Monday, November 5, 2012

A last minute plea for civil disobedience.

       What I am proposing is a little ridiculous, but if you are someone I have ever met, this will not be surprising.  See, being a "Third Party Voter" most of my life, in a solidly blue state (Illinois), I have come to despise the electoral college.  In Illinois, unless you vote democrat, you may as well stay home.
       The problems are legion with our current, electoral, approach, but let's recap.  Electors are not required to vote as instructed.  Districts are drawn by the party currently in control of the state.  (gerrymandered).  The two major parties have everything so figured out with polling, that they already know where to bother throwing money.
       It all adds up the same.  Your vote does not count.  Not directly.  Not even if your state or district votes your way.   
       So What I am suggesting is this:  If you are in a state that is "in play", vote your conscience.  Sleep the sleep of the just.  But if you are in a very red state, vote for Obama.  If you are in a solid blue, Romney.  Even if you are voting against your conscience.  Even if it will make no difference.  (It won't)
       Even states that "split their electorate" can participate.  In those states just apply the same rule at a district level.  (Blue districts vote red; red votes blue).
       The idea is for as many states as possible to have the slimmest possible margin of victory.  So that no matter who wins, the popular vote will not be the same as the electoral vote.  Maybe, if we do this enough, things will change.
       Maybe I'll win the lottery.  Maybe the tides will stop because I say so.  Maybe, in the long run, if you look at voting records rather than rhetoric, the two major party candidates are so similar it won't make a difference anyway.
       So get out and vote.  If you are in Ohio it might even mean something.

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Keep it clean and well thought out.