A reminder of what's at stake tomorrow!

Volgadon · Post by **Volgadon** » Mon November 3rd, 2008, 9:02 pm

[quote=""LCW""]Well, the sure fire way to make sure your opinion DOESN'T count is to not vote![/quote]

Not really with your electoral college system.

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Mon November 3rd, 2008, 9:25 pm

Well, it's a weird system, but no justification IMHO for not voting. I'm hoping for a landslide this year, because it will be way more difficult to change the election results with shenanigans in the electronic machines etc., if the vote is not close. So that gives me extra motivation to go out and vote! Actually, I live in Oregon, so I've already voted and mailed in my ballot.

LCW · Post by **LCW** » Mon November 3rd, 2008, 11:53 pm

[quote=""Volgadon""]Not really with your electoral college system.[/quote]

The electoral college is in place to make sure that the states with very small populations (like Alaska!!) aren't ignored during Presidential Campaigns. And yes, votes do matter because in most states the winner gets the electoral votes.

But regardless, the electoral college is only in place for the Presidential election. Everything else, mayors, senate seats, house seats, local and state representatives, ballot propositions, are all extremely important are counted vote by vote. So yes, votes do matter here!

cw gortner · Post by **cw gortner** » Tue November 4th, 2008, 12:44 am

I saw the Yes on Prop 8 ad by Google on the site

Needless to say, if this measure isn't defeated, I'll be seriously considering my ability to remain in this country. In Spain, one of the most historically Catholic nations and once run for years by a fascist government, gay marriage is legal. What does that say about us? I've been with my partner for 17 years and every year our taxes are a challenge because we can't file a joint federal return. Plus, the expense and paperwork we've had to shell out to protect our assets, our health and our right to even see the other in the hospital and make decisions if one is incapacitated, would astound you. Domestic partnership does NOT offer the same rights that legal marriage does.

And I'm voting yes on Prop 2!! I actually only buy cage-free eggs now and barely eat any animal meat anymore since I started learning about the industrialized brutality toward animals. It's savage, inhumane, and completely unnecessary. And passing Prop 2 will not add to our food costs in any substantial way.

This is a very important election. I urge anyone who doubts that their voice will be heard to please reconsider. Your voice counts. You count. Get out and vote. Imperfect as it may be, it's the only way we can make a difference in our country's future.

Telynor · Post by **Telynor** » Tue November 4th, 2008, 1:00 am

I've always held that if you don't vote, you're saying that you like things the way they are, and don't complain if you don't like what you get. It's one of the few rights we have left here in the US, and I always tend to keep a close eye on my local officials and ballot measures.

This year has certainly been a potboiler! I have never seen such controversy and debate, but at least it is getting the people into the voting booths. And today I found an excellent resource on line if you're not sure of where to vote in your local precinct and the times when the voting is open. Go to http://www.vote411.org and punch in your address, and voila! all of the information comes up.

On the downside, I am suffering badly from election fatigue and not getting much done. I feel very badly for Senator Obama and his family, what with his grandmother passing away today -- what horrible timing! But I can imagine how proud she must be for her grandson.

princess garnet · Post by **princess garnet** » Tue November 4th, 2008, 1:28 am

In Maryland, Question 2 deals with slots. I don't see what's with the big need for them. There were slots in MD 40 years ago but were removed.

Definitely will be interesting night tomorrow!

LCW · Post by **LCW** » Tue November 4th, 2008, 2:40 am

[quote=""cw gortner""]I saw the Yes on Prop 8 ad by Google on the site

[/quote]

I'm really surprised that in a state like CA it would be so close! But, honestly, the TV ads for Prop 8 are really fear mongering and, I hate to say it, but they're effective!! My fiance was on the fence about it (he's for civil unions but thinks marriage is between a man and a woman, blah blah blah) until he saw in an ad where supposedly some teacher took her class to a gay wedding on a field trip. That made him vote "yes" on it

! If that's true, that was such a huge mistake by that teacher. That's exactly what those in favor of it want...more ammunition to use to scare people with! Unfortunately the teacher handed it to them on a silver platter!

And we voted no on Prop 2 here. There's no excuse to treat animals that way! It's disgusting! We buy cage free eggs here too and don't eat veal!

michellemoran · Post by **michellemoran** » Tue November 4th, 2008, 4:36 am

I saw the Yes on Prop 8 ad by Google on the site

I had no idea were ads on this site until you mentioned that. I had to go looking for them. Guess that shows how observant I am... or how much I tune out advertising...

cw gortner · Post by **cw gortner** » Tue November 4th, 2008, 4:43 am

[QUOTE=LCW;10858]My fiance was on the fence about it (he's for civil unions but thinks marriage is between a man and a woman, blah blah blah) until he saw in an ad where supposedly some teacher took her class to a gay wedding on a field trip. That made him vote "yes" on it

! If that's true, that was such a huge mistake by that teacher.

Yes, I can see how that might turn people to vote yes, but, honestly, if the teacher had taken the kids to a heterosexual wedding, no one would have batted an eye. It's all part of the stigma perpetuated by the opponents; somehow, children will be corrupted by gay people, which is nonsense. I mean, they went to a wedding not to some pagan sapphic ceremony.

What astonishes me is how people in Spain barely reacted to the legalization of gay marriage; it was almost a non-event, while here it's become this huge thing. Like we don't have far bigger problems to worry about, like the planet warming up, for example!

LCW · Post by **LCW** » Tue November 4th, 2008, 6:51 am

[quote=""cw gortner""]

LCW;10858 wrote:My fiance was on the fence about it (he's for civil unions but thinks marriage is between a man and a woman, blah blah blah) until he saw in an ad where supposedly some teacher took her class to a gay wedding on a field trip. That made him vote "yes" on it ! If that's true, that was such a huge mistake by that teacher.

Yes, I can see how that might turn people to vote yes, but, honestly, if the teacher had taken the kids to a heterosexual wedding, no one would have batted an eye. It's all part of the stigma perpetuated by the opponents; somehow, children will be corrupted by gay people, which is nonsense. I mean, they went to a wedding not to some pagan sapphic ceremony.

I see your point and, of course, I agree that taking children to a gay wedding isn't going to "corrupt" them or *gasp* make them catch "the gay"!! But the rest of the country doesn't exactly think the same way! Personally, I think kids should be going to museums or something like that on a field trip, not an wedding, regardless of whether it's gay or straight. But those in favor of this Proposition have decided that using children to play on people's fears would be an effective way to make people feel better about voting in favor of discrimination against other Americans. Throughout history all sorts of justifications for injustice have been employed! I just personally think that whoever took those kids to that wedding (assuming that's even true!!) should've thought about the big picture and what's really important right now. It handed a very effective weapon to those opposed to everything that wedding represented! Hopefully tomorrow we'll find out that all this stress was for naught and that, in California at least, all Americans really are treated equally under the law!