Maybe They Just Came To Their Senses
A Saturday Calgary Herald editorial asks “What’s up with voter apathy?”, states that there are few defensible reasons for not going to the polls, and laments the fact that fewer than 25% of eligible voters put Stelmach in his majority position of power. In my opinion there are a multitude of very defensible reasons for not going to the polls, first and foremost among them being, “maybe they just came to their senses“, immediately followed by, “what’s the point?”
Lets look at the process.
From minute 1 of an election campaign everyone knows they are being intentionally mislead, even the politically hyper-partisan know (and condone) this, but rarely admit it because their party winning is all that’s important. Indeed those few souls who actually believe campaign promises and are genuinely upset when they discover the truth are usually derided as naive and foolish for even entertaining the idea that campaign promise “A”, “B”, or “C” was reasonable…. “they should have known better” ‘eh?
Essentially elections have become an exercise where people go to the polls, and, through his or her riding representative(*), cast a vote for the leader of the party they think has mislead them the least – and this is considered to be a reasonable way of deciding who should govern the country?
Answer: No.
So why should people participate? Why should people support such a system?
– and it gets no better after the election, the newly sworn in representative of the party leader (**) takes his or her seat in the House and votes when, and how, they are told to vote. What they may have said during the campaign is not important, and what their constituency may, or may not, think is equally unimportant – their job is to represent the party leader during votes in the House, to do otherwise is to risk expulsion from the party.
What is the point of pretending that anything else is happening?
And what is the point of supporting it?
Each time the voter turnout discussion takes place it’s determined to be the fault of the voter, and the answer of “maybe they came to their senses and refuse to support a flawed system” is the first one that’s discounted (very vocally) by both the politician and the partisan; the reason for that is (of course) that any change to the system would erode the power of the party… and gods know, they couldn’t possibly allow that to happen now could they?
Personally I look forward to the day when voter turn out is so low that not even the most politically partisan can claim that “their side” has been given a legitimate mandate to govern and some brave (and of necessity very rich) soul takes that to court.
__________
(*) Come on, you don’t really think that the candidate represents you do you?
(**) See above
You’re right stageleft. It is a pretty vast scam going on. The best we can do is moan and complain all the time hoping it will change the party policy. But for the most part, we have little to no power to do anything, even control our elected representatives and hold them accountable to promises. Take, for instance, the curious political oddity that is David Emerson. Elected a Liberal in a leftish part of Vancouver, he has absolutely no chance of winning as a Conservative. He not only flips to the Conservatives, but has become a cabinet member of prominence. It’s like a kick to the teeth of every Liberal voter.
No, Canadian democracy is assuredly broken. Partisanship ensures no dissent in politics, and the only ones making a greater mockery of this than our government is the Liberals who show up en masse to abstain, or don’t show up at all. Is it any wonder people don’t vote? Answer: no. The only reason I do vote is in order to placate my sense I am a part of it all.
No, the best we can do is to refuse to participate, and make sure they know why.
[...] of the City, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, CORSARI D’ITALIA, Nuke’s News, Stageleft, and Right Voices. Also, thanks to Linkfest Haven [...]
Which is why I would recommend spoiling your ballot rather than not showing up. Not showing up is too often confused for giving permission for the process to continue. As a former Deputy Returning Officer, I would like to have the opportunity to call out more ballots reading “crudely drawn representation of a middle finger”. That at least gets counted as something other than consent.
A Great Victory for Our Side…
I now feel it is safe to predict that the Chicago Force won yesterday’s game against the Detroit Demolition 8 to 7. I was not at the game myself (and my non-attendance has nothing to do with the fact that……
Stageleft, I referred to your post and added my own thoughts on this in my blog. (Still haven’t figured out how backtracking or backlinks work.)
I ended the post this way: “And maybe, just maybe, in the next provincial election, I’ll not vote for anyone. But I WILL vote for BC-STV.”
Wesley Clark Denigrate’s McCain’s Service…
While celebrating Obama’s lack of experience. This bit from Wesley Clark’s Face the Nation interview today is absolutely astounding — and indicative of the fact that Clark has ceased to be a patriot, and instead become a partisan whore. SCHIEFFER:…..
Entitlement…
Children are not acquiring because today’s generation of adults are such poor role models, a leading charity said yesterday ……
Spoiling my ballot is a concept I once used, but then found my spoiled ballot lumped in with those who were not co-ordinated enough to get an “X” in a circle, or who thought that they could vote for more than one person.
