The 'didn't vote' thread

nehe milner skudder · 26-02-2016 11:00PM

dark crystal wrote: »

Part of me thinks if someone can't be arsed to inform themsleves about the people making all the decisions that affect their lives, they're better off going nowhere near a ballot box.

Personally, I'd rather have some control than just be a passenger and complain about the person at the wheel afterwards.

ive informed myself that i don't trust any of them

Earthhorse · 26-02-2016 11:00PM

People have every right not to vote and every right to complain about the Government afterwards. Having said that, I find it hard to believe that you can't find one candidate that you prefer over others or, to put it another way, one candidate that you like the least.

OldMrBrennan83 · 26-02-2016 11:01PM

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nehe milner skudder · 26-02-2016 11:02PM

StewartGriffin wrote: »

Voting for the sake of it when you have no real clue why you are voting is not just dumb it's also dangerous.

At the moment, and it has been the case for many years, the electoral field in Ireland is so level that a vote is really nothing more than an exercise in peoples constitutional rights. This blandness of political ideology is not a bad thing. When it gets more extreme you get to the level of Trump v Sanders, or more radically, Extreme right wing V extreme left wing. So we shouldn't really complain about our boring candidates because it means we are in a good place.

For referenda it is important to vote if the topic is important. For our general elections, your vote doesn't really matter. If candidate A doesn't get in, Candidate B will, and it will make no difference to this country because the wheels of government will keep turning thanks to the Civil Servants who have always turned them.

The people who give out to those who don't vote, are generally just fools, especially those who drool at the mouth and proclaim that you have forfeited your right to have an opinion about anything.

If the choice was between Hitler and Stalin these fools would still turn out to vote for one of them.

best post I've read in a long time

c_meth · 26-02-2016 11:03PM

nehe milner skudder wrote: »

best post I've read in a long time

Worst one I've read...

Elessar · 26-02-2016 11:04PM

StewartGriffin wrote: »

Voting for the sake of it when you have no real clue why you are voting is not just dumb it's also dangerous.

At the moment, and it has been the case for many years, the electoral field in Ireland is so level that a vote is really nothing more than an exercise in peoples constitutional rights. This blandness of political ideology is not a bad thing. When it gets more extreme you get to the level of Trump v Sanders, or more radically, Extreme right wing V extreme left wing. So we shouldn't really complain about our boring candidates because it means we are in a good place.

For referenda it is important to vote if the topic is important. For our general elections, your vote doesn't really matter. If candidate A doesn't get in, Candidate B will, and it will make no difference to this country because the wheels of government will keep turning thanks to the Civil Servants who have always turned them.

The people who give out to those who don't vote, are generally just fools, especially those who drool at the mouth and proclaim that you have forfeited your right to have an opinion about anything.

If the choice was between Hitler and Stalin these fools would still turn out to vote for one of them.

Well said mate.

StringerBell · 26-02-2016 11:07PM

NIMAN wrote: »

Yeah cos being forced to go to your local polling station once every 5 years would be such hard work.

Forcing someone to vote seems to be kinda contrary to the entire process tbh

Totofan99 · 26-02-2016 11:08PM

Couldn't vote because I'm stuck in hospital. And I'm pretty bloody annoyed about it too.

As for those who couldn't be bothered, shame on you. You could put about 20 minutes aside, do a bit of research on your candidates and pick a few that you'd give a preference to. It's easier than ever to do this. The RTÉ website had short, one minute videos of almost every candidate in the country explaining briefly what they stand for. And there's smartvote.ie, another great resource.

Zaph · 26-02-2016 11:08PM

strelok wrote: »

i take it you'll not be complaining about president trump in 2017?

And exactly what has an election in another country got to do with whether or not people exercise their right to vote here? While the guy is a class 1 fruitcake and deserves every ounce of scorn and ridicule thrown at him, unless any of his policies directly impacted me somehow what would I have to actually give out about?

