two things today:

vote - and plug the phone back in.

Good one. Last night I had the pleasure of hanging up on one of our U.S. senators.

Might close a little early to get to the polls before the bulk of the other commuters.

[Phyllis Meyer]

I would have never known there was an election if not for this forum:D Haven't seen any advertisements on T.V.:eek: Wes, I am from Chicago, I understood your comments, my parents were Precinct Captains at the polling places, back in the day when many people voted (even when they were no longer with us)! The stories they would tell!

Have a great day everyone, please vote!

Sincerely,

Phyllis

[Doug Shepard]

I'm gonna do two things today:

vote - and plug the phone back in.

I hear that. I've hung up on an awful lot of political calls lately. The first person put forth by the No-More-Polical-Phone-Calls Party gets my vote next time.

[Bruce Page]

I voted at 9 this morning - polls were pretty empty, I hope it picks up!



VOTE!!

[Lee DeRaud]

Good one. Last night I had the pleasure of hanging up on one of our U.S. senators.(yawn) Borrrrring!

Yesterday I got to hang up on Robert Redford and Clint Eastwood:
separate calls, possibly opposite sides of the same (unknown) issue. :cool:

[Tony Falotico]

I voted -- just so I COULD complain !!

Had to hold my nose real tight, Wish there had been some "None of the above" options.........

[Jim Becker]

I voted twice. Really. :) But I made them throw out the absentee ballot before I (and my younger daughter, Alesya) went into the booth to play with the new machine. Our county finally retired the big old green metal "lever" machines that were purchased in 1956...

Alesya also got to vote in the "kid's vote" room...something that is becoming more and more popular all over to get kids used to the idea of voting. I fully approve. For those of you who don't know, our daughters are adopted from Russia and this was the first time they have actually seen anything like voting.

Back to my original comment about voting twice, I generally file an absentee ballot because of my frequent business travel...it insures that if I have to be out of town, my vote will be counted. (I actually was away today, but was able to return home early) Funny thing is, when I showed up today at the township office, they looked at me like I had two heads. "I" had to explain to them that the instructions for absentee ballots specifically say that you must appear at the polling place if you in fact are not away on the day, invalidate your absentee ballot and vote normally. (Yea...I read the instructions ;) ) They just couldn't imagine why I'd want to show up to vote when I already sent in the paper. Well...1) because it was the correct procedure and 2) so I could show my daughter how it works.

Oh, Tony, there was a piece on NPR Morning Edition today about a "perennial" candidate who legally changed his middle name to "Noneoftheabove"...and says he'll continue to run until they add that provision to the ballots... :D :D :D

[Rob Littleton]

I voted........first time since becoming a citizen........

Interesting.............

[Jason Roehl]

Jim, just make sure that if you kick the bucket between the time you file your absentee ballot and election day, that you invalidate your absentee ballot. Wouldn't want anybody to think you were from Chicago now, would you? :D

[Keith Outten]

Jackie and I voted late yesterday, the Polls were busy here.
The system works if we participate, I have never missed an election day.

[Joe Pelonio]

I'd like to point out that it's a credit to the members of this forum that we can have such a long thread on the subject of voting without being at all political and controversial.

Last night after we got home from voting, we had two more calls from actual humans reminding us to vote, and one guy that came to the door.
Never had this much of a push to vote before. Also found the polling place a lot more crowded and took 3 times as long as usual. We still have the "fill in the oval with a pen" ballots.

[Andy Hoyt]

I voted -- just so I COULD complain !....... Ya know --- the more I think about this, the more I believe that voting is complaining.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Voting is a duty and an honor..........Complaining.....that's what I'm dong about all the Robo calls we got............even last night until 1 hour before the polls closed. I'm sure some slick salesman convinced them that Robo calls have a big effect on the voters..........Well he was right in one sense....it burns me up!:mad:

[Wes Bischel]

Gee, we didn't get a single call - a few pieces junk mail, but no calls. I guess we were lucky - or not too important.

I went to vote with Sam, my 4 year old. He rode his tricycle up to the door and informed the people handing out the political literature that he was "here to vote!" They all got a kick out of that. He's been to every election and primary since '02. Hopefully by the time he really can vote he'll know it's important and do it.

