joko
Crazy Mango
Posts: 437 
Likes: 474
|
Post by joko on Nov 6, 2018 22:44:30 GMT 7
"Every vote matters!"
Bullsh*t. Anyone who says that doesn't understand how the American federal system works, particularly when the effort of voting is made that much more complicated by being an expat.
I'm surrounded by non-American friends in my RL and OL expat community, and I've heard half a dozen times this week friends asking whether or not I'm voting in this mid-term election. When I say no, I get condescending looks or comments, like I was personally giving Trump a hand job for not voting, and yes, I hate Trump, and I feel guilty for not doing EVERYTHING I could to oppose him.
But here's the thing. America has a federal system. There are no "national" elections. Even for the president, we vote for who our state is going to vote for, and when you live in a state that is fundamentally, solidly, completely in the red or blue, the right or left, Republican or Democrat, your vote doesn't matter. The outcome is pre-ordained, determined, and my measly vote won't make a difference, for or against. My 'residence' in the USA happens to be King County (Seattle), Washington State, the bluest of the blue districts in a blue state. Every candidate or issue that I might have voted on is going to win anyways, so why bother? The same could be said if I held ideas entirely antithetical to the majority.
"My" local district there in Seattle has lots of other things on their ballot that aren't conservative vs liberal per se. I could vote on those. Property taxes, county commissioners, water policy, judgeships, and county animal control officers, all are being decided.... But Since I don't live there, I SHOULDN'T be allowed to vote on these things... So I don't.
I wasn't one of the 3 million Americans in the popular vote who voted for Hillary over Trump. I didn't vote.
Maybe next time I go back to America, I'll spend whatever time it takes to establish residency in North Dakota, Wisconsin, Texas or Nevada - battleground states where I have connections and my vote will matter.
|
|
rubl
Crazy Mango Extraordinaire
The wondering type
Posts: 23,585
Likes: 8,950
|
Post by rubl on Nov 6, 2018 23:08:48 GMT 7
In the Netherlands I grew up in a (political) environment which makes multi-party coalitions the 'predestined' outcome of any election. Makes for interesting combinations like right/middle, middle/left, right/left without the middle.  What still surprises me is democratic countries with a real or near virtual TWO party system. Voters are not that identical in opinion I would assume and how can a party cope with all the different 'groups' they gathered? Answer is probably "they can't". IMHO and so, uncle rubl |
|
sl
Crazy Mango
Posts: 434
Likes: 353
|
Post by sl on Nov 7, 2018 3:38:02 GMT 7
|
|
smokie36
Vigilante
Posts: 15,660
Likes: 9,064
|
Post by smokie36 on Nov 7, 2018 3:51:18 GMT 7
My home constituency has been Labour for generations yet turned out an SNP MP at the last election.
Big swings are possible if the candidate or local/national party is crap.
|
|
88
Crazy Mango
making a list, checking it twice
Posts: 903
Likes: 366
|
Post by 88 on Nov 7, 2018 8:43:09 GMT 7
The dems did it again. Trusted the polls, forgetting that any time someone identifies as being a Trump supporter the dems go batshit crazy and start beating and burning and screeching waaaaycist, bigot etc. So polls are useless. Watching the results coming in and it is looking very good for team Trump. If this keeps up Ill crack open a bottle and put it on the big screen with projector. Rachel Moddow and co - don't dissapoint me I want major TDS
|
|
rubl
Crazy Mango Extraordinaire
The wondering type
Posts: 23,585
Likes: 8,950
|
Post by rubl on Nov 7, 2018 9:09:08 GMT 7
The dems did it again. Trusted the polls, forgetting that any time someone identifies as being a Trump supporter the dems go batshit crazy and start beating and burning and screeching waaaaycist, bigot etc. So polls are useless. Watching the results coming in and it is looking very good for team Trump. If this keeps up Ill crack open a bottle and put it on the big screen with projector. Rachel Moddow and co - don't dissapoint me I want major TDS Watching results coming in and it's minimal what comes in. On the West coast voting stations barely closed, East coast counting. I guess by mid-day Thai time we'll get the first real results. BTW 'Team Trump'? You mean Republican Party I guess. Team Trump is only presenting the reality show. |
|
Mosha
Crazy Mango Extraordinaire
Posts: 5,676
Likes: 2,896
|
Post by Mosha on Nov 7, 2018 13:04:00 GMT 7
|
|
rubl
Crazy Mango Extraordinaire
The wondering type
Posts: 23,585
Likes: 8,950
|
Post by rubl on Nov 7, 2018 14:17:53 GMT 7
"“It’s a huge moment, a huge victory for the president,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said of the news that Republicans would keep the Senate."
