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To vote or not to vote that is the question

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  • 04-09-2009 5:17pm
    #1
    Davidth88
    Registered Users Posts: 3,181 ✭✭✭


    So , we have any number of people on this forum ( and others ) who claim they didn't vote.

    What's people's opinion with this , I know I had a row with my wife ( girlfriend at the time ) she said she didn't want to vote because she wasn't interested , I in no uncertain terms told her that women died to give her the right to vote .

    Since then she has not missed an election .

    My opinion , ( if it's not clear from the above ) is you should vote , and if you don't then how can you complain about what might happen.


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    #2
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Davidth88 wrote: »
    I in no uncertain terms told her that women died to give her the right to vote

    One could argue that they died to give one the option to vote, not to compel people to vote.

    I'd always vote myself, but guess not voting is a valid expression of an opinion too...


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    #3
    Cork Boy
    Registered Users Posts: 626 ✭✭✭Cork Boy


    It breaks my heart to say this but the aussies have it right.

    You HAVE to vote!!! Its a fine if you don't (and they will chase it). If you are not voting you better have a doctors cert or stamp on your passport.


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    #4
    thebman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,012 ✭✭✭✭thebman


    Cork Boy wrote: »
    It breaks my heart to say this but the aussies have it right.

    You HAVE to vote!!! Its a fine if you don't (and they will chase it). If you are not voting you better have a doctors cert or stamp on your passport.

    Meh thats just stupid. People that don't know anything will blindly tick boxes as they are obliged to. If you were going to do that you'd have to have a no vote option.


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    #5
    Davidth88
    Registered Users Posts: 3,181 ✭✭✭Davidth88


    Ok, Maybe I should qualify this , I am not in favour of making people vote. I had a row with my girlfiend , however I would not have thrown her in goal for not voting . Maybe row is the wrong description heated debate .....


    I urge everyone to vote , but if you don't fine , but in 6 months time don't you dare tell me the gvmt is cr(p !!!!


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    #6
    thebman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,012 ✭✭✭✭thebman


    But many people who don't vote do so because none of the candidates are up to scratch.

    Nothing wrong with that and nothing wrong with not wanting to run themselves either.

    Every right to hate the government even if you didn't vote if you didn't vote because all the candidates were crap.


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    #7
    ChocolateSauce
    Registered Users Posts: 2,892 ✭✭✭ChocolateSauce


    I think voting is a civic duty, and a person who doesn't vote has no right to complain about the decisions made without them. I think the best way to show your total disapproval is to spoil the ballot.


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    #8
    Grudaire
    Registered Users Posts: 3,620 ✭✭✭Grudaire


    Davidth88 wrote: »
    Ok, Maybe I should qualify this , I am not in favour of making people vote. I had a row with my girlfiend , however I would not have thrown her in goal for not voting . Maybe row is the wrong description heated debate .....


    I urge everyone to vote , but if you don't fine , but in 6 months time don't you dare tell me the gvmt is cr(p !!!!

    I just had an image of a poor girl stuck in Goal for a five-a-side tourney.:D

    Meh - I have yet to vote - due to having got work miles and miles (and miles) away from where I live.. such is life.


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    #9
    Davidth88
    Registered Users Posts: 3,181 ✭✭✭Davidth88


    ok SORRY typo GAOL not goal !!!!


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    #10
    thebman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,012 ✭✭✭✭thebman


    ChocolateSauce wrote: »
    I think voting is a civic duty, and a person who doesn't vote has no right to complain about the decisions made without them. I think the best way to show your total disapproval is to spoil the ballot.

    Whats the difference between spoiling the ballot and not turning up. None that I can see.

    A distinction bigger in your head than in real life maybe. If someone said there was nobody to vote for so they didn't vote would you actually argue with them that they should turn up and spoil their vote?

    What would the purpose of that over not voting? Both show apathy toward the candidates IMO.


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    #11
    mr.interested
    Registered Users Posts: 189 ✭✭mr.interested


    Davidth88 wrote: »
    My opinion , ( if it's not clear from the above ) is you should vote , and if you don't then how can you complain about what might happen.

    Yet you sill pay taxes! And it is sufficient reason why you have right to complain, regardless of voting.