Benteke · 26-02-2016 11:10PM

The men and women of 1916 would not vote for this shower of vultures in fact they would be ashamed to see what they died for

OldMrBrennan83 · 26-02-2016 11:11PM

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josephryan1989 · 26-02-2016 11:12PM

Elessar wrote: »

Anyone else not vote in this general election? I honestly have no interest in politics at all and haven't the foggiest about any of the candidates in my area, never even heard of half of them. I do vote in general, with issues I care about i.e. constitutional changes, but politics? Nope. No interest.

I got a stern talking to from family earlier and put on a guilt trip about it, but I'm sticking to my guns. Anyone else not bothered?

You have the freedom to be clueless. It's a free country.
But how you could not take an interest in politics or inform yourself about the candidates in your constituency is beyond me.
Grow up and start taking an interest in what's going on around you.
Do you ignore weather forecasts or know how to read the time? For me that's how dumb not taking an interest in politics is like.

Mint Sauce · 26-02-2016 11:12PM

Your Face wrote: »

Can't vote - working.

What, for 14/15 hours? I'm sure even if you were at work for that long, your employer would have to let you leave to vote if you wanted too.

Your Face · 26-02-2016 11:14PM

Mint Sauce wrote: »

What, for 14/15 hours? I'm sure even if you were at work for that long, your employer would have to let you leave to vote if you wanted too.

I d rather put food on the table.

The Bishop Basher · 26-02-2016 11:14PM

Patww79 wrote: »

Never registered as I really just don't care about doing something that won't make a pick of difference. Probably wouldn't take long to read up on what they're falsely promising this time round but I don't see any of them as worthy of a vote, they're all just stealing a very good living.

its because of this that we get stuck with the same ****e rebranded over and over again. Get out and register a protest vote if nothing else. We have an aul lad here who runs every time. He hasn't a hope of getting a seat, ever, and he gets a vote from me every time.

You have a voice and you get few enough opportunities to use it. If we all sit at home and refuse to vote for something different how will anything ever change. Our moaning just becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

OldMrBrennan83 · 26-02-2016 11:15PM

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Totofan99 · 26-02-2016 11:16PM

Patww79 wrote: »

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Not exactly. Did you check it out? It gives you candidates views on lots of things, for example, climate change, public transport, cannabis legalisation, rent allowance, health, education.

And 10 or 20 minutes? Really?

Mint Sauce · 26-02-2016 11:17PM

Your Face wrote: »

I d rather put food on the table.

But were you doing a 14-15 hr shift that prevented you from attending? Again, if you were, you should still have a right to leave if you wish.

StringerBell · 26-02-2016 11:18PM

Having the right to vote is great, having the right to refuse to vote is also great, wouldn't have it any other way.

I have no interest in the general election this time around any more then I did last time tbh and didn't bother. I learned as much about every candidate in my area and none of them appeal to me at all, nor do I think it makes a blind bit of difference. Whoever gets in will either be in government/supporting the government and since I have some pretty big issues with current government policy that is no good for me. If I vote for someone, an independant, or someone who is going to be in opposition they can get me sweet **** all also. This is also the problem with voting in Ireland to a large degree.

It is the general election, national issues should be at the core, but it is always local politics that rule the roost. I am no exception to that, I have no faith in the government to do anything of use on a national/international level and considering my county has been ignored and fallen to ruin in the life of the government I have no faith in them to be of any benefit to me on a local level.

Then you have the two main parties who are at this point practically identical at this point, one of them is going to be the major party in the next Dail, and the other may end up propping them up, how ****ed up is that? Labour are going to take a thrashing even though they were not actually as bad as Fine Gael, though they did sell out a lot of core party commitments so thats fair enough really.

Sinn Fein are great at pointing out whats wrong, sure we can all do that. Ask them to come up with a coherent plan for the future and you start to get into a bit of trouble really though don't you.