Wes

PS Jim, really cool to hear about the girls and the kids voting at the polling place. I'll have to ask here about that.

[Dan Mages]

And don't forget your right to abstain your vote. The candidates for a few local, state, and national races for my area were detestable and not worthy for public office. I voted on some races, and left the rest blank.

Steps off of soap box.

[Jason Roehl]

I think it would be interesting if every race, every ballot had an automatic abstention line, so that if enough people abstained (a majority, or even a plurality), there would have to be another election, and those that lost to the abstention couldn't run.

[Frank Chaffee]

I think it would be interesting if every race, every ballot had an automatic abstention line, so that if enough people abstained (a majority, or even a plurality), there would have to be another election, and those that lost to the abstention couldn't run.
Jason,
I think your idea has merit and is worthy of consideration.

Frank Chaffee

[Curt Harms]

I think it would be interesting if every race, every ballot had an automatic abstention line, so that if enough people abstained (a majority, or even a plurality), there would have to be another election, and those that lost to the abstention couldn't run.
There'd be a LOT of second election days.:eek: I've felt for probably 20 years that voting has been about the lesser of 2 evils. Of course it could eventually yield some quality candidates....

[Dan Mages]

When I need a word of wisdom, I turn to the great lessons of Mark Twain.

In regards to elections:
If we would learn what the human race really is at bottom, we need only observe it in election times.
- Mark Twain's Autobiography

In regards to Senators
There are many Senators whom I hold in a certain respect and would not think of declining to meet socially, if I believed it was the will of God. We have lately sent a United States Senator to the penitentiary, but I am quite well aware that of those who have escaped this promotion there are several who are in some regards guiltless of crime--not guiltless of all crimes, for that cannot be said of any United States Senator, I think, but guiltless of some kinds of crime.
- Mark Twain in Eruption

In regards to Congress
Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.
- Mark Twain, a Biography

In regards to politics
The political and commercial morals of the United States are not merely food for laughter, they are an entire banquet.
- Mark Twain in Eruption


I could go on and on...

[Mark Pruitt]

One thing I think we need from this newly elected bunch is a new law prohibiting ANYONE, including non-profits, charities, gov't agencies, and political candidates, from making phone solicitation without fully displaying their identification on caller ID displays. (They always say "unknown caller."):mad: Further, we need for the national Do Not Call registry (www.donotcall.gov (http://www.donotcall.gov)) to apply to everyone across the board.:mad: :mad: It doesn't matter if it's non-profit, charity, political action committee or anything else. If I want privacy, then by God I oughtta have it--without having to unplug my phone or simply ignore calls.:mad: :mad: :mad: These calls have gotten waaaaaaay out of hand.

[Mark Pruitt]

I think it would be interesting if every race, every ballot had an automatic abstention line, so that if enough people abstained (a majority, or even a plurality), there would have to be another election, and those that lost to the abstention couldn't run.
That would be incredible. I would love to see it happen. (Yeah I know--it will only in our dreams!)

[Rennie Heuer]

Mark knew from whence he spoke.....

How about......

By 2000, politics will simply fade away. We will not see any political parties.
R. Buckminster Fuller
(Why aren't we all living in domes?)


"If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?"
- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

[Rennie Heuer]

One thing I think we need from this newly elected bunch is a new law prohibiting ANYONE, including non-profits, charities, gov't agencies, and political candidates, from making phone solicitation without fully displaying their identification on caller ID displays. (They always say "unknown caller."):mad: Further, we need for the national Do Not Call registry (www.donotcall.gov (http://www.donotcall.gov)) to apply to everyone across the board.:mad: :mad: It doesn't matter if it's non-profit, charity, political action committee or anything else. If I want privacy, then by God I oughtta have it--without having to unplug my phone or simply ignore calls.:mad: :mad: :mad: These calls have gotten waaaaaaay out of hand.
I agree, but from a more simplistic viewpoint. I pay for my phone, ergo, I choose who gets to talk on it.