The House? What hoouse?
|
|
88
Crazy Mango
making a list, checking it twice
Posts: 903
Likes: 366
|
Post by 88 on Nov 7, 2018 16:02:38 GMT 7
Well it's a great result for Donald, a landslide really, in the top 3 midterm results for the sitting president in 100 years. But, what is surprising is that so many Americans seriously voted against personal freedoms, and against a strong economy with the lowest unemployment rate ever. These Dems voted for more tyranny of government, more taxes, and to swell the USA to be able to pay welfare to anyone in the world that can walk across a porous border. It really is mind boggling.
What is interesting here is that with that moron Alexandria Cortez and mentally ill Cerebral Pelosi going to be on our screens the whole time, Trump will really ace it in 2020.
|
|
rubl
Crazy Mango Extraordinaire
The wondering type
Posts: 23,585
Likes: 8,950
|
Post by rubl on Nov 7, 2018 16:16:10 GMT 7
Well it's a great result for Donald, a landslide really, in the top 3 midterm results for the sitting president in 100 years. But, what is surprising is that so many Americans seriously voted against personal freedoms, and against a strong economy with the lowest unemployment rate ever. These Dems voted for more tyranny of government, more taxes, and to swell the USA to be able to pay welfare to anyone in the world that can walk across a porous border. It really is mind boggling. What is interesting here is that with that moron Alexandria Cortez and mentally ill Cerebral Pelosi going to be on our screens the whole time, Trump will really ace it in 2020. The spin doctor is back I see. Lots of nonsense and Trump won of course. Pigs can fly as well. |
|
Mosha
Crazy Mango Extraordinaire
Posts: 5,676
Likes: 2,896
|
Post by Mosha on Nov 7, 2018 18:58:50 GMT 7
Well it's a great result for Donald, a landslide really, in the top 3 midterm results for the sitting president in 100 years. But, what is surprising is that so many Americans seriously voted against personal freedoms, and against a strong economy with the lowest unemployment rate ever. These Dems voted for more tyranny of government, more taxes, and to swell the USA to be able to pay welfare to anyone in the world that can walk across a porous border. It really is mind boggling. What is interesting here is that with that moron Alexandria Cortez and mentally ill Cerebral Pelosi going to be on our screens the whole time, Trump will really ace it in 2020. Next round of senate elections favours the Democrats. |
|
rubl
Crazy Mango Extraordinaire
The wondering type
Posts: 23,585
Likes: 8,950
|
Post by rubl on Nov 7, 2018 21:55:10 GMT 7
dearDonalTrump has also been heard from. Our twitter monster was full of a 'very Big Win'. Amazing what a selective memory syndrome can do for you "President Donald Trump took to Twitter the morning after the midterms to congratulate Republican winners, to bid adieu to Republican losers who didn't embrace him and to say that now he has a clear path toward "foreign nations (friends) that were waiting me out, and hoping, on Trade Deals." "Those that worked with me ... did very well," the president tweeted. "Those that did not, say goodbye!"" www.yahoo.com/gma/trump-calls-midterms-very-big-win-tweets-goodbye-132003684--abc-news-topstories.html |
|
sl
Crazy Mango
Posts: 434
Likes: 353
|
Post by sl on Nov 9, 2018 17:38:00 GMT 7
"Every vote matters!"
Bullsh*t. Anyone who says that doesn't understand how the American federal system works, particularly when the effort of voting is made that much more complicated by being an expat. If nothing else your vote will show the rest of the world we are not all bent. House vote: Democrats - 52,214,843 votes / Republicans - 47,808,433 votes……….Senate vote: Democrats - 46,193,609 votes / Republicans - 33,879,703 votes the majority of Americans would rather live with democrats in charge: elections.huffingtonpost.com/2018/results/hq |
|
|
|
Post by rgs2001uk on Nov 9, 2018 22:13:25 GMT 7
^^^ nice to see you sl, hope you are well, where are you off to on your travels this time?
|
|
rubl
Crazy Mango Extraordinaire
The wondering type
Posts: 23,585
Likes: 8,950
|
Post by rubl on Nov 10, 2018 1:25:31 GMT 7
"Every vote matters!"
Bullsh*t. Anyone who says that doesn't understand how the American federal system works, particularly when the effort of voting is made that much more complicated by being an expat. If nothing else your vote will show the rest of the world we are not all bent. House vote: Democrats - 52,214,843 votes / Republicans - 47,808,433 votes……….Senate vote: Democrats - 46,193,609 votes / Republicans - 33,879,703 votes the majority of Americans would rather live with democrats in charge: elections.huffingtonpost.com/2018/results/hq Without context these figures don't have much value I think. Of course I don't know all details of the American voting system. On the same day the same voters voted for both House and Senate seats. All House seats (435) and some Senate (35 out of 100) were up for grabs. I would have expected that the Senate votes would be 'around' 35% of the House votes, but it more like 80%. Am I missing something here? |
|
