First, my apologies for missing last week. It was my last day with Lithus and, quite frankly, the Sunday Poll Question slipped my mind entirely. Why do I think you understand? ;)
Second, it's July. How in the hell did it get to be July???? Anyway, it did. And so we say goodbye to the rainbow that has been at the top of my blog. I won't be deleting it, just allowing it to move down. It was a great idea from Kelley and I hope to participate next year as well! Happy Pride, everybody!
Now! For the Sunday Poll Question...
One of the things I enjoy the most/hate the most about traveling is you can't really get away from other people's conversations. When they are sitting right there and you're on an airplane, you gotta hear what they are saying. This time, it led to the Sunday Poll Question. I believe the gist of the conversation went something like this:
If you were given two choices ~ vote for a member of the party you usually disagree with the most and reserve your right to complain or not vote and keep your mouth shut about whatever happens over the next four years, which would you choose? And if you would choose to vote, which current candidate would you vote for and why? Now, I'm going to tweak this just a little and limit this to Democrat and Republican parties. See, I know my readers and suddenly there would be lots of voting for the independant candidates. :) So, if you normally vote within the Democratic Party in order to keep your right to voice your opinion, you would have to vote for the Republican candidate and vice versa. So ~ vote or keep your mouth shut for the next four years? (And for my non-US readers, change the parties to the ones in your country and chime in! Or answer as if you were voting in the US elections. Or something. I'm curious to hear your opinions as well!)
Pobble Answer: This was tough for me from the moment I heard the kids behind me debating it. Luckily for me, I have had the entire week to mull on it. I would have to vote. Have to. First, people died to give US citizens the right to vote. Second, I cannot forget what women went through to get other women the right to vote. And there are still too many places in the world where I would not be allowed to vote because of my gender. Third, I am really, really bad at keeping my mouth shut. To do it for four years...nope. It would never happen. So ~ I would vote. And I think I would vote for Rudy Guiliani. A year ago, I would have answered John McCain but John has been distressing me in the last few months. I'm no Rudy fan. I'm not even sure I spelled his name correctly. Since the Republican debates, though, I have kept an eye on him and listened to what he says. Still not a fan. Still don't want him as the President. But I like what he says more than McClain or *gulp* Mitt Romney. And if my vote for Guiliani helps keep one of the worse ones out of office AND I still get to bitch ~ yeah, that would have to be my route. TTG this is hypothetical! Part of me is grateful to those kids for making me think about it from this angle. And part of me says Dammit, you couldn't have buried yourself in your iPods and been done with it?
Your answer...
Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.
15 comments:
Well, first off, I'd vote, period. That wouldn't even be a question.
Secondly, it's hard to know which party I'd have to vote against! I used to be a republican, so I guess I'd have to vote democrat in order to vote opposite. I hate Hillary. Yeah, I know I'm supposed to support my gender, but this is a woman who is about power, not change. When charged with overhauling our healthcare problems in the past, she failed miserably. Giving her a second chance should not come at the expense of the entire nation. I'm not sure about Obama because he's so inexperienced. That MIGHT be a good thing, because he's not a jaded, life-long politician. However, I still think he needs more experience. So, I guess I'd vote for John Edwards. There's something personable about him that I like. Right now, he's my top choice of any part. I'd actually like to see Al Gore run, although I can't believe I would ever say that. I used to think he was an idiot, now I know better. Right now, the Dem polls have Clinton in the lead among Dems, follwed by Obama and Edwards. Some even have Gore doing well.
I'm not too big on the Republican candidates either. If Fred Thompson runs, I might consider voting for him. Right now, Giuliani is the best of the lot, which isn't saying much. Giulian remains at the top of Republican polls, but Thompson has made up some ground. There are several polls that even have him ahead of McCain, although 61% of Republicans polled last week said that they aren't satisfied with the current candidates and wanted better choices. (61% of Dems said they ARE satisfied with their candidates.) That makes me a bit more optimistic.
To vote or not to vote. I understand that people died for the sake of the democratic process and that to not vote would be a dishonour to them. But consider: Hitler was elected. So, for the sake of argument, would any veteran feel (alive or dead) be offended if NO ONE voted in protest of something worth protesting? My dad used to vote for the Communist party in Canada. He's not a commie, he just wanted to "keep them on their toes". I asked him why and he said it's better than not voting. I dunno. To abstain is a statement in itself is it not? And aren't you evercising the freedom those people died for by choosing not to vote... especially if you're choosing between evils? Just a thought.
