"We're sitting this election out."

[CrispyQ]

I went to lunch with a close friend & she told me she & her husband are not voting. :wtf:

Honestly, it was all I could do to not scream "WHAT THE FUCK????" at her right in the restaurant. She has already indicated to me that I'm overly political so I try to watch how many political comments I make, but this simply stunned me. I'm in Colorado. Ritter & Gordon could use both their votes!

So I hit her in her soft spot -- she has 3 teenage children. "Republicans are not going to end this disaster in Iraq. They talk about a decades long war. Don't think just cuz there isn't a draft now, there never will be one."

Know what she said? "Hmmm, I wonder if we're still registered."

What the hell are people thinking? Sit out this election??????

[blm]

1. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou. That was the most serious thing you

could hit her with - you called it just right.

[CrispyQ]

29. I hope so, but I am not confident that she will follow through.

I'm pretty sure they are still registered. They voted dem in '04 & I think in CO as long as you vote in a national election, you are still qualified. *

They are basically liberal, but don't know how liberal they are! They are not religious zealots, they are not ultra rich, they are not disillusioned bullies. They are upper middle class, college educated. They lost a significant savings in the dot.com market crash but have still done well. Their house is their most valuable asset & they don't have a tricky-icky mortgage. The company he works for was just purchased & they are closing the local office, so in another 3 months he has no job, but they have enough saved that he has purchased a company that he plans to run, with cash. She has a decent job with benefits for the whole family. Sadly, I believe it is a case of "we don't feel any pain." :cry:

I hope she doesn't wake up to the worst pain of her life.

* I will check it & send her an email this weekend!

[LeftCoast]

2. Well, on a positive note, at least they can't vote republican

:shrug:

[StraightDope]

3. Unless I can find a ride about 100 miles away to where I'm registered...

I'll have to sit this one out too. :mad:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. Perhaps you could re-register?

Worth looking into, IMHO..........

[geniph]

9. I'd help if I were anywhere near

but I'm clear on the other side of the country.

Where's Hubert Flottz? He's in your state.

[ThoughtCriminal]

12. Why not vote absentee?

check deadline in your state - today was last day to mail-in ballot request in Arizona.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

19. Ya Had Like How Long Now To Change Your Address And Re-Register?

Sorry, but I don't buy the angry face. In my opinion if you really wanted to have voted that badly you would've made sure you were registered in the county where you live.

[StraightDope]

23. I just moved within the past few weeks.

With all the unpacking, getting utilities straight, learning the new area, etc. it just slipped my mind. The absentee deadline was about 10 days ago.

Chalk this one up more to my absentmindedness than anything, I guess. :blush:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

25. Ok Ok I'll Forgive Ya. Moving Can Be A Bitch.

I'll let ya slide :)

Tell ya what though, if your rep loses by one vote I'm comin to get ya! LOL

[StraightDope]

26. Alan Mollohan and Robert C Byrd up for election here...

The last time I checked, they both were up by a comfortable margin, esp. Byrd.

EDIT: Hell yes, moving is a bitch! This makes 18 moves in a little under seven years. I hope that I can FINALLY settle down for a little while! Even a year and a half in the same place would be nice!

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

28. Wow, That's Gotta Be Rough. Why So Often? (Though I'm Aware It

really ain't my business much, but ya piqued my curiosity)

[BrotherBuzz]

37. West Virginia has new provisions that allow for "no excuse" early voting...

at the county clerk's office before the election. Surely you can swing the trip between now and 07 November? I'd offer to drive you, but it's a long haul from California.

[StraightDope]

40. Well, no friends in my new city of residence...

And I don't have a vehicle, but if you're right about the early voting thing, I'll hitchhike if I have to!

[BrotherBuzz]

42. Here's the dope

http://www.wvsos.com/elections/voters/absentee.htm

[Clark2008]

45. My best friend in college was from where you live...

I wonder if her folks still live there. Where are you registered to vote - where your profile says or 100 miles from there?

[bullimiami]

4. maybe the martial law will get their attention.

[bluestateguy]

6. I have always favored mandatory voting and election day as a national holiday

I do not tolerate excuses for not voting (by which I mean not even making an attempt to vote; being suppressed from voting is another matter entirely)

Fortunately, Bill Ritter has a nice cushion of a lead to sit on that he should be just fine.

