Slog
News & ArtsWednesday, December 2, 2009
Politics Sorry About Throwing the Election
Posted by Dominic Holden on Wed, Dec 2, 2009 at 12:48 PM
A reader writes in a letter:
I have watched with a great deal of horror through the years how The Stranger tells people how to vote and how people do what The Stranger says and get themselves in worse mess than before.Dow Constantine is even more dangerous to this city than Nickels because he is even more ruthless. I fought Him since he was first elected about seven years ago over his decision practices. He is no different than Obama. Both are rich peoples whores and no matter how weak a person is these men will step all over them.
A) Social Security cost of living was frozen, B) Medicare went up over $100.00, C) Medicines went up, D) Property tax and insurance went up, E) Metro went up - Last year $5.50 - this year $9.00 - Jan. 2010 $18.00, F) Lights Water/garbage went up, G) Lights going up, H) City/Country corrupt - at all levels, I) toys for rich given to them even when the people vote no, J) Offices bought and exchanged at all levels, K) etc- etc- etc.
The government is "the people". The people have done this to themselves. Americans have been told this since the 1700s. No community can tell me that I have to vote democrat or republican because that is the way Americans want it. I voted to keep all of these people out. I also voted for Nader and would do so again. Maybe if you all voted with a mind and a soul we would not have destroy the country.
[Unreadable signature]
So if people—people with minds and souls—shouldn't vote for Democrats or Republicans, as unreadable signature argues, who should folks have chosen as King County Executive? Nader?
1
You know, I totally had forgotten how the King County Council had frozen Social Security increases, raised pharmaceutical prices, increased Medicare expenses and tried to destroy the planet Jupiter with Comet Shoemaker-Levy. Thanks, unreadable signature, for reminding me of my stupendous oversight when I cast that vote for Dow.
2
"I fought Him since he was first elected about seven years ago..."
Why is the pronoun capitalized? Is Constantine like Jesus?
Why is the pronoun capitalized? Is Constantine like Jesus?
4
I'd like to live in a world where the economy flatlines and nothing ever gets more expensive. That'd be great! Am I right?
5
Anyone who votes for a non-viable candidate is acting irrationally, and there is no point in taking anything they say seriously. And candidate advocating radical change is non-viable because the vast majority of voters place a much higher value on conserving the status-quo than they do on other values they might have.
6
I don't know for sure, but I think that if a news outlet were going to "throw the election," it would be the only daily paper in the city, and not the free one that a crazy man used to burn down harmless local businesses.
And Nader? Really?
And Nader? Really?
7
Are you kidding #5? Your one vote isn't going to change any election no matter what. It's irrational to vote only for candidates you consider "viable" (and I guess McGinn voters in the primary were all irrational).
8
Right. Because all of us unfailingly vote for every candidate the Stranger endorses. We are lemmings. I have no mind of my own, and let the Stranger do all my thinking for me.
Damn you, Stranger. What have you done?
Damn you, Stranger. What have you done?
9
Social Security cost of living was frozen because, officially, cost of living hasn't gone up. Are we now supposed to give money to the elderly just for shits and giggles?
And what is this nonsense about medicines (sic) and insurance going up? How is the government responsible for that?
The vote for Nader aside, I think what we have here is a person woefully uninformed as to what government is actually capable of doing.
And what is this nonsense about medicines (sic) and insurance going up? How is the government responsible for that?
The vote for Nader aside, I think what we have here is a person woefully uninformed as to what government is actually capable of doing.
10
@5: It's never illogical to show support for a party, movement or candidate you believe in. Even if you don't win, visibly increasing support for that party(/what-have-you) also increases its viability.
There's no reason why candidates must belong to one of only two parties, and no reason those parties can not due out and be replaced over time. In fact, even in the historical short term this seems to be true.
Change can be good. Holding fast to beliefs that only reinforce the status quo is not your only option.
m!
There's no reason why candidates must belong to one of only two parties, and no reason those parties can not due out and be replaced over time. In fact, even in the historical short term this seems to be true.
Change can be good. Holding fast to beliefs that only reinforce the status quo is not your only option.
m!
11
why do you care about the rantings of a crazy person? the letter writer is just a couple steps short of standing on the corner yelling about the frye apartments and devils.
12
1) From now on I'll be getting all my prescriptions filled in Snohomish county.
2) I need someone like this to write a book that can help me get in on the corruption action. I'm not looking to get rich, just get out of a parking ticket now and then. Surely with us having the most corrupt government in the world there is something I can offer in exchange for making parking tickets disappear… I’m not a bad cook… I can sew pretty well… something?
2) I need someone like this to write a book that can help me get in on the corruption action. I'm not looking to get rich, just get out of a parking ticket now and then. Surely with us having the most corrupt government in the world there is something I can offer in exchange for making parking tickets disappear… I’m not a bad cook… I can sew pretty well… something?
13
um, inflation actually became deflation, so technically, Social Security payments should have DECREASED. Luckily, President Obama countermanded the zero percent increase and increased the whiner's payments - or he'd be in even more fun ...
15
People like this are stuck in a never ending hell.
Everybody but Nader (or fill in name) is destroying this country. Don't they make strong enough anti-depressents for this kind of person?
I have news for you "Unreadable". Nobody's perfect. But you have to choose the closest to good as you see it. Now take your pills.
Everybody but Nader (or fill in name) is destroying this country. Don't they make strong enough anti-depressents for this kind of person?
I have news for you "Unreadable". Nobody's perfect. But you have to choose the closest to good as you see it. Now take your pills.
17
You know how the right wingers took over the GOP? Did they do it by staying home? By voting third party? No, they did it by voting GOP, by taking active roles in fund-raising, by demanding fealty to their beliefs, etc.
It took them 30 years, but they reaped the "benefits" (from their perspective) over time. Yes, there were a lot of times when the GOP was only paying lip-service to the right-wing, but that just made the wingers work harder.
If liberals want the Democratic party to move to the left (I want this) - voting third party will not do it. It will elect more Republicans, f* the country over more, and b/c lots of Democrats are idiots, move the Democrats further to the right. It will never, ever, ever, ever succeed. But enjoy wearing your self-righteous hat all day.
You have to think strategically/long-term. It's not just about voting, which is the laziest part of participating in Democracy. But who the parties think their constituency is. If you take yourself out of that, they will ignore you more. The only way to move the party to the left, and give it any power, is to work from within. It worked for the wingers. It can work for liberals too.
It took them 30 years, but they reaped the "benefits" (from their perspective) over time. Yes, there were a lot of times when the GOP was only paying lip-service to the right-wