Occupy the Ballot Box - Today, November 8, 2011

I read about people whose plan it was to swarm GOP primary voting locations to shut them down. I support that. This democracy is otherwise a sham, it's the illusion of choice served up a distraction so people won't realize how powerless they are

Quote:

Originally Posted by Princess Kate 

I read about people whose plan it was to swarm GOP primary voting locations to shut them down. I support that. This democracy is otherwise a sham, it's the illusion of choice served up a distraction so people won't realize how powerless they are

You support shutting down GOP primary voting locations? Did I read that right? Also, presumably, this should be another thread as there are no primaries today.

Voted this morning. As an Ohioan, I did my part in supporting teachers, firefighters and the like, as well as keeping an amendment exempting us from the healthcare law off the state constitution. I voted to send more of my money to my childrens future schools in the somewhat misguided hope that they will stop struggling with funding so much. To be fair though, I'm really hoping that levy passes so my wife can maybe get a job there once she gets done with her schooling for teaching. I'm always extra happy on voting day because I feel like my existence is a nice little screw you to the massive number of conservatives I find myself surrounded by in my little rural Ohio community. Good times.

Kate, supporting people that are doing the wrong things doesn't help anyone. Be the better person.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Princess Kate 

I read about people whose plan it was to swarm GOP primary voting locations to shut them down. I support that. This democracy is otherwise a sham, it's the illusion of choice served up a distraction so people won't realize how powerless they are

Why am I about to do this....

If you support this then you don't understand the nature of democracy and shouldn't be calling it a sham.  What you are advocating is democracy plain and simple.  Mob rule.

Pop quiz, PK:

1) How many times does the word democracy appear in the Declaration of Independence?  The Constitution?  The Constitutions of the 50 states?

Even when there are no major mandates or contested elections (that was in September), it still feels good to wake up a bit early in the morning and go and vote. Gooo New York judges! whoo!

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeI 

 

You support shutting down GOP primary voting locations? Did I read that right? Also, presumably, this should be another thread as there are no primaries today.

If there is a party that cheers letting the uninsured die, and supports the rest of the horribly regressive, hateful and racist platform as the modern GOP, they are to my mind illegitimate. Climate change is at at tipping point, and if there is a party that exists to ensure nothing is done to save the planet? It is perpetrating nothing less than an assault on free peoples. The head of Obama's EPA was on Bill Maher the other night bragging about how they're going to try in "2014" to get a "25% reduction in auto emissions by 2025". By then it will be too late. The Pentagon admitted years ago that climate change was real and that they're planning national security contingencies around the idea there will be wars for water and food in the coming decades, as the world is thrown into chaos. The time for hoping that the American experiment will sort itself out and provide us with the tools needed to turn things around is over. It's time for a party that exists to give us all a fresh start

No one has a right deny health care to the sick, or imperil the future of the planet. Cloaking these positions in the guise of "democracy" doesn't make them right. Those that support such notions have lost the legitimacy to rule. If the system has two parties, and neither can serve the people, then this  form of "democracy" isn't working, and needs to be torn down in order to start over. When the  economy tanks due to peak oil, or there is an epidemic and the people are dying by the thousands for lack of health care (and the government cannot help them because it's been crippled by corporations), that's when we'll get real change. I just hope there is a chance it will happen sooner than that, and OCCUPY may well evolve to provide us with that opportunity in the coming months

American democracy is an elaborate sham. We need a party that will pledge, in a single election, to take both houses and rewrite the constitution on principals of fairness and equality. This fidelity to the ideals of the 18th century is just a trick to leave people without a voice or the means to protect themselves against the interests of the rich and powerful

That's my take, and that's all I have to say

http://www.chud.com/community/t/140100/the-princess-kate-revolution

So as not to derail yt's well intentioned and important thread.

Did my part, voted no on Issues 1, 2 and 3 in Ohio. I also noticed I was the only one who showed up at my location at the time I did, usually there are huge lines when I vote. Wonder how the overall turn out is going to be.

I don't know how effective that could be, we've been bombarded constantly with ads for Issue 2 on both sides. The same door-to-door guy came to make sure I was voting today twice in the last week. The same guy!

We're also voting on mayor today in Akron. Haven't seen a single ad on either side for that one, everything's Issue 2 and occasionally 3.

Quote:

Originally Posted by yt 

Cooper, that's actually really good news.

 

Meanwhile in Iowa, shadowy GOP groups are reaching into the septic tank of creativity...

 

 

The rest is here:  http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2011/11/08/robocall-in-special-senate-race-asks-about-specific-sex-acts/

 

Jesus Christ.

In happier news, Issue 2 is pretty much beaten!

EDIT: PROOF

I like to think that I, the one voter at my location at that time, somehow tipped the scales on this one.