If the government had any
ballsinterest (or courage) in knowing what people actually think it would allow us to decline the ballot and record that we were interested and motivated enough to go to the polling booth but found nothing acceptable there, or better still, put “none of the above” on the ballot and count that one.If enough people refuse to participate eventually no government will be able to pass off declining voter turn out of as apathy or (my personal favorite) satisfaction with the status quo – I don’t see it happening in my life time but that’s not gonna stop me from advocating for it now.
Perseverance: Reflections from a Conversation with Duane “Dog” Chapman…
Perseverance: Reflections from a Conversation with Duane “Dog” Chapman…
The one problem I had with not voting in the last provincial election was all the talking head douchebag pundits using their vast knowlege of the electorate explaining to their audience exactly why I didn’t vote.
Why participate in a process that rewards the person/party who lies the best? I’d love to see a move towards direct democracy.
I also hate that whole, “if you don’t vote you can’t complain” guilt trip. I’ll complain about the govt all I want as long as my tax dollars are footing the bill.
“Spoiling my ballot is a concept I once used, but then found my spoiled ballot lumped in with those who were not co-ordinated enough to get an “X” in a circle, or who thought that they could vote for more than one person.”
A surge in that activity, however, would be telling, and it would be something different that would encourage the government to get off its tufts to actually change the way we vote. Of course, they could also try to design simpler ballots, but I think that if they took that route, people would start laughing at them.
Do you really think “they” care whether you spoil your ballot or stay home, beyond the pious handwringing about “apathy” and “citizen engagement”? Naw.
The folks who DO vote decide who will form the government. If you decide not to participate in that process, no sweat: many folks who refrain from voting in one way or another are politically active through other means. To me, though, the government of the day is one lever for change. Not THE lever, and not (in my opinion) the most important one, but certainly a tool that can be used.
That line is an interesting perversion of reality, the fact is that if you do vote you validate the process and agree to be bound by the outcome – in other words, if you vote you cannot complain.
Obama Treats Women On Staff Unfairly…
It’s all about the hope and change, ya know. CNS News – Obama’s for Equal Pay, Yet Pays Female Staffers Less Than Males
While Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has vowed to make pay equity for women a top priority if elected pr…
NEWS & OPINION ROUNDUP (30 JUNE 2008) THE WESLEY CLARK SMOKED HONDURAN CRACK IN SAN FRANSICKO EDITION…
Given San Fransicko’s penchant for harboring illegal immigrants, Honduran crack dealers, must be who Wesley Clark spent the weekend with, fiendishly pressing a crack pipe to his lips. This could be the only reason he would say such things a…
Terrorism, Religion, Obama, and America…
Barack Obama, when elected President of the United States of America, wants to use foreign troops in the American military, specifically Ugandans. Aurora reports, “In all fairness, the recruitment process has already been taking some unconventional tu…
Yes. Too often this discussion makes it seem like voting is the extent the opportunity to participate.
John McCain – American Hero…
HONORING AN AMERICAN HEROThe other day I read somewhere on a blog that it is possible the younger group, kids not old enough to vote, look at the world much differently than their older college going siblings with their newly washed brains. Because the…
The best reason for declining, or perhaps spoiling the ballot is to differentiate yourself from the lazy bums who couldn’t care if they lived in anything other than a hostile dictatorship.
George Carlin’s theory that only people who DON’T vote should get to complain, because they didn’t lend legitimacy to the system, is certainly one that caught my ear, even though I’m really “pro-vote”.
i never would have guessed…
I hope Mr. Michael van der Galien does not mind, but this article definitely deserves quoting in its entirety: It’s really quite simple: gun control legislation did not reduce violence. Secondly, people started actually reading the text of the se…
[...] World According to Carl, Rosemary’s News and Ideas, The Pink Flamingo, Democrat=Socialist, Stageleft, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven [...]
Taking the Boy Fishing…
One of my New Year’s resolutions was to take the Monkey fishing–and that’s just what I did this past Saturday. I hadn’t fished since… man, 1987, 1988? It’s been a long time. Once an avid angler, I simply gave up…
Harry Reid makes us Sick…
The gas, make that gaseous emissions from his mouth, makes us sick. Take a whiff.
……
Crazy Obama Rumors Need to be Stopped…
Today on the Laura Ingraham radio show (I’ve missed saying that), she discussed this article in the Washington Post. The article discusses false rumors about Barack Obama and features interviews with people who believe them. I have always had a……
Is Obama our most well known illegal alien?…
Yes I know I have gone a few weeks. I’ve been sick. Sue me.
Topping today’s blogs: Is Obama even a US citizen? Are we coming close to electing the Illegal Alien in Chief?
It sounds like a joke, and initially I dismiss…
Are blogs the criticize Obama being shut down deliberately? Yes….