    A person who cannot complain is not the one who doesn't vote, but the one who don't pay taxes. (Eg I'm not Irish, so I cannot vote. Does that take away a right to complain? No. I pay as high taxes as Irish.)


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    #12
    OldJay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 943 ✭✭✭OldJay


    Apathy is what makes this country's turnouts so poor. Apathy in not bothering to get to a ballot box. Apathy in saying that they don't understand what a treaty entails, despite there being plenty of explanations out there.

    If people don't vote then what follows an local election, general election or referendum they deserve.


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    #13
    Captain Chaos
    Registered Users Posts: 11,174 ✭✭✭✭Captain Chaos


    I vote more if there was an option of voting, ''none of the above'' as a vote of no confidence type of thing.

    Same goes for Lisbon, ''can't decide because the information is not clear and too complex'' option, and the government and various parties are putting their own words on it to help satisify their need and too feck for the general plebs. Our own government leaders cannot even fully explain and don't fully understand all of it ffs, how is the pleb on the street ment to? Just take the governments word for it? Look where that has us all now.


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    #14
    Biggins
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,567 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    If one doesn't vote, one shouldn't be entitled to moan about the state constantly.
    It's once every so often, its not like its hard work and you get a chance to say an actual say in the way things are going to be done in your own future.

    If one cares about their own future, one should vote.
    If one can't be bothered to vote, don't be surprised if some one classes you as lazy and/or too complacent.


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    #15
    OldJay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 943 ✭✭✭OldJay


    Captain Chaos wrote: »
    I vote more if there was an option of voting, ''none of the above'' as a vote of no confidence type of thing.

    Same goes for Lisbon, ''can't decide because the information is not clear and too complex'' option, and the government and various parties are putting their own words on it to help satisify their need and too feck for the general plebs. Our own government leaders cannot even fully explain and don't fully understand all of it ffs, how is the pleb on the street ment to? Just take the governments word for it? Look where that has us all now.
    I didn't understand what the Treaty was about so I looked it up, saw what it entails, voted accordingly and will do so again in the next referendum.
    It is fully explained. If you don't understand it then ask about it like I did. Doesn't take long to find out how to do this.


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    #16
    callig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 119 ✭✭callig


    Justind wrote: »
    Apathy is what makes this country's turnouts so poor.

    Don't blame people for being apathetic. Apathy is a result of the outright incompetence of our public servants. If we had better leadership we would get better turnout.


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    #17
    28064212
    Registered Users Posts: 10,636 ✭✭✭✭28064212


    Captain Chaos wrote: »
    Same goes for Lisbon, ''can't decide because the information is not clear and too complex'' option, and the government and various parties are putting their own words on it to help satisify their need and too feck for the general plebs. Our own government leaders cannot even fully explain and don't fully understand all of it ffs, how is the pleb on the street ment to? Just take the governments word for it? Look where that has us all now.
    So you're calling on the government to explain it to you, but then blaming the government for... explaining it to you? You don't see an inherent contradiction there?
    callig wrote: »
    Don't blame people for being apathetic. Apathy is a result of the outright incompetence of our public servants. If we had better leadership we would get better turnout.
    Another ridiculous oxymoronic statement. How do you get better leadership unless you vote for better leaders? So you're basically saying that if a government is incompetent, you'll respond by not voting against them?

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    #18
    OldJay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 943 ✭✭✭OldJay


    callig wrote: »
    Don't blame people for being apathetic. Apathy is a result of the outright incompetence of our public servants. If we had better leadership we would get better turnout.

    The referendum that lies ahead isn't about "leaders" and neither have the previous four. They have concerned this country's Constitution. P*ss-shot turnouts for all.

    Even a trip to a poll booth proves more taxing than sitting down and reading through the traits of the Lisbon Treaty.

    Face it. People want everything for nothing.
    Lazy, apathetic, hypocritical . . . utterly embarrassing.


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    #19
    callig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 119 ✭✭callig


    28064212 wrote: »
    So you're basically saying that if a government is incompetent, you'll respond by not voting against them?

    How is replacing one set of incompetent public servants with another going to improve matters?

    Apathy is not a new phenomenon, people are fed up with politicians from whatever party saying things that sound good or look good in sound bites and short-term memory.

