Romney vs. Obama

[emigre]

I would like to reaffirm this:

Obama because he's the least worst option.

 

[Naridar]

If as a foreigner, I can have my 2 cents:

In my country (Hungary), as well as the greater part of Europe, Obama is vastly more popular (in today's papers, there was an article about how people of the world would vote: Obama won 80% to Romney's 8%), and that's more due to foreign policy: under Bush's reign, it was all about "war on terror", and most of the European countries were coerced into joining those efforts, and it got us 7/7/2005 London and 11/3/2004 Madrid. If a significant power like the U.S. follows an agressive policy, it sets a dangerous example.

The other significant part of Obama's popularity over here that the U.S. laws are pretty ridiculous to european eyes, and republicans in general cite these laws as the cornerstone of the U.S.. Here in Europe, healthcare is mostly free and no life-saving procedures are denied because the patient can't pay for it (it's significant for me since I'm a medical student and pay lot of attention to healthcare policies of all politicians). Guns are tightly regulated and require a serious and through background-check - simplified, if you commited some crime like theft, you can't get a gun. And in general, the state's more in control here - I personally find it good because it gives people safety, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Engert]

Who do you think will win/who will you vote for and why?

Tough to say but maybe Obama again.
I am voting independent this year because the two-party system is very intertwined with the corporations and the special interests

If as a foreigner, I can have my 2 cents:
In my country (Hungary), as well as the greater part of Europe, Obama is vastly more popular (in today's papers, there was an article about how people of the world would vote: Obama won 80% to Romney's 8%), and that's more due to foreign policy: under Bush's reign, it was all about "war on terror", and most of the European countries were coerced into joining those efforts, and it got us 7/7/2005 London and 11/3/2004 Madrid. If a significant power like the U.S. follows an agressive policy, it sets a dangerous example.

True, but you don't have to follow the aggressive policy of another country. Unfortunately that's what most of the politicians in Europe did after 9/11.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

I'll be honest and say I'm not voting. I'm sure I'll get my ass chewed for this but I think a system where you're basically voting for the "least bad" candidate is absolutely fucking retarded and I'd rather my vote be towards nothing than a candidate I truly believe in.

Also I see all these "GO OUT AND VOTE!" or "PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE SO YOU SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT YOU HAVE!" and all that and it feels so stupid. "Your vote counts!" is especially the worst. Your vote counts... if it's for one of two candidates. If you like the Green Party or NSA Did 911 or something it's about as important as not voting.

My whole thing is that I don't really like either candidate. I like Obama more than Romney surely but I don't agree with him on everything. I just really don't want to be part of a system where your choices are essentially two things you don't like, just one thing you don't dislike as much as the other.

 

[MelodieOctavia]

I'll be honest and say I'm not voting. I'm sure I'll get my ass chewed for this but I think a system where you're basically voting for the "least bad" candidate is absolutely fucking retarded and I'd rather my vote be towards nothing than a candidate I truly believe in.

Also I see all these "GO OUT AND VOTE!" or "PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE SO YOU SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT YOU HAVE!" and all that and it feels so stupid. "Your vote counts!" is especially the worst. Your vote counts... if it's for one of two candidates. If you like the Green Party or NSA Did 911 or something it's about as important as not voting.

My whole thing is that I don't really like either candidate. I like Obama more than Romney surely but I don't agree with him on everything. I just really don't want to be part of a system where your choices are essentially two things you don't like, just one thing you don't dislike as much as the other.

Oh and don't forget "REAL Americans VOTE" and "A vote for a third party is a vote for Obama/Romney"

 

[BORTZ]

I'll be honest and say I'm not voting. I'm sure I'll get my ass chewed for this but I think a system where you're basically voting for the "least bad" candidate is absolutely fucking retarded and I'd rather my vote be towards nothing than a candidate I truly believe in.

Also I see all these "GO OUT AND VOTE!" or "PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE SO YOU SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT YOU HAVE!" and all that and it feels so stupid. "Your vote counts!" is especially the worst. Your vote counts... if it's for one of two candidates. If you like the Green Party or NSA Did 911 or something it's about as important as not voting.

My whole thing is that I don't really like either candidate. I like Obama more than Romney surely but I don't agree with him on everything. I just really don't want to be part of a system where your choices are essentially two things you don't like, just one thing you don't dislike as much as the other.

I would like to agree with what you have to say. But because i am living with my parents and they require me to vote (im paying no rent/food/anything) i feel like its probably a good idea.

Anyways yeah i voted, but im not sure if im proud of it.

But CANDY

 

[retKHAAAN]

Actually, a vote for a third party is a vote for Obama. At least from my experience, and especially this election season, the vast majority of people claiming they're voting third party were conservatives who wanted Ron Paul rather than Romney.

 

[Sanoblue]

Wow 75% vs 25%

Barack Obama 142 vote(s) 74.7%
Mitt Romney 48 vote(s)
25.3%

 

[DiscostewSM]

Anyways yeah i voted, but im not sure if im proud of it.

But CANDY

I was gypped! I didn't get any candy when I voted!

 

[Phoenix Goddess]

Just voted.
I personally(as in my opinion) don't enjoy complaining about the economy, Romney, how hard it is to find a job, get in school, or anything if I know I could do something about it. Just made me feel like a whiny brat who cries but won't do anything. So I did

I couldn't be assed to look at the ads outside of the Will Ferrell and Mass Effect ones. Other than that, I checked some facts and went with my gut.

 

[KingVamp]

I really didn't understand people not voting even if they think Obama better. Why risk getting the one you dislike the most?
I just didn't... :/

 

[Guild McCommunist]

I really didn't understand people not voting even if they think Obama better. Why risk getting the one you dislike the most?
I just didn't... :/

It's more of a matter of principle. It hardly feels like you have a voice in the election process if the voice is voting for someone whose "less bad".