I'm rambling on here, so I'll just say long story short, no matter who you vote for, the government always gets in.

We will have our course decided for us by Europe, nothing new there.

OldMrBrennan83 · 26-02-2016 11:18PM

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My name is URL · 26-02-2016 11:21PM

Patww79 wrote: »

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Well the Green Party lad I voted for has no chance but if they get 2% of first preferences it qualifies them for state funding, meaning they'll have a better chance next time round

StewartGriffin · 26-02-2016 11:24PM

josephryan1989 wrote: »

You have the freedom to be clueless. It's a free country.
But how you could not take an interest in politics or inform yourself about the candidates in your constituency is beyond me.
Grow up and start taking an interest in what's going on around you.
Do you ignore weather forecasts or know how to read the time? For me that's how dumb not taking an interest in politics is like.

You say this as though politics was great literature or some great cultural ideal we should all aspire to. You're really talking about Michael Ring, Enda Kenny, Michael Lowry, the Healy Rays, Mary Lou, Joan, Alan Kelly, Willie O' Dea, Paul Gogarty, Fianna Fail in general, parties popping up with utterly unworkable solutions raking in the popular vote.

There's nothing to see there to make a better man or woman of anyone.

Totofan99 · 26-02-2016 11:24PM

Patww79 wrote: »

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Well, candidates that are with a party have to obey the whip. Independent candidates submit their own replies.

OldMrBrennan83 · 26-02-2016 11:28PM

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The Bishop Basher · 26-02-2016 11:30PM

Patww79 wrote: »

If he has no chance then why waste 20-40 minutes of your day to go and vote for him? Likewise with wasting your time on a protest vote. The thing is we all have a vote, but none of us have a voice.

I vote for serious contenders too. And our system is set up in a way that allows for considered voting using preferences based on how you think the election will go.

And fair enough if you never complain about anything ever to do with the country and how it's run. You're a lucky man so. I'd hazard a guess though that the majority of those that don't vote, do actually have plenty to say about how we're governed and how that directly influences our pockets and our lives.

For Forks Sake · 26-02-2016 11:31PM

Dinny Byrne has Angina wrote: »

It's your fault.

It's very easy for a man of average intelligence to formulate an opinion based on his impression of several political candidates running for election.

Your duty, as far as I care, is to inform yourself.

It isn't for the State to rush to your education and exhaust its own resources in informing you personally.

There is plenty of information in the public sphere, should you wish to avail it.

Don't expect anyone to come to your defence. It's probably just as well that people of this mentality refrain from voting.

I agree with your points, but the main reason I quoted is to highlight what may well be the greatest username in boards history. Bravo.

OldMrBrennan83 · 26-02-2016 11:33PM

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josephryan1989 · 26-02-2016 11:33PM

Patww79 wrote: »

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Do you read their election literature? Do you look at their policy proposals? At the costings of what they propose? At their attitudes to taxation and spending and job creation? Their health policies? Crime policies? Environmental policies? Their track records on those issues? You can inform yourself and weigh up which candidate is the one who want to vote for and who you don't?

An adult has the patience to get off his or her backside and find out and inform themselves and use their franchise.

You don't bother to inform yourself and you are too lazy to do so and you don't vote and you give up your freedom to those who do because they vote and they get their candidate elected and their policies implemented.

You have no right to complain about the injustices in the country if you never informed yourself and you never stood up to be counted and voted.

Totofan99 · 26-02-2016 11:34PM

Patww79 wrote: »

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There are some decent public representatives, and lots of terrible ones. It's up to you to choose which one is a good one for you, or maybe the least worst. Not ideal, but that's the way it works. If you're not happy, run yourself.

thattequilagirl · 26-02-2016 11:37PM

Patww79 wrote: »

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So, there would be no difference whatsoever between a FF-FG grand coalition and a government led by Sinn Fein?

The 'didn't vote' thread

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