Redstate

By TXPoet Posted in Elections — Comments (3) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

This article will probably be a great waste of my time, because the ones who read it and understand will not be the ones who need to read it.

Wikipedia says that the reason for voting

In a democracy, voting commonly implies election, i.e. a way for an electorate to select among candidates for office. In politics voting is the method by which the electorate of a democracy appoints representatives in its government.

I have read a lot of comments lately about what people will do when their candidate doesn’t appear on the ballot for the General Election in the US. Some have said they will not vote. Some have said they will vote for someone else “to send a message”. Some have said their (political) party has been hijacked. Some will vote a straight party ticket without knowing what the platform is or what the candidates stand for. Some will vote based on race, age, gender or appearance (these are the HOPEfull voters).

To these malcontents I say this, “Get over it!” If you don’t vote at all then you cede all rights to complain. Unless you vote you really haven’t earned the right to protest. As for those that talk about jumping parties, I say go ahead, but know what you are really doing. Being an active political party member does not mean that you support the candidate, it means you support the party platform.

The party platform and its planks are not determined by the candidate but by the active party members in committees, in caucuses and at the grass roots level. If you don’t agree with a candidates planks then voice your opinion at party meetings, in party newsletters, blogs and via your donations of time and money. Work to get the platform and/or planks changed!

Wikipedia defines,

A party platform, also known as a manifesto, as a list of the principles, which a political party supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said party's candidates voted into office. This often takes the form of a list of support for, or opposition to, controversial topics. Individual topics are often called planks of the platform.

Under the provisions of the Constitution the act of voting is a right, but it is also the privilege of all citizens of voting age [The Twenty-sixth Amendment prohibits the federal government and the states from forbidding any citizen of age 18 or greater to vote simply because of their age. Some states do not allow convicted felons to vote (either for life, or just while they are in prison).]

Vote, but make it an informed vote. Know what and whom you are voting for.

For those interesting in a more scholarly study about informed voting I suggest Lupia and McCubbins: The Democratic Dilemma, a summary of which is here.