A "voice" should entail you being able to insert your opinion into politics, not settling because you have to.

I'd honestly rather my vote go to no one than candidates I don't entirely believe in. Not that I have a huge amount of contrasting views between Obama (he would be my vote if I went) but he wasn't my ideal candidate in '08 and he still isn't.

 

[KingVamp]

It's more of a matter of principle. It hardly feels like you have a voice in the election process if the voice is voting for someone whose "less bad".

A "voice" should entail you being able to insert your opinion into politics, not settling because you have to.

I'd honestly rather my vote go to no one than candidates I don't entirely believe in. Not that I have a huge amount of contrasting views between Obama (he would be my vote if I went) but he wasn't my ideal candidate in '08 and he still isn't.

My principle is voting for the best for the country. To not vote because my biggest pick isn't 100%
with my ideals doesn't sit well with me when the other side is just outright cheating and lying.



Except you are giving your opinion when you vote. Not voting at all is not inserting your opinion.
You didn't have to, since you not voting, but when you see the worst of your picks win then
all you can do is blame yourself for not voting.

http://tvpc.com/Channel.php?ChannelID=8766
http://tinychat.com/tytlive
Coverage.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

My principle is voting for the best for the country. To not vote because my biggest pick isn't 100%
with my ideals.


Except you are giving your opinion when you vote. Not voting at all is not inserting your opinion.
You didn't have to, since you not voting, but when you see the worst of your picks wins then
all you can do is blame yourself for not voting.

Neither person is honestly the "best for the country", I'm basically just choosing which is "less bad" for the country. If I wanted to vote for someone who I honestly thought was "best for the country" then it'd be about the same as throwing my vote out the window since it's either one of two candidates. Third party candidates are essentially the same as not voting.

Voting is like a relationship. If you're lucky you'll end up with your soul mate and you have everything in common and never fight and always get along. But that never happens. Most of the time you just settle with whoever is the most tolerable person who can play tunnel snake with deal with it.

But my point is that I feel my voice is misrepresented if I'm forced into voting for a candidate I don't wholly believe in or if it's considered a waste voting for a candidate I do believe in.

 

[DiscostewSM]

A shit sandwich is still a shit sandwich, even if there is less shit in it than another.

I understand Guild's PoV on this, and he is actually voicing his opinion by not voting. If more people thought as he did and didn't vote, it would clearly be shown in the numbers at the end of hte elections, that there are many people who don't approve of either of the main candidates.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Also my brother's car got a flat so I lent him mine and I can't get to the voting place. If you wanted an excuse.

EDIT: Additionally on the whole "A vote for a third party is a vote for Romney/Obama", a vote for no candidate is just a vote against Romney/Obama. A vote for a third party would be detracting vote for one of the candidates while a vote for a candidate would be a two-point swing between the candidates (+1 vote for one and -1 vote for the other). So technically voting for no one is a -1 vote to each candidate.

So in the end I did vote by not voting. Fuck yeah America!

 

[Phoenix Goddess]

Neither person is honestly the "best for the country", I'm basically just choosing which is "less bad" for the country. If I wanted to vote for someone who I honestly thought was "best for the country" then it'd be about the same as throwing my vote out the window since it's either one of two candidates. Third party candidates are essentially the same as not voting.

Voting is like a relationship. If you're lucky you'll end up with your soul mate and you have everything in common and never fight and always get along. But that never happens. Most of the time you just settle with whoever is the most tolerable person who can play tunnel snake with deal with it.

But my point is that I feel my voice is misrepresented if I'm forced into voting for a candidate I don't wholly believe in or if it's considered a waste voting for a candidate I do believe in.

It's the effort that counts.

If you sit on your ass bitching about the country's many issues, but won't get up to at least try to make the smallest difference, you can only blame yourself. Simply throwing your hands up and saying, "It won't matter anyway." isn't exactly standing up for what you believe in, either. At least if you stand up for what you believe, you can say you've tried.

I don't believe in forcing someone to vote, though.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

It's the effort that counts.

If you sit on your ass bitching about the country's many issues, but won't get up to at least try to make the smallest difference, you can only blame yourself. Simply throwing your hands up and saying, "It won't matter anyway." isn't exactly standing up for what you believe in, either. At least if you stand up for what you believe, you can at least say you've tried.

I don't believe in forcing someone to vote, though.

Well I'm not really saying "it doesn't matter either way", I'm more so saying "I don't want to vote for anyone one I don't believe in." I don't feel I'm standing up for what I believe in if I'm voting for a candidate I don't because I'm strongarmed into settling.

I do think not voting because it "doesn't matter either way" is silly but not voting because you think all the candidates are incorrect is a bit more noble.

 

[DiscostewSM]

Enough votes for no one is a statement saying "give us someone worthy of our vote." It'll take 4 years to do so, and even then such a person may not run, but the statement still stands.

 

[Zarcon]

If more people thought as he did and didn't vote, it would clearly be shown in the numbers at the end of hte elections, that there are many people who don't approve of either of the main candidates.

Alternatively, if all those people voted for the candidate they wanted maybe the numbers for third parties wouldn't look so abysmal.
The system is broken since it might as well be 2 parties, but if everyone who would vote for a third party remains apathetic and chooses not to vote at all then it'll just remain broken since those third parties won't ever get anywhere.

If you're going to "throw your vote away" then it might as well be for someone you support.
If more people did this instead of not voting maybe we'd get somewhere.
If there's absolutely no one at all running that you support then by all means, don't vote...though personally I'd rather vote for least terrible. It'd be a shame if the candidate I disagreed with the most won because I decided not to vote.