Why I won't be voting tactically

[altariel]

Meanwhile, in the present, the rough beast of the election slouches on - apparently the fate of the nation lies solely in the hands of a few lunatic tactical voters in Royston Vasey, or perhaps it was a Daschund called Colin, I forget now. Every other piece of political propaganda popping through my letterbox earnestly exhorts me to cast a tactical vote in order to keep out whoever.

Back, back, ye demons of cynicism! I shall not make my already meagre contribution to democracy even more pointless! I shall cast a vote that roughly approximates to my beliefs! The BBC as ever provides: here I may compare and contrast the relative merits of arsenic, strychnine, and hemlock. And on May 5th I shall take my poison, secure in the knowledge that I may have only cried out in the wilderness, but at least it was for something I nearly believe in.

Comments

[mgkellner.livejournal.com]

I have voted in 9 US presidential elections, and to this day, the candidate I preferred never has been on the ticket, all having lost in the primaries. I end up voting for party, and take whomever they put up. I am not a big fan of government by cult of personality anyway, so it bothers me less than it might. No political party is perfect, so you have to chose the one that both has the policies you think best for the country in the long run, and has some chance of winning sometimes, or at least has enough strength to steer things in the direction you want to go. Don't expect perfection; we're talking about politicians here. The best of a bad lot will have to do.

My advice, pick your side, march down to your ward and vote. Get your friends to go as well. Whatever the drawbacks, it beats the alternative to free elections.

I am against compulsory voting. I feel that if you are too lazy, or uninvolved to invest 20 minutes in democracy every few years, I don't want your worthless opinion diluting mine.

mk

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I have voted in 9 US presidential elections, and to this day, the candidate I preferred never has been on the ticket, all having lost in the primaries.

Heh. This will be my fourth general election (and I never miss local and European elections); there was a point where I had never knowingly been represented, but I think one of the MEPs for the region got a vote from me.

I am against compulsory voting. I feel that if you are too lazy, or uninvolved to invest 20 minutes in democracy every few years, I don't want your worthless opinion diluting mine.

I'm against compulsory voting too, but that's one of the best arguments I've read, LOL!