[Jackpine Radical]

8. I'll buy mandatory voting when you figure out how to enforce

mandatory political awareness.

[CrispyQ]

30. National holiday -- nice!

:thumbsup:

I have not found one friend to go to county dem meetings with me, not one. ~barf

Maybe I need a new friends. Like the ones I'm meeting at dem meetings. Harr!

You make a valid point. :)

[madmunchie]

7. How stupid is this woman? It took you to point this out to her?

My opinion is that anybody who supporting Republicans right now is either very stupid or very corrupt.

[CrispyQ]

31. ...or not uncomfortable enough.

It's not that they support repubs, it's that they are not uncomfortable enough at this point to see much difference between repubs & dems.
We don't see how this is so, but it is.

[Cha]

10. Yeah, Thanks!

Good point about getting to her through her "soft spot".

Why were she and her husband sitting this one out? Too much negative campaigning on tv?

Tell 'em what Plato said about not voting.."One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."

[CrispyQ]

32. Nice!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Thanks! I'll send it her way!

[acmejack]

11. I think it is summed up with this quote of Martha Gelhorn's

"People often say with pride 'I'm not interested in politics.' They might as well say I'm not interested in my standard of living, my health, my job, my rights, my freedom, my future or any future."

[CrispyQ]

34. Another great quote to include!

Thank you!

I have found a site where she can verify if she's registered & will send the link along with the great quotes recommended here!

Zang! :thumbsup:

[Cha]

43. Thanks! I wanted to remember that one

and I forgot to write it down.

" think it is summed up with this quote of Martha Gelhorn's
Posted by acmejack
"People often say with pride 'I'm not interested in politics.' They might as well say I'm not interested in my standard of living, my health, my job, my rights, my freedom, my future or any future."

[blue cat]

13. She indicated that you are overtly political?

My 2 cents says indicate in a direct way that she isn't political, at a extremely dangerous time in our history. I would send her Kevin Tillman's letter "After Pat's Birthday" and "Stay the Course" video from the youtube. You must be much more in control than me, because I wouldn't have been as dignified in my response. That is why I find myself leaning towards liberal friends. I can't control my mouth about these fucking republicans. I'm about as bad as Sally Field in "Brothers and Sisters". I snapped at my boss in front of others about Bush once, and I felt so great afterwards Although now, I feel like I have to be extra nice to her so that she won't hate me because I really slapped her down. Now I don't say shit about politics when she is around. On a positive note, I can feel that she knows not to go there with me. I think that I scared her.

[fudge stripe cookays]

16. Wow, you're still employed?

I got into hot water at my last job for just getting pissed off at a co-worker (who has THREE draft age sons!). Got laid off a few months later. Probably for stuff other than that, but I'm sure the "not a team player" got figured in there somewhere. I got to the point where I could barely be civil with all the right wing yuppies up in Plano.

The new job is much better. At least there are a few Democrats there I can hang with and commiserate with.

The other day I got invited to a dinner with ALL my old co-workers to wish my boss well in her new job. The only reason I could find for going is to tell off that bitch when I never could before. I probably just won't go.

[blue cat]

17. The reason I am still employed

and knew that I would be is because the doctors at the clinic have said terrible stuff about Buscho in front of everyone before, so I knew she couldn't go and complain about me if she was the one that brought up politics in the first place. We sit in the same room, and she gives her political opinions all the time, mainly about defending Bush.

[fudge stripe cookays]

20. Aha.

Good going!

You know, I'd rank lots of other stuff far lower on my list of priorities right now under having decent, non-brainwashed co-workers.

You spend half your life with these people. It only seems fair to enjoy your workplace environment as much as you can.

:hi:

[Gidney N Cloyd]

14. Do you know whether these two EVER really vote? I've just got a

feeling that regular voters on either side would haul their butts into the polling place to vote for someone/thing on the ballot.

[still_one]

15. After six years, there is no excuse for that

In the edn if the turnout is the typical 20% we will lose

[wholetruth00]

18. People are NOT thinking. Problem is they are much too comfortable

wallowing in their wealth and toys to imagine that they will ever lose it or that their children will have to pay the price for their comfort.

