2008 Woodie Awards
Failure to Communicate: Don't Waste Time Voting in 2008
Luke McIntyre
Issue date: 10/31/06 Section: Opinions
Last week The Carolinian ran a staff editorial explaining bonds in this year's election, so everyone could be a bit more informed before they vote. A couple weeks ago we ran one basically calling you stupid if you don't vote this year. All the editors pretty much agreed on that point. If you don't vote, you're dumb.
That said, in 2008, don't vote.
Of course by 2008 I'm referring specifically to the presidential election. The one where, if you live in North Carolina, your vote doesn't count. It's true. Not including the 1976 election, it's been more then 40 years since North Carolina allowed its electoral votes to be cast for a Democrat. I say not including 1976 because, honestly, who wasn't going to vote Democrat after Nixon resigned?
North Carolina, like the rest of the south, goes Republican. It doesn't make sense to vote. It doesn't make sense to participate in an electoral system that allows for a president to be elected even though a majority of voters actually voted against him. For no reason at all, it allows for the possibility of "faithless electors." Our government, in its infinite wisdom, still gathers people from voters' districts who promise to cast their electoral vote the way the district did. When they don't, they're called "faithless electors." But putting the negative term on the elector isn't really fair. It's more a result of the "idiotic constituency."
You don't vote for president. You vote for a person who you've never met or heard of, who simply promises to vote the way he or she is supposed to, and a majority of the time doesn't even face legal repercussions for not voting that way. Faithless electors are probably not something we should worry about. It's only happened a little over 150 times so far. Are we insane?
Some people offer weak arguments for this old tradition. What if a candidate dies? What if there's a reason for the elector to change his or her vote? No. STOP that. Don't defend the broken system. Change it.
More what upsets me about our apparently whimsically assembled presidential electoral system is the inconsistency. Some states allow their electoral votes to go proportionally according to their votes, some states are all or nothing. North Carolina is all or nothing, Republicans getting all and everyone else getting nothing.
And just let me reiterate. When I say your vote doesn't count, I don't simply mean you waste your time in voting. I mean your vote does not count. They tally up all the votes, Republicans win the majority, and then they paint the entire state red. Every single electoral vote goes to the elephants, and your vote did not count. It went to DC registered Republican.
There are much more productive things you could do with your day. You could get a hair cut, for instance. Clean up the house a bit. Those few seconds spent bubbling in a candidate's name could be better spent in bed asleep.
I really wish I could be wrong on this. I really hope that in two years someone rubs this column in my face, pointing out how short-sighted and foolish I was. I really do want that to happen, because if I'm wrong then my vote in a federal election wouldn't be foiled by the state that I just happen to live in.
But it isn't going to happen.
Check out more of Luke's writing at his blog, lukemcintyre.blogspot.com.
That said, in 2008, don't vote.
Of course by 2008 I'm referring specifically to the presidential election. The one where, if you live in North Carolina, your vote doesn't count. It's true. Not including the 1976 election, it's been more then 40 years since North Carolina allowed its electoral votes to be cast for a Democrat. I say not including 1976 because, honestly, who wasn't going to vote Democrat after Nixon resigned?
North Carolina, like the rest of the south, goes Republican. It doesn't make sense to vote. It doesn't make sense to participate in an electoral system that allows for a president to be elected even though a majority of voters actually voted against him. For no reason at all, it allows for the possibility of "faithless electors." Our government, in its infinite wisdom, still gathers people from voters' districts who promise to cast their electoral vote the way the district did. When they don't, they're called "faithless electors." But putting the negative term on the elector isn't really fair. It's more a result of the "idiotic constituency."
You don't vote for president. You vote for a person who you've never met or heard of, who simply promises to vote the way he or she is supposed to, and a majority of the time doesn't even face legal repercussions for not voting that way. Faithless electors are probably not something we should worry about. It's only happened a little over 150 times so far. Are we insane?
Some people offer weak arguments for this old tradition. What if a candidate dies? What if there's a reason for the elector to change his or her vote? No. STOP that. Don't defend the broken system. Change it.
More what upsets me about our apparently whimsically assembled presidential electoral system is the inconsistency. Some states allow their electoral votes to go proportionally according to their votes, some states are all or nothing. North Carolina is all or nothing, Republicans getting all and everyone else getting nothing.
And just let me reiterate. When I say your vote doesn't count, I don't simply mean you waste your time in voting. I mean your vote does not count. They tally up all the votes, Republicans win the majority, and then they paint the entire state red. Every single electoral vote goes to the elephants, and your vote did not count. It went to DC registered Republican.
There are much more productive things you could do with your day. You could get a hair cut, for instance. Clean up the house a bit. Those few seconds spent bubbling in a candidate's name could be better spent in bed asleep.
I really wish I could be wrong on this. I really hope that in two years someone rubs this column in my face, pointing out how short-sighted and foolish I was. I really do want that to happen, because if I'm wrong then my vote in a federal election wouldn't be foiled by the state that I just happen to live in.
But it isn't going to happen.
Check out more of Luke's writing at his blog, lukemcintyre.blogspot.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Bill Greene
posted 11/02/06 @ 12:25 PM EST
Well Luke, I'm guessing that you aren't really into U.S. history or political science, right? Especially considering your apparent love of "democracy" -- which this country was never intended to be (thank God). (Continued…)
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