Image from here

Image from here

I voted today – I wrote in Ron Paul.   I didn’t vote for any democrats or republicans (I’m a registered republican) out side of Ron Paul.  Every other vote was for someone outside those two parties.   I don’t trust the Diebold machines they are using (I also think they are the ones banned in the Cleveland area).   There was hardly any privacy and someone with good eyes would have been able to see the printed verification page.  The voting took place in a church which despite the message of embracing hte community, I still feel violates the the seperation of church and state.

I wasn’t going to vote, and I probably will never vote again unless, someone inspires confidence in me like Ron Paul did.  Do I think that a write-in canidate has a snowball’s chance in winning?  No I don’t.  So essentially I just random picked people that weren’t in the primary parties for everything else, and more or less voted willy nilly on things – does this make it so I have a write to complain?  Too many people say you can’t complain if you don’t vote.  I call bullshit on that.   If it’s apathy and laziness, maybe your right.  If you make a concious and informed decision to be pigeonholed into a yes or no answer, into choosing the lesser of two evils, you may be right.

I have no faith in voting for president, I don’t trust the electoral college, I’m also voting in Ohio – so enough said on that side.  The whole process needs to be redone and sorted out.

Picture from here

While the first thing I could say about why I’m not voting for president would be easy.   It’s the excuse I’ve used for years, I think the electoral college has co-opted the ideal of a true democracy.   We’ve been able to rise to the point with technologies and communications that one person equals one vote can actually mean something in this country.   While we do have a representative government this by no means equates to a need to a representative voting across the board.   Once the electoral college is abolished in his current state, and it becomes just an agency that overseas the election results and verifies them – then we can free and open elections that can actually give power to the people.   Currently in a multitude of scenarios your vote doesn’t matter.   Are you a republican in a 90% democrat voting district – sorry your vote doesn’t count outside of the district.  Your a democrat in a republican district?  Same sorry luck for you.  One vote for over person should mean something.

The second reason I could say is that neither candidates that I wanted received their nominations.   Yes I supported one from each party and at this point who they were doesn’t matter (Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich), since I won’t get a chance to vote for either of them, I may be registered as a republican but I would vote for whoever holds my closest ideals.   Unfortunately the ones I wanted aren’t coming along for the ride.

The real reason?  Well we compound the first two reasons and come up with another.   I don’t like any of the candidates.  Some people would say since I’m not going to vote that I don’t have a say.  That I can’t complain about who wins.   I call bull on that.   I have every right to my opinion and will voice it.   I don’t think I should be forced to decide who I hate the least to run the country to be a good citizens.  If your candidates gives you something you can identify with and something you can believe in – I congratulate you and encourage you to vote.   My non vote is my own way of expressing my opinion – I encourage you not to vote also if you feel you are choosing between the lesser of two evils instead of the greater of two goods (which is how it should be).

Picture from here

Going through my RSS feeds this morning I came across an article, “Ike’s Granddaughter Calls Obama ‘Future of America‘”.  My first thought was good for her.  My second thought was who cares?  What I don’t want to get into is the meat of the article for a moment, let’s look at the headline.   Anyone vaguely aware of presidential politics should be aware that Ike is referring to Eisenhower.   What does his granddaughter have to do with anything.   Why should can claim she is an Eisenhower Republican that doesn’t means she has the same values as Ike.   I don’t really have a care who she supports or her political beliefs, but the fact that because she is Ike’s grand daughter seems to make this news.

My grandfather sold tractors, I don’t particulary like tractors – if a tractor blog going to print “Martin’s grandson predicts tractor sales are dead?”  I don’t think so.

Personally I’m waiting on  the “George Washington’s Distant Cousin Gives McCain a Big Thumbs Up” article.   If I’m really lucky the “Jefferson’s Great Great Great Grandson marries Ben Franklin’s Great Great Great Great Grand Daughter at the Ron Paul Rally” article.   Once again it means nothing.