This is going to be my one and only pre-Election post because I feel very strongly about this issue.
I know some people have headlines like the one on this post and then turn it into a whole thing about how you should vote...but I'm serious here. I'm not going to turn this around. I am, no trick involved, asking people not to vote.
Not all people, just some people. In fact, I've devised a test.
Ask yourself, do you care about...
- Everyone having Healthcare
- Fixing the Economy
- Ending the War in Iraq
- Ending the War in Afghanistan
- Raising the poor out of poverty
- Stopping violence in our streets
If you care about all those things I have an important message for you: So does everyone else! Republican and Democrat, Obama and McCain, Romney and Clinton (Bill and Hil), Everybody. Partisans will tell you that only one side cares about the issues above but that's simply a lie.
The question in voting isn't "Do you care about these items?" it's "What method of solving them are the most effective and who would be the most effective in carrying it out?" This is my most important point...
If you can look at the above list and think that either party "doesn't care about those things" than you shouldn't vote!
I'm sorry but it's true. If you honestly believe one side wants those things and the other doesn't, you don't know what you're talking about. It would literally be irresponsible of you to vote. So don't.
Stay at home and spend your time actually learning what each party believes and how both those beliefs lead to the same end result (if they work, which is a matter of opinion). That way you'll be prepared for next election.
In closing, it is not your civic duty to vote. It's your civic duty to cast an informed vote. So if you aren't informed by now you've already blown it. The last thing you should do is to make it worse by casting a vote based on your ignorance.
P.S. Since I know I'm going to get a hard time on this list let me spell it out a little. Please keep in mind these are gross generalizations and that most people fall somewhere in the middle (e.g. most Republicans believe in limited gun control, most Democrats believe in some level of tax cuts, etc...)
Everyone having Healthcare
Republicans believe that the open market will lower the prices on health care to the point where everyone will be able to easily afford it. The Democrats believe having Government pay for it will put it in everyone's reach (aka having people pay for their health care via taxes). End result is still the same, everyone gets health care (again, if both methods actually work as advertised).
Raising the poor out of poverty
Fixing the Economy
This is probably the easiest one but is, at the same time, the least specific. Needless to say both sides believe in fixing the economy and eliminating poverty. The difference is that Republicans believe in giving tax breaks to people who are more likely to start businesses which in turn will employ more people and eliminate poverty while Democrats believe in (a) growing government and (b) giving money directly to the poor which will buy stuff with it and in doing so create more jobs and lift the poor out of poverty.
Ending the War in Iraq
Ending the War in Afghanistan
Honestly, though they make it sound like they are different both parties believe the same thing on this. McCain says he'll stay in "as long as we need to" while Obama says he'll "get troops out as soon as possible" but ask yourself these questions: If we still need to be there is Obama really going to pull out? If its possible to get out do you really think McCain is going to leave troops there for the heck of it? Of course not.
Stopping violence in our streets
I specifically put "Stopping Violence" as opposed to "Gun Control" because using the term "Gun Control" betrays a bias. Republicans believe that everyone being able to carry a gun will lower violence because a prospective criminal is less likely to attack someone if that person could have a gun. Democrats believe that everyone having guns leads to more violence because people will tend to use guns more liberally if they are widely available which is why they favor banning them.