[CrispyQ]

38. Sadly, I believe you have hit the nail on the head. --nt

[Kip Humphrey]

21. If we don't exercise our right to vote, we have little claim to object to its manipulation or the

consequences of that manipulation. Exercising our right to vote is an assertion to that right.

[KharmaTrain]

22. I Hear A Lot Of That Around Here...Mostly Repugnicans

After months of polling and canvassing, I think one of the big factors on Election Day will be the large number of Repugnicans that do stay home. We're contantly running into people who are frustrated by one or more of the things booooosh and his repugnican toadies have committed, but they just can't pull the lever for a (D)...these are lifelong Repugnicans who flocked to vote for booooshie in '04 but this year they seem to have other plans or things in mind. Thanks to the overkill by the GOOP to try to nudge these people back "onto the plantation", they've further offended them with endless phonecalls, tons of "guilt mailers" and then fear tactics. While these people may never vote Democrat, they are so fed up with how they got taken in past elections they don't see any candidates worth voting for on the Repugnican side either.

I'm still very, very concerned about Democratic complacency...that people are already putting out the bongos and cigars...too busy reading the press clippings rather than making that one more phone call or knocking on that extra door or just checking in with our voters to make sure they not only are still planning to vote, but to remind them of how important their vote is this year and how it will make a big difference. It's surprising how many people we've encountered recently who thank us for making those calls...and in many cases we'll make one more follow up next weekend.

The problem this campaign wasn't that Democrats didn't have ideas or issues, we had too many. However, with many Repugnicans, their discontent has boiled down to Iraq, the defecits, corruption and Boooosh's ignorance/arrogance...once you found which one of those buttons had been pushed on a Repugnican, it wasn't hard to open them up and then in turn at least we got a hearing...that sure beats the past where we'd barely get the word Democrat out before the door slammed or the phone clicked.

I've suggested that Democrats make a "Date To Vote"...find someone who you think may be a little shaky about going to the polls and invite them to come voting with you. Make a day out of it...make it fun. We're arranging to take a bunch of my daughter and son's friends...all first time voters...and all enthusiastic Democrats...and most from predominately Repugnican families. The future is indeed bright...let's close the deal now on Nov. 7th and start the slow road back to sanity.

[derby378]

24. This is exactly what evilgelical neo-fascists WANT them to do

They want people to be so disenchanted with the elections this year that they'll sit this one out. That way, the evilgelicals will monopolize the polling places and send Republicans back to the House and Senate. And then they won't even need Diebold machines, because the battle has already been won in the minds of the disinterested.

[bdamomma]

27. that is total ignorance, there are people dying in other parts of

world who just want to vote, and some people are willing to "sit it out", oh well, they will learn not to take such a right for granted.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

33. I know of several who aren't voting because they're fed up - but they're Republicans

n/t

[judaspriestess]

35. I voted today

:headbang:

not voting only hurts us even more

[StellaBlue]

36. I have come to the conclusion that most people are stupid nt

[Toots]

39. Your friend may not be as Democratic as you believe

I would heartily propose Republicans do sit out this election...If they can't see the truth and how the USA has suffered under GOP control then I hope they do not vote to keep these criminals in power.

[Coexist]

41. great work on your part.

[sandyd921]

44. Hard to believe but there are still lots of apathetic folks

who think it's not polite to discuss politics. Probably a large percentage are those who have been sold on the idea that "both parties are the same" or they simply think that politics (or even voting for pity's sake!!!) don't relate to their everyday lives. :shrug: :banghead: These may be the people who will never wake up (at least not before it's too late). Maybe we can just call them "the comatose".

[nadinbrzezinski]

46. Actually I heard this from a pubbie

when he said he could not face voting for a dem, and he'd rather seat it out.. I went ok... do it...

But I know what you are saying.. people ain't thinking yet

[flyarm]

47. if she is republican i hope she does sit it out!! if she is dem get in her

face!! and tell her done blame anyone when hewr kids are drafted if she can't bother to vote..and do tell her we have ships over in M.E. ready to start war with Iran! tell her her kids will make great cannon fodder for *!!

fly