Voting is a scam to get the people to believe they are the ones in charge.

[Madmick]

The same cluster of leaks that showed the primary was basically scripted also named and shamed journalists at CNN, MSNBC, Politico, etc.

We were basically depending on the people who got caught red-handed to voluntarily report their own infidelity to us and spank themselves.

Not gonna happen. Their reaction consisted of two basic strategies:
-Depict the leakers as the real criminals and themselves as the victims
-Depict rogue media outlets such as Breitbart and Wikileaks that continued to discuss the contents of the leaks as Putin puppets and secret white supremacists.

Our democracy is still real/functional but it's incredibly fragile. We depend on people like these evil hackers.

Very little of this is true.

 

[Gas121]

Were all controlled, so what? I've know this for years, even as a teenager.

Its all bollocks.

 

[Vitor CroCop]

In Mexico at least you get a free flat screen television for voting. Granted you don't get to chose who you vote for.

 

[helltoupee]

The reasons for this are obvious. It isn't because the system is rigged, it's because most people don't want the their plumber representing them in Congress. They'd much rather be represented by the lawyer. It's the same reasoning that pushes them to hire a lawyer to represent them in court instead of their plumber. It is entirely reasonable that blue collar people would choose candidates they feel are appropriately educated for the job. Now we can discuss why that assumption may be false or counterproductive, but it doesn't delegitimize the representation people choose...

...Democracies have always been plutocracies. In fact, plutocracies usually evolve into democracies. That is good, though it has it's faults. It's an extremely stable system in which the average person has a lot of freedom to live as they choose.

"Extremely stable system" .... isn't that a matter of perspective? Stable for who?

One example:

During Bush's tenure, members of Congress took $36.5 million from the banking industry. In return, bankers were granted deregulation and bailout legislation that cost the U.S. public $500 billion dollars.

Congress produces an array of protections, grants, subsidies, leases, franchises, in-kind supports, direct services, noncompetitive contracts, loan guarantees, loss compensations, and other forms of public largesse for narrow private interests, not the common person. Whether 'most people' actually realize this has nothing to do with the fact that it happens, and I would think that if you asked 'most people', they would welcome representatives whose interests are more aligned with the middle class, than with big business - by evidence I cite all the bitching and complaining people do about their taxes and or social welfare programs, etc. If people honestly understood that for every $50K they make in earned income, about $50 in tax is deducted for social welfare, while about $4000 in tax goes to pay for corporate welfare, they might change their tune.

Plutocracy is rule FOR the rich by the rich, and is no better than a king ruling over his subjects by beating them over the head with clubs. Economic force is just as powerful as physical force.

 

[Ice That Jaw]

Then come vote in CA where your vote counts for a lot. But remember, you're voting against tens of millions of people. That's why CA will always be blue. You're better off voting in a smaller state where your votes might count for something. Especially the swing states.

As for popular vote beating electoral vote, it's only happened 5x so far in the history of the United States. Also, Electoral votes benefit smaller states than bigger states. Hawaii has 1.4 million population and is worth 4 electoral votes. California has 38m but is only worth 55 votes. If we go by popular votes, then you will only see candidates goto big states. Small states like Maine and Hawaii will never see them. Or that their vote will count for even less.

There are many reasons as to why we should have electoral over popular. Just go google it.

What about local elections? Califonia may be blue but its had many Republican governors and senators.

Local elections are more satisfying and also require more due diligence.

 

[HunterSdVa29]

voting, IMO, isn't the issue at all

CampaignFinancing, and the fact that the VAST MAJORITY of all Congressmen come from at least upper middle class backgrounds, has more to do w/ the 'our vote doesn't mean shit' attitude

even if you get whom you want in there, there's a very small chance you get what you want out of it as you aren't funding the campaign

It's how poor whites vote GOP despite that party wanting to cut Food Stamps/SW programs, and how poor minorities vote DEM despite the pandering never actually producing anything substantive and positive for those demographics.

 

[genecop]

No Shit Sherlock.....

 

[ultramanhyata]

Here's the greatest mind-fuck when it comes to voting and, I believe, one of the biggest reasons so many folks don't turn out:

Every non-voting individual knows there can never be an election result about which they could say, "If I only would have showed up at the polling place, that candidate wouldn't have won!!"

(Even at the smallest level, say, the local school board, the best your one vote could have done to reverse a candidate's win is create a tie.)

 

[drstrangelov]

While you're at it, don't reproduce. I'm or particularly worried about you ever getting laid, but should you stumble into some pity sex, try to finish right before you enter your partner, instead of immediately after.