I'd vote.
But, I'd have to go with Mitt because he's actually one of the few environmentally more aware candidates.
Hi Pobble
At first seemingly simple, but then again maybe not... There are certain politicians whom I would rather keep my mouth shut for four years than vote for... But for the most part I am not locked into following party lines and will vote for who I think is the best person qualified, so voting for "the other party" wouldn't necessarily be a problem for me... As for who... still watching, waiting and seeing. There is a lot of time yet for the candidates to open there mouth and insert their foot...
in our last local elections i voted for everything but mayor. i couldn't stand the thought i of voting for the republican, but i didn't trust the democrat.
i just couldn't decide which was the lesser and soi just didn't fill in that blank.
when i don't know anything about a candidate, which happens in local elections, i'd rather not vote for that particular office than just guess.
but you are asking a different question and i would have to vote for the other party so that i could complain because the right to speak is too important to me.
and p.s. of course you made that sermon... how could i have left you out of it?
I would have to vote because if you don't then you have no right to bitch if things aren't working the way you want them to.
So, I think (think) I would go with Rudy, although I'm curious if Thompson jumps into the race (but I'd need to actually bone up on his record and not his appearance in a plethora of movies/tv/etc.). A tough question for a Sunday Pobble.
I did some research on this one. I didn't even know there were 8 Dem and about 14 Rep running. i am a reg independent and have not missed a vote since I was 18...so I have to vote.
I truely vote for the person...I googled 2008 President Canditates and got a list. Holy Shit,there are so many.
From my googles list, I am going to have to go with Fred Thompson ONLY because he is a Actor, Lawyer and Lobbiest. I hope he will have some common sense and do what is best for this country and get us out of this war.
If I could nominate a canditate it would be Phil Donahue..I googled youtube and saw the debate with Phil Donahue vs Bill O'Reilly. Its speaks volumes...
Gotta vote. It would be McCain, under Pobble Rules.
I would have to vote.. As you said too much happened to give me the right plus I talked too much not too. Voting opposite I too would vote for Rudy Giuliani. See he's been married- what 3 times, has a humanistic side and knows how to look the part of a president even with his faults. So this imperfect human being might understand the people.
I'm of the mind that when I vote, I'm either voting for the liars, the thieves or the thieving liars.
Not much of a choice.
Vote for someone so someone else doesn't get in? Sounds a bit skewed.
Don't vote? Sometimes I dislike all parties so much that to vote is a direct and personal insult.
It's so tough.
Not much of an answer...but a good question!
The only Republican I could ever vote for would be Chuck Hagel. If he wasn't an option, then I couldn't choose either. Maybe someday the Republican party will return to it's more traditional principles after it is released from it's current far-right death grip. Until that day in the distant future, I can neither vote Republican nor keep my mouth shut.
Of course I vote. All the time. I usually do go Democratic, but I'd go for McCain or Giuliani among the Republicans. I have serious concerns about Giuliani's approach to security, however.
Jaded, men don't have to express gender solidarity, so why should we women? Equality means equally bad as well as equally good.
I'd vote with out question. I don't know who I'd vote for though. If I have to vote for the opposite party I guess I'd have to pick the least obnoxious one eh? I used to call myself a Democrat. Now? I'm Independent all the way. I have no respect for any of the candidates because it's always been my feeling that to get to this level of politics, you have to owe too many people to be honest about what you will or won't do if you get into office. I don't like Hillary much. I don't trust Obama. Rudy is too creepy for me. Perhaps John Edwards because he doesn't seem too full of himself. It's really too soon for me to make a choice about this but I have too big of a mouth not to vote or participate in my government. So there ya go.
If I can't abide by either party, and they're both run by thieves and liars, I would probably choose to spoil my ballot. Not just 'not vote', but tear that sucker up and be vocal about why.
In actuality, I always vote. I vote Green up here in Canada---they are only recently getting a snowball's chance in H-E-double-hockey-sticks of even getting a chance to speak their platforms, but I STILL vote for them because for me its not a "wasted vote". I'm voting for my ideals and that's my way of standingg by them publicly.
I don't think I could vote for the right-wing Conservatives/Republicans. I'd feel like I betrayed myelf.
But keep quiet for four years? That's asking a lot. Aargh. Quite a question!
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