tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507136945842934293.post257087424992475999..comments2023-09-21T06:15:03.099-07:00Comments on Conjugate Visits: Do Your Patriotic Duty: DON'T VoteJune Casagrandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00363096837053080969noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507136945842934293.post-90695826804413213722008-11-03T08:57:00.000-08:002008-11-03T08:57:00.000-08:00Wow. This really opens my eyes as to how beneficia...Wow. This really opens my eyes as to how beneficial it would be to understand other countries' political systems. There's some real insight behind the system you described. But clearly, there are problems with it, too.<BR/><BR/>Yeah, voting for judges, in principle, is a good idea. Except that most people don't know jack about them. <BR/><BR/>Clearly, democracy is the worst possible form of government, except for all the others. (I botched that quote, didn't I?)June Casagrandehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363096837053080969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507136945842934293.post-83771950033553525552008-11-03T04:21:00.000-08:002008-11-03T04:21:00.000-08:00[Note: If this is submitted twice, it's because I ...<I>[Note: If this is submitted twice, it's because I lost my connection just as I hit publish.]</I><BR/><BR/>I don't know a lot about how voting works in your country, and the idea of voting for judges and officials and initiatives sounds very strange to me.<BR/><BR/>In Australian federal elections, those of us who prefer to vote <A HREF="http://www.aec.gov.au/Voting/How_to_vote/Voting_Senate.htm" REL="nofollow">below the line</A> in the Senate need to do a lot of research in order to do it properly. People who are content to let the politicians decide the details of their vote (i.e. over 95% of the population) vote above the line and have a much easier time of it.<BR/><BR/>At the <A HREF="http://outerhoard.wordpress.com/2007/11/24/my-vote-is-cast/" REL="nofollow">last federal election</A>, to vote below the line I had to place 46 candidates in an order of my choice. (first preference, second preference, third preference, etc), and in order to make an informed decision I researched all of the parties (i.e. glanced at their official websites). I could have saved myself the bother by voting above the line and effectively outsourcing the right to distribute my preferences to the political party of my choice, but unfortunately our system does not allow compromises - only a choice between one extreme and the other.Adrian Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06469026342375625260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507136945842934293.post-66004924316249804572008-11-01T17:58:00.000-07:002008-11-01T17:58:00.000-07:00Yeah, I totally agree with the train of thought th...Yeah, I totally agree with the train of thought that leads to an easy yes vote on the school bond. But something gives me pause. Not about the measure -- about my weighing in on it. If it's an easy yes vote, then others more knowledgeable than I will vote yes. <BR/><BR/>For me, voting yes for no reason other than educated people are voting yes is worse than not voting at all. Either they have it sewn up, in which case they don't need me, or there's more to it than meets the eye, in which case my oversimplifying the issue could do more harm than good.<BR/><BR/>The voter's Hippocratic oath, perhaps: Above all, do no harm to judges with funny names.<BR/><BR/>: )<BR/><BR/>I don't know how I feel about bonds. You caught me in an odd year.June Casagrandehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363096837053080969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507136945842934293.post-8251127268883409532008-11-01T15:50:00.000-07:002008-11-01T15:50:00.000-07:00Okay, this is kinda late in the game. Sorry.I tota...Okay, this is kinda late in the game. Sorry.<BR/><BR/>I totally agree with you. We are conditioned to think that we have to fill in all the blanks, but it turns out you don't have to!<BR/><BR/>On that note, regarding the Pasadena measure (I live here, too!), it seems that when no one can come up with a good reason why it's a bad idea, then isn't it an easy yes vote? <BR/><BR/>Of course, I guess it really comes down to how one feels about bonds, too.LL Blackwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09921100359598254068noreply@blogger.com