    "Yes for jobs" lisbon treaty poster

    "We're stronger with Europe" lisbon treaty poster

    Politician's promises cannot be trusted so whether you vote or not actually doesn't make any difference.


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    #20
    whitetigerkungf
    Registered Users Posts: 101 ✭✭whitetigerkungf


    i dont vote not because i couldnt be bothered but because i dont trust any one I have the option to vote for. All the parties in this country are the same. As for the Lisbon treaty if someone does not understand it i think they should not vote. You should only vote on something you understand regardless of wether you vote yes or no.


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    #21
    FTA69
    Registered Users Posts: 9,252 ✭✭✭FTA69


    I'll be voting for the first time, on Lisbon. I didn't vote in the local elections as I didn't support any of the parties or candidates in question. That I believe, is my own perogative. I'm politically active in other ways so it isn't a case of laziness, I just feel it is my right not to vote for people I view as w*nkers and to be honest, spoiling your ballot is exactly the same as not voting at all. Nearly all the spoiled ballots are as a result of not being filled in correctly anyway.


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    #22
    prinz
    Registered Users Posts: 14,598 ✭✭✭✭prinz


    callig wrote: »
    "Yes for jobs" lisbon treaty poster

    "We're stronger with Europe" lisbon treaty poster

    Politician's promises cannot be trusted so whether you vote or not actually doesn't make any difference.


    I notice you don't include any from the no side.. Do you think they are in any way more truthful or founded in reality? Which both of the above are btw. Voter turn out is appalling here. Absolutely ridiculous. We're a nation of apathetic complainers, there are plenty of start up parties etc that might not be on the ballot sheet yet but need support, need membership etc and don't get it either, so complaining that you don't want to vote for anyone is valid only to a limited degree, go out and do something about it.


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    #23
    callig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 119 ✭✭callig


    prinz wrote: »
    I notice you don't include any from the no side.. Do you think they are in any way more truthful or founded in reality?

    Apathy is what it is, otherwise it wouldn't be apathy. It applies to ALL politicians.


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    #24
    prinz
    Registered Users Posts: 14,598 ✭✭✭✭prinz


    callig wrote: »
    Apathy is what it is, otherwise it wouldn't be apathy. It applies to ALL politicians.

    So you're apathetic about politics and you're blaming that on politicians? :confused:


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    #25
    the groutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,096 ✭✭✭✭the groutch


    what I hate is the attitude along the lines of "I hate the current government, but I'm not gonna bother voting because any other crowd will be the same", I heard this several times in vox pops prior to the '07 election, we could have had FF out 2 years ago, but people like this stopped it from happening


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    #26
    OldJay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 943 ✭✭✭OldJay


    the groutch wrote: »
    what I hate is the attitude along the lies of "I hate the current government, but I'm not gonna bother voting because any other crowd will be the same", I heard this several times in vox pops prior to the '07 election, we could have had FF out 2 years ago, but people like this stopped it from happening

    Precisely. The reason we're stuck with coalition govts is because a huge chunk of the electorate doesn't bother its bloody arse.


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    #27
    callig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 119 ✭✭callig


    prinz wrote: »
    So you're apathetic about politics and you're blaming that on politicians? :confused:

    Actually I never said I myself am apathetic. I was merely offering a humble opinion. Please disregard it as you will.
    what I hate is the attitude along the lines of "I hate the current government, but I'm not gonna bother voting because any other crowd will be the same",

    Like it or not that is the reality. Once Politicians have gained power they betray us with broken promises time and time again.


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    #28
    ART6
    Registered Users Posts: 2,632 ✭✭✭ART6


    Captain Chaos wrote: »
    I vote more if there was an option of voting, ''none of the above'' as a vote of no confidence type of thing.

    That I entirely agree with, since if there was such an option on ballot papers the result might just bring home to the politicians of all parties just what the public view of them really is. It would be much more difficult to claim a mandate if, say, 75% of the electorate voted and 55% said "None of the above". As it is they claim the mandate when the votes they have were from parents, friends, and a couple of stray dogs.

    We could even legislate that if at any election the votes for any party were lower than the "None of the above" then they are automatically excluded from forming a government. That should ensure that we never actually have one given the people available to stand at the moment:D


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