Don't complain if you didn't vote

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pengwuino
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the recent voting on various propositions, particularly Proposition 73, and the attitudes of individuals towards voting and political engagement. Participants express frustration with those who complain about outcomes without participating in the voting process, while also sharing personal experiences related to voting.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express frustration towards individuals who complain about propositions without having voted, questioning their right to complain.
  • Others share personal anecdotes about their voting experiences, including last-minute efforts to vote and the emotional weight of not voting in previous elections.
  • There is a discussion about the implications of Proposition 73 and its potential impact on the state, with some participants expressing concern about the direction of California politics.
  • Some participants suggest that the lack of media support for certain propositions may have influenced their outcomes, indicating a belief that informed voters are crucial for democratic processes.
  • There are differing opinions on the significance of various propositions, with some participants emphasizing the importance of Proposition 77 for political reform.
  • One participant highlights the perceived disconnect between voter engagement and the effectiveness of democracy, suggesting that a lack of informed voters leads to poor electoral outcomes.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the frustration with non-voters who complain about election results. However, there are multiple competing views regarding the implications of the propositions and the effectiveness of the voting process, leaving the discussion unresolved on several points.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention the influence of media coverage on voter awareness and the perceived lack of financial backing for certain propositions, which may affect their chances of passing.

Pengwuino
Gold Member
Messages
5,112
Reaction score
20
Man I am going to slap my friend. He asks me "is proposition 73 passing" and I go "looks like its the only one that is clearly going to pass" and he goes "damn it all". THen i ask "Did you vote?" and he goes "no way, **** that".

What is with these people!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I havn't been legally allowed to vote yet. I'll complain all I ****ing want, thank you.
 
Smurf said:
I havn't been legally allowed to vote yet. I'll complain all I ****ing want, thank you.

I thought you were 18. That's not hte point though. He can vote and he had time to vote and he didn't and he complains. He's a stupid smurf, just like you :P

And it looks like 73 is going to be neck and neck to the end of the voting.
 
I voted! Barely made it to the polls after work, but I got there and did my thing! Slap your friend with a frozen salmon. :approve:
 
Math Is Hard said:
I voted! Barely made it to the polls after work, but I got there and did my thing! Slap your friend with a frozen salmon. :approve:

And the hilarious part is that it looks like its going to come down to a few voters if the counts keep jumping back and forth like this.
 
Never rely on the kindness of strangers. :biggrin:

I have to admit to a time without voting in order to protect my business. The state wouldn't give me an excuse from jury duty in advance, and I couldn't take a chance of losing my business because they decide to make me show up for several weeks at a critical time. Since the voter registration lists were used to compile the jury list it allowed for a dodge. But now they use drivers licenses and they did call, but I was excused, thank God!

I passed on several elections and felt like complete scum. :cry: :cry: :cry:
 
Why don't you vote absentee.

Everyone should vote absentee, you get to vote before all the BS really starts going crazy with the tv ads and all.
 
Pengwuino said:
Man I am going to slap my friend. He asks me "is proposition 73 passing" and I go "looks like its the only one that is clearly going to pass" and he goes "damn it all". THen i ask "Did you vote?" and he goes "no way, **** that".
What is with these people!
Are any prelim results posted yet? Important stuff for us Californians.

And **** if 73 and only 73 passes. This state is doomed.
 
Last edited:
Pengwuino said:
Man I am going to slap my friend. He asks me "is proposition 73 passing" and I go "looks like its the only one that is clearly going to pass" and he goes "damn it all". THen i ask "Did you vote?" and he goes "no way, **** that".
What is with these people!
On this rare occasion I must agree with Pengwuino: if you're going to complain, you ought to have voted.
 
  • #10
Pengwuino said:
I thought you were 18.
I turned 18 in August. There hasn't been an Election yet.
 
  • #11
franznietzsche said:
Are any prelim results posted yet? Important stuff for us Californians.

ELECTION RESULTS - NOVEMBER 8, 2005
PROPOSITION 73- JUVENILE ABORTIONS
YES: 50%
NO: 51%
PRECINCTS REPORTING: 37%

PROPOSITION 74- TEACHER TENURE
YES: 48%
NO: 52%
PRECINCTS REPORTING: 37%

PROPOSITION 75- UNION DUES
YES: 51%
NO: 49%
PRECINCTS REPORTING: 37%

PROPOSITION 76- STATE SPENDING
YES: 41%
NO: 59%
PRECINCTS REPORTING: 37%

PROPOSITION 77- REDISTRICTING
YES: 44%
NO: 56%
PRECINCTS REPORTING: 37%

PROPOSITION 78- DRUG DISCOUNT PROGRAM
YES: 42%
NO: 58%
PRECINCTS REPORTING: 37%

PROPOSITION 79- PRESCRIPTION DRUG REBATES
YES: 39%
NO: 61%
PRECINCTS REPORTING: 37%

PROPOSITION 80- ELECTRIC SERVICE PROVIDERS
YES: 35%
NO: 65%
PRECINCTS REPORTING: 37%

I'm really amazed 78 and 79 got shot down so roughly. There wasn't that many negative ads about it and hell, even i voted for 78... but man it is getting torn up. 73 and 74 have been going back and forth all evening.
 