[Frank Chaffee]

Frank Chaffee

When I need a word of wisdom, I turn to the great lessons of Mark Twain. …
Dan,
While I agree that Mark Twain’s observations of the personal failings of elected officials in our democratic system are often on the mark, (or would that be “on the Samuel”?), I think that we, the voting public, must take responsibility over time for our inability to discern reasonable campaign arguments from simplistic sloganeering, which may encourage, by our collective projection, our representatives in government to “dumb-down” their communications with us, and also to slide into the groove of a culture increasingly removed from the populace.

Frank Chaffee

P.S. to Dan…
Congratulations!
Dan, I too have spent time upon those grounds where you so artfully and lovingly proposed to your fiancé. Childhood visits to performances on Tyrone Guthrie’s jutting stage (Tennessee Williams’ “Glass Menagerie” comes to mind here), and seeing Alexander Calder’s early wire sculpture of circus figures at the Walker remain among my most precious memories of growing up in Minneapolis.

Frank

[Frank Chaffee]

Mark,
I read news from sources across the political spectrum, but am willing just the same to listen to robo-messages encouraging me to consider a particular issue. Sure, some of those messages are based on a priori reasoning, assuming that I subscribe to “truths”, which I do or do not, but a few, and just a very few I admit, articulate views that had not occurred to me, and so are helpful to me in making an important choice about how I will choose to vote.

Caller ID blocking? Very naughty in my book, but I observe that civil institutions are routinely using this too! I think that this telephony function should be reserved for specialized situations such as calls from battered women’s shelters, with provisions for use by peoples who are politically estranged and threatened, etc, but not for robo calls.

Noting that immigrants to the US of A have long been required to pass a test demonstrating fluency in democratic principles, I propose that we explore a system whereby we require all voters to exhibit knowledge of measures on the ballot. A brief hand written or mouthed oration could suffice here.

We can barely expect that our own knowledge and opinions on any issue should be respected if we have not carefully listened to others’.

It would truly be a pity to waste democracy on (Norte) Americans.

Frank Chaffee

[Lee DeRaud]

I read news from sources across the political spectrum, but am willing just the same to listen to robo-messages encouraging me to consider a particular issue. Sure, some of those messages are based on a priori reasoning, assuming that I subscribe to “truths”, which I do or do not, but a few, and just a very few I admit, articulate views that had not occurred to me, and so are helpful to me in making an important choice about how I will choose to vote.My personal take on the "robo-caller" issue is this: someone I don't know wants to take up my precious (IMHO) time to tell me how to vote, but they don't have the conviction of their beliefs to actually spend any of their (possibly) precious time to talk to me directly.

And for the life of me, I do not know why I should any higher value on their opinion than I do on the bozo using the same method to peddle insurance, vinyl siding, or long-distance minutes.

I undoubtedly have an extremely inflated sense of the importance of my time, but hey, it's my time and I'll spend it as I see fit.

[Frank Chaffee]

Lee,
I once got $500 off a telemarketing firm who made an unsolicited call to my number more than 90 days after I had formally requested they not call me.

But it was not much fun, even calculating my hourly compensation.

Between being registered on the do not call list and keeping my dial-up online most of the time that I am near the phone, I am rarely interrupted in my precious time by any telemarketing call. Any message left on my machine can be rapidly dealt with by exercising my finger on the delete key. Being the man that I am, I feel that my home is my castle, my phone is my own, and damned be any who violate that.

I also keep myself out of target range of politically funded sound bites by not watching or listening to any medium that broadcasts paid for commercials, and especially those who fulfill “public service” announcement requirements of the FCC with fluffery.

I brought up telemarketing use by groups interested in important issues because I see only a very small percentage of people eligible to vote actually doing so, and something, anything?, has to wake us from our somatic state of unconscious complacency.

Frankly, I would like to see all political ads banned from use. I would like to see all funding for discourse on issues come from shared public coffers. I would like to see all candidates for office confront one another and expound their positions in a real debate format, and I would like to see all potential voters being required to demonstrate knowledge of ballot issues before voting.

Ouroborosly yours,
Frank Chaffee

[Michael Cody]

This has been a most interesting and very well behaved thread, but while I voted and have opinions, I don't see a whole lot of difference twixt the parties. I think this quote from Will Rogers has alway expressed my point of view best:

"Be thankful we're not getting all the government we are paying for."