Amidst all of the hullabaloo over tea parties and occupiers was a simple message yesterday, that being no one really gives a shit. When headlines come up with turnouts under 35%, and those are the glowing ones, well then it is hard to take any movement all that seriously. Yes, I know it was an off year election, but those are the exact times when legitimate movements should be able to make gains, a sizable group voting in a low turn out election, yet it was incumbents across the nation that were yesterday's biggest winners.
I was thoroughly impressed to be hitting my polling place, which opened at 8am, around 3:30 in the afternoon and find that I was voter number #53 for the day. Yes, they were rocking a big 7 voters an hour.
It becomes hard to take anyone seriously about what is wrong with this country when they can't even be bothered to vote. We may not get the government we need, but if no one can be bothered to vote, perhaps we get the government we deserve.
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what are you voting for at this time?
ReplyDeleteMostly it was just local stuff. Here there were a lot of retention votes, a county executive race, a few judicial contests and city council elections. Probably the biggest thing on the ballot was a increase of .25 mills to property taxes with that money being directed to the Carnegie Libraries here in Pittsburgh, and that passed overwhelmingly so maybe it isn't all about tax cuts with the electorate after all.
ReplyDeleteIn Maryland nothing to vote on for the state or my county. We didn't have elections yesterday. The off year elections usually don't get big turn outs. It's hard for me to judge anything because this wasn't even an election year around me. What positions did you even have to vote on? Do people really get excited about dog catcher and judge appointments?
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter whether they get excited about it or not, if people aren't going to bother to vote then they can take their constant bitching and shove it up their ass.
ReplyDeleteI had nothing to vote for. There were no elections. Polls were not open. From what I have seen PA had scattered judge elections. Was there anything to get the vote out for other then 2-3 sitting judges for orphans court? You are making a big deal but what specifically did you get to vote on? I have no idea because we didn't even open the polls. I am askign what was there to even get people to go to the polls? Was there an issue that needed to be voted on? Was there a policy maker who was up for election? Governor? Senator? Congressman? What was this election even over?
ReplyDeleteThere were city council elections, an election for county chief executive, some retention elections, some judicial election and a ballot proposal on library funding, many things which have a general effect on the day to day lives of constituents. I would argue moreso than a presidential election. But when my polling place couldn't even get 7 voters an hour, then I can't sit here and get all that bothered about people who stand by and complain but can't be bothered to vote.
ReplyDeleteHow many people who were part of Occupy are registered to vote in Pittsburgh? Since it is a college town, most would be registered to vote in their home town. How many registered voters do you have in your precinct? Mine is about 100. 7 an hour would be 84 for the 12 hours the polls would be open.
ReplyDeleteI know local turnout was in the high 20s, which doesn't strike me as much of a motivated electorate.
ReplyDeleteSee it is hard for me to judge because I don't know the particulars. Was there really a race? Or were there long term favorites who were not offensive to anyone? Was there someone the people thought did a horrible job and needed to vote them out? Was the library issue one that was pertinent to people, or because print media is a dying venue it is becoming a dinosaur in your midst? I come from the background of motivating the electorate and getting out the vote for the candidate I was managing. The onus is on the staff and the candidates to get people to realize they need to come out and vote. If even the candidates didn't care about the election there was no motivation for a get out the vote. You have to create an event to make people participate. It sounds like if only 20% voted then there was no need to hold the election. It was an exercise in rubber stamping the people who currently hold the office.
ReplyDeleteIt was an exercise in rubber stamping, which is why I take all of the movement talk from both sides of the aisle with a grain of salt, because rarely do they maintain enough momentum to amount to much of anything. Most of the actual money and issues that effect people on a day to day basis are at the local level, and in those elections people can't be bothered. Not that they are bother all that much in national elections either, we kiss our own asses like it is an achievement if 60% even vote in those. People shouldn't need to be motivated to do their civic duty, and when they fail to do so then they can't complain about the results without looking like a bunch of hypocrites.
ReplyDeleteBut how much of the issues being bantied around by the Occupy movement has anything to do with municipal judges and library funding? I agree people need to get out and vote, but they have to have something to vote for.
ReplyDeleteNo, they have to do their civic duty, even in those times where it may appear that they have nothing to vote for. If they can't be bothered to vote, then why should I give a shit what they think?
ReplyDeleteI guess we differ on civic duty. When I go to the polls in an election year there are questions I don't vote for. They don't pertain to me, it is not for me to vote one way or the other. There are times I don't vote in particular races. If it doesn't pertain to me, why would I vote? I don't need to worry about the judges of orphans court. Both my daughter and I are over 21, this does not apply to me. Let those who this will effect cast a vote. To me it's like voting for someone in another county when I don't live there. In reality they are not on my ballot but I have no business deciding their elected officials.
ReplyDeleteWhat if the offices that are running aren't something they care about or affects them? Should they dictate a decision that might affect you?