  • #12
so what is Proposition 73 then?

edit: oh.
 
  • #13
Well Union dues would be good to pass, but 77 is the key one that needs to pass badly. Crap. Crap crap crap.
 
  • #14
Proposition 73:

http://www.voterguide.ss.ca.gov/prop73/title_summary.shtml
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #15
so what's your friend's issue with it? doesn't look too bad.
 
  • #16
This is just not good. The state is doomed. Right back to a democratic party dictatorship in a few years. Crap crap crap.
 
  • #17
Smurf said:
so what's your friend's issue with it? doesn't look too bad.

Oh well he tricked me. Turns out he is for it but if it turns back to a no vote, he would complain. The reason is... oh my god. His ex-gf got an abortion and she's all nuts for it and wants it to not pass and he just wants to spite her and have it pass.

What are we complaining about voter fraud for when the biggest compromise of our elections is stupidity like this haha
 
  • #18
franznietzsche said:
This is just not good. The state is doomed. Right back to a democratic party dictatorship in a few years. Crap crap crap.

Well the republicans practically asked to get their asses handed to them. I mean did they even want 77 to pass? I don't even remember seeing a pro-77 ad.
 
  • #19
Pengwuino said:
What are we complaining about voter fraud for when the biggest compromise of our elections is stupidity like this haha
That's why I don't care about voter fraud. If you had a system where people weren't completely dumbed down it would automatically work better because there might actually be *gasp* accountability.

Not that democracy has a snowball's chance in hell of satisfying my criteria of "working" anyways.
 
  • #20
With only 40% in... these people seem to be making some premature calls. I mean like 4 of them are either 1 or 2% off...
 
  • #21
Pengwuino said:
Well the republicans practically asked to get their asses handed to them. I mean did they even want 77 to pass? I don't even remember seeing a pro-77 ad.
The problem is therw is so little money behind these initiatives. They are essentially the personal initiatives of Arnold and a few congressmen. There is no major party presence behind the initiatives. Their only major media outlet was KFI (which is albeit the #1 radio station in the nation, and they had John and Ken on the #1 most listened to radio hour). But the fact of the matter was that the democratic party and other liberal organizations were easily able to outspend them by 10 to 1.

77 is important because the legislators in this state do not have to compete for their seats. Only a few seats ever change party hands, the districts were manipulated by the legislature to give the democrats (and republicans as well) artificial, permanently safe districts, in effect making individual legislators rulers for life. Its pure dictatorship.
 
Last edited:
  • #22
I think I've seen... two... political ads my entire life.

Oh wait.. three including the one I heard on the radio during my stay in Hawaii.
 
  • #23
Yah i mean... hell I personally could have put more ads up for 77 then the republican party did. This one radio dude did bring up a really good point that seems very applicable right now. If people are not informed, they will vote no. 78,79, and 80 had sooooooooooo little backing or opposition in the media so it seems like they naturally got shot down.
 
  • #24
Smurf said:
I think I've seen... two... political ads my entire life.
Oh wait.. three including the one I heard on the radio during my stay in Hawaii.

I see about 3x as many ads every commercial break then you've seen in your entire life i guess :smile: :smile:
 
  • #25
Pengwuino said:
Yah i mean... hell I personally could have put more ads up for 77 then the republican party did. This one radio dude did bring up a really good point that seems very applicable right now. If people are not informed, they will vote no. 78,79, and 80 had sooooooooooo little backing or opposition in the media so it seems like they naturally got shot down.


75, 76, and 77 were the critical ones meant to break the democratic party dictatorship permanently, and force competitive democracy back into the government. I am so moving the hell out of here once I'm done with school. Sucks too, I love living in california.
 
  • #26
heh, you hear about that republican who won the mayoral race in san diego. Has to deal with a $1.7 billion pension defecit or something like that...
 
  • #27
Smurf said:
I think I've seen... two... political ads my entire life.
Oh wait.. three including the one I heard on the radio during my stay in Hawaii.
Here in the US, during presidential elections, you will probably see 3 political commercials per commercial break!
 
  • #28
mattmns said:
Here in the US, during presidential elections, you will probably see 3 political commercials per commercial break!

I remember seeing 7 in one break. I mean damn it, i didn't even know they shove 7 commercials down our throat in the first place.
 
  • #29
Oh! And I got a phonecall from the liberals the day before the provincial elections. They asked me if they could "count on my support in the polls tomorrow".


I laughed at them. Then hung up.
 
  • #30
Smurf said:
Oh! And I got a phonecall from the liberals the day before the provincial elections. They asked me if they could "count on my support in the polls tomorrow".
I laughed at them. Then hung up.

You mean they actually ask you a question?

You pick up the phone here... "hello?" "...*click*... *weird bump sound*... this is a message from the *enter dumb group*, we want you to vote no to *some proposition or candidate*"
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 24 ·
Replies
24
Views
3K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
1K
  • · Replies 37 ·
2
Replies
37
Views
2K
Replies
16
Views
3K
Replies
3
Views
337
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
1K
  • · Replies 31 ·
2
Replies
31
Views
6K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
3K
Replies
76
Views
8K