Yes indeed, it is clearly happening, that fact is not being disputed. The only real question is “by who”. This, by the way I regard as a serious issue. I left Blogger 3 years ago to give my blog more creative control and securi…
NEWS & OPINION ROUNDUP (1 JULY 2008) THE JOE HORN EDITION…
Score one for the good guys! Joe Horn, the Texas man made famous via a 911 call as his neighbors house was being robbed has been cleared of any criminal charges. BLAM!… I’ll bet there hasn’t been a robbery in that ne…
Harry Reid Says Coal and Oil Makes Us Sick…
Here you have it, the far American left is finally letting its true agenda show. And in this case, we see that Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader from Nevada, has drunk the liberal, kook, environmental kool-aid on oil.
The American left doesn’t …
Harry Reid followed by Dennis Miller on Harry Reid…
Ok, this guy is at best and out of touch divisive idiot who has completely lost touch with reality, commonsense and truth. He is clueless, dim and laughable.
Why Nevada keeps electing him is a bona fide mystery.
Here he is bloviating ho…
[...] is something to be said about not voting in enough numbers, to actually withhold the appearance of legitimacy from an otherwise democratic [...]
NEWS & OPINION ROUNDUP (2 JULY 2008) THE "BLACK NATIONAL ANTHEM" EDITION…
Denver’s City Council president is getting hammered with hate-filled messages in response to Tuesday’s surprise performance of the "Black National Anthem" by a jazz singer during a city event. You can contact him and let him…
It is too bad there are not more Emersons. Rather than join the chorus of
“Liberals who show up en masse to abstain, or don’t show up at all”, he became a useful elected member of the government.
Our political system allows too much concentration of power. It worked reasonably well only so long as there were insufficient supporting technologies and no academic delusions that we could effectively manage complex social and economic systems with small numbers of decision makers and an insufficiently agile bureaucracy.
So now we have a political climate in which many people believe government with vast scope and size is desireable (the better to improve their lives at the expense of someone other than themselves since they would presumably see to their own desires if it were otherwise). But, this is the case only if their “team” controls it, since only their “team” is wise and benevolent. Because the power concentrates in the party leader and party representation determines which leader is seated, all voting is skewed to parties and very few truly useful mammals have a chance of being elected independently or obtaining a position in which to apply the weight of their skills and intellect.
All the STV schemes floated so far have been calculated to paper this over without addressing the root cause: the prize is too large. The best possible parliament is structured like the one we have now. The faction holding the PMO is checked by virtue of being a minority, and there is more than one possible partner with which to form a voting majority. The worst possible outcome of a nearly endless series of “natural governing coalitions” would be disastrous for the country.
A practical solution is to set a 75% majority threshold to pass legislation. Nothing would get through unless it commanded wide support.
I would like to see an MMP (Mixed-Member Proportional) system come into play – it would allow for the independents and well known-and respected local people a chance to get elected, while still allowing for topping-up of party seats based on proportional representation.
I recently learned about it in school, and I thought it was da bomb!
MMP is not the independents friend, or even the friend of people who vote independent because of that “party top up” – you cast two votes, one for an MP and the other for a party, there is no independent party so independents are immediately at a disadvantage.
And then you get that class of topped up MP who has a seat and a vote but has no identifiable constituency – as I’ve said before, at least there’s a measure of honesty in that, they can represent their party without having to pretend they represent real life people in a riding.
MMP increases party power and dependence, why would you want to rub an already bad rash with sandpaper?
…Just had a lengthy set-to with Werner Patels over this same issue. Werner’s proposed solution was to make voting compulsory.
Yeah, like that’ll fix things.
What an absolutely authoritarian idea, ask the government to compel people to do something they are ordinarily would not — and from a Conservative you say, I’m shocked…….
Once again, the word idiots comes immediately to mind.
Werner’s a “conservative, big or even small “C”"???
He was strongly but straight-out implying I was KKK or some other extreme right wing variant when I was saying compulsory voting was a bad idea.
How odd.
@stageleft – Why isn’t the MMP system an independents friend? Please inform.
I would like the opportunity to vote for someone who is not a member of a party if I think they would do a good job representing my constituency – while also be able to vote for a party I would like to form the government. What’s wrong with that? How does that entrench party power any more than it already is?
In fact, I think it would lead to more independents getting elected, especially if constituents couldn’t stand the dumbass candidate for their favoured party in their riding, but still wanted to support the party while voting for solid representation. I can think of 1 or 2 instances where that might occur.
As to that class of MP with no identifiable constituency – one could say his or her constituency is the entire country. Most people in Canada don’t give a rats ass about who their local MP is – why would this be any different to the majority of Canadians?