Political parties...how did they get me name/address?

Our man in Havana

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

which elections is it where every candidate is allowed ONE letter to be delivered to each registered voter free of charge ?

General Elections
European Parliament Elections
Presidential Elections

Deacon Blues

Deacon Blues wrote: »

Not voting is a cop out. A much better way of expressing your disapproval would be to spoil your vote by writing NONE OF THE ABOVE on it. To me, the people who don't vote are muppets who forgot there was an election. A large number of spoilt votes indicates that there are a large number of people who care enough to get up off their arses and go out and register a protest (plus the small number of muppets who don't know how to fill in a ballot paper correctly).

If everyone who thought like you spoilt their vote, and the turnout was massive with large numbers of spoilt votes, I think you might get somewhere.

Actually, I did vote. I found an independent which sounded quite refreshing compared to the others, although whether he actually fulfills his promises remains to be seen.

But I can understand the people who choose not to vote, since I've felt that way previously in other elections. The spoilt vote is generally overshadowed by the numbers of people who don't vote. It has a larger impact in the eyes of the media, and I find it gains more coverage.

CrazyRabbit

Yoda wrote: »

I said that I considered your actions to be cowardly. That's not the same as calling you a coward.

I've heard the "idealistic" view "I have a right not to vote" before. I shrug. It's not noble. It's a complete cop-out. I've been to Iran, and to Burma. You have, perhaps, no idea what the idea of free elections means. You have no idea how fortunate you are. And you turn your back on the fortune you have. It's appalling. Not long ago most people lived in feudal or post-feudal societies where no one had much of a say in anything. Now we do, you do, and yet you call yourself "brave" for making no choice at all, but leaving it to everyone else. Your bravery means exactly this: "I reject my right to be heard." It means nothing more.

You may not like the candidates, but some are surely worse than others, and keeping the worst ones out by putting them at the bottom of your ballot would be far more useful to society than abdicating the responsibility our country's constitution offers you.

This is not a flame. Not a bit of it.

You seem to have missed this bit:

"And besides, voter apathy is in itself a vote. It's a vote for 'none of the above'. There are many of us who do not believe in the current political system and have no wish to promote it by voting."

If you had a choice between voting for Stalin or Hitler, would you still vote for the 'better' one?

The only true democracy is where everyone gets to vote on all governmental decisions. That doesn't exist yet though.

gizmo555

THE DATA Protection Commissioner is investigating a complaint against independent polltopper Damian O’Farrell over an election mailing sent to elderly recipients of home help services.

Mr O’Farrell, who received the highest vote of any candidate in Dublin in the local elections, wrote to clients of Clontarf Home Care Services before the election, seeking their support.

In the letter, he stated that he was a member of the management committee of Clontarf Home Care Services and said that the primary reason he was standing for election was the Government’s treatment of senior citizens.

“It is my intention to gain a seat on Dublin City Council where my primary concern will be to represent the views of senior citizens,” he wrote in the letter to clients of the centre.

His action prompted the complaint by political rival Gerry Breen, of Fine Gael, who said a number of elderly residents had expressed their
unhappiness about the letter to him.

“It is of concern to me that any database would be used in this manner, especially a database of mostly elderly and possibly vulnerable residents,” Mr Breen said.

Mr O’Farrell, who has served as campaign manager for independent TD Finian McGrath, said he would be making no apologies for the mailing but added: “If there’s a problem I’ll take my medicine”.

He claimed the complaint was politically motivated and said his success had inspired considerably jealousy in established political circles.
Roslyn Clohessy, of Clontarf Home Care Services, which is a non-profit body funded by the HSE and voluntary contributions, said it was suffering major cutbacks and could do with any help it got.

“We’re locally based in the community, we’re fighting a battle and no one is helping us.”

Mr O’Farrell had been invited to become involved on the management committee and had accepted, unlike another politician who hadn’t even replied.

She said she didn’t know how Mr O’Farrell came to send the letter to the agency’s clients.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0615/1224248849649.html

lostexpectation

pretty unacceptable, what was he thinking im not impressed.

It all seems so harmless.

Know elderly residents in a large care home here who were given €5 to vote for a certain candidate, and apparently many of them did. Part of me was appalled, part of me thinks the fiver is as useful to them as any promise about repairing potholes...