Politics - The mistake that is costing us...

[Ysabel Kid]

I was in Atlanta yesterday on business and had a chance to listen to the "Neal Boortz" radio program for a bit while driving around. He replayed something Howard Stern did recently. It was so depressing - and infuriating - that I almost wrecked the car!

Howard sent someone out into Harlem to ask "people on the street" who they were going to vote for. No big surprise here - every one asked said "Obama" (considering the Dem's get 90% or more of the black vote in any election, again, this is no surprise). The person then attributed McCain policy positions to Obama and asked a couple more questions.

"Are you going to vote for Obama because of his strong pro-life position, or because he wants to keep the troops in Iraq until they finish the job and can come home in complete victory?"

All three people said something to the effect that both positions were very important to them.

"Do you think Obama's choice of Sarah Palin was a good one or do you have any concerns with her as VP?"

Again, all three people whole-heartidly supported Palin as Obama's running mate!

One of these morons - if they actually vote - is going to cancel out my vote!

I am one of those knuckle-draggers that truly believes our Founding Fathers got almost everything right when they intially set up our system of government. Our Declaration of Independence and Constitution are simply awe-inspired (and obviously God-inspired) in their pure genius. That being said, they totally botched the issue of voting. It was debated heavily at the time - the question of who should be allowed to vote - and the populists won, much to our current detriment.

If I could wave a magic wand I'd change it to require two things - proven intelligence (a history and economics test), and the requirement that every voter had some skin in the game (i.e. - you had to actually pay taxes to have a voice). I would make an exception for active military (or veterans) in any case - something along the lines of the "Starship Trooper" model that differeniated people between "citizens" and "civilians". The latter had all the rights in society EXCEPT they couldn't vote or run for public office. The former could, as they had - and continued to - pay the price for society. An excellent concept.

Maybe some future country long down the road will learn from our mistakes and not repeat this one...

[AmBraCol]

Maybe some future country long down the road will learn from our mistakes and not repeat this one...

It'll probably be a long way off... the move is to give the vote to an ever increasing number of people. They've been discussing giving the vote to 16 yearolds here... most of which don't know enough to come in out of the rain, much less what it takes to run a city - not to mention a nation...

[Hobie]

Yep, and we're apparently giving the vote to the dead, cartoon characters, illegal aliens, and even to some of these multiple times. How can anyone complain that we're not inclusive?

[J Miller]

I'll bet I could register my cats to vote.

As for the Howard Stearn thing it just goes to prove that the sheep will do what they are programmed to do without thinking. They are well trained, but intellectually stupid.

Joe

[slimster]

No doubt the voting situation has deteriorated considerably, especially here in Memphis where we have documented instances of all of the issues that Hobie refers to. Somebody please dust off and oil up my cranial apparatus for me though...seems like a long time since Jr. High Am. Hist....but I was under the impression that only landowners had the right to vote untill sometime in the 1800's. This made ultimate sense to me since only those who were actually paying taxes had a say in the spending of same. Is this not factual? thanks.

[Rusty]

I know it's not popular but as far as I'm concerned voting should be for landowners only.

[rjohns94]

OH GEEZ!!!! Dont get me started. My blood pressure can't handle it.

[Mike D.]

I really hate to say this, but it is all over. Obama is a shoe-in. There are far too many city folk who want to be included on his "feeebie bandwagon" . Their multiple votes will win it for him.

[AmBraCol]

I know it's not popular but as far as I'm concerned voting should be for landowners only.

I'll see your landowners and raise you "Certified US Citizens"...

[Andrew]

I'll see your landowners and raise you "Certified US Citizens"...

Ha! I'm both.

[tman]

mccain biggest mistake was embracing cheney- bush policies. 40% of the country wants the current regime jailed. 40% of the hard core conservatives are VERY DISSAPPOINTED in the cheney-bush presidency. the 20% undeceided will go for ohbama. moderate undecided's wont vote for palin. so we end up with ohbama. thankyou dick cheney

[gary rice]

Too bad so many idiots are allowed to vote. My son and i run a small business here in kalifornia. Even though im told i shouldnt do it i tell our employees what's likely to happen if obama is elected. We cannot afford to pay the bennys that obama wants us to pay, ie, health insurance etc. We employ 23 people mostly fulltime. if obama is elected we will be radically downsizing probably firing 15 or more. They just dont get it, nobody does. not the people we employ, nobody. Not to mention the probable loss of many constitutional rights including our 2nd amendment. Quite frankly im very worried, not about our business so much but the direction our nation is going. The 900 point market rally on monday was an embracement of communism. The proposed obama plan for health insurance is also a celebration of communism. if things dont turn in the next couple of weeks, we're screwed.

[El Chivo]

come on, buck up, guys...

fact is, few of the idiots vote. Most of them forget it's election day. In 2000 I worked in a place with 7 females who all thought Bush was an idiot and Gore was cute, and wanted to cast their votes on that basis, however none made time to vote. In Chicago I went to vote and was told that I was the only one registered at my address - an apartment building of probably 200 people! I said, "Good, they're all liberals anyway".

Still there is a lot of fraud and some on the fence types may lose heart, so keep your fingers crossed.

About the taxpaying requirement, I like that. I don't own any property, and always wondered why property owners think they are so superior, but I don't think they're any wiser than other taxpaying citizens. As a matter of fact, homeowners voted themselves huge tax breaks for mortgage interest, not available to renters like me. I don't see why voting yourself welfare is so great for the country.

[1886]

I know it's not popular but as far as I'm concerned voting should be for landowners only.

Tax payers at the very least! Giving people the right to vote who do not pay taxes is ludicrous. But the Dems. would never go for this as they would lose many, many votes. Frustrating. 1886.

[Ysabel Kid]

I know it's not popular but as far as I'm concerned voting should be for landowners only.

Tax payers at the very least! Giving people the right to vote who do not pay taxes is ludicrous. But the Dems. would never go for this as they would lose many, many votes. Frustrating. 1886.

Agreed. Tax payers have "skin in the game". It is their money, so they should help decide how, why and if it is spent and collected. People who don't pay taxes shouldn't have a say - they should sit back, shut up, and be thankful for the free ride they enjoy!

You are, of course, very correct - the Dem's would never go for this. They know they'd never win a national election again. Heck, they are pressing hard to give convicted felons and illegals the right to vote. So much for putting one's country ahead of one's party.

About the taxpaying requirement, I like that. I don't own any property, and always wondered why property owners think they are so superior, but I don't think they're any wiser than other taxpaying citizens. As a matter of fact, homeowners voted themselves huge tax breaks for mortgage interest, not available to renters like me. I don't see why voting yourself welfare is so great for the country.

El Chivo - it isn't that the land or home owners are any wiser per se, but rather recognizes that they pay property taxes, so again have "skin in the game". Early in our history direct taxation of income was forbidden (you can thank the 16th Amendment for changing that the wrong way), so landowners were the taxpayers - and often the only taxpayers - in society. Not the case any longer, so we should expand it to anyone with a tax liability (income, property, business, etc.) that actually pays a net tax at the end of the year (versus those who "pay" income taxes out of their paychecks but get it all back and then some).

Wishful thinking on our part - but one has to dream...

[Old Ironsights]

... In Chicago I went to vote and was told that I was the only one registered at my address - an apartment building of probably 200 people! I said, "Good, they're all liberals anyway"...

And right there is why ACORN/DemSocs do what they do...

[pharmseller]

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.

- George Bernard Shaw


There are always more Pauls than Peters.

Q

[bunklocoempire]

Do either of the clowns represent us? They BOTH voted for the bail outs. Remember? way back when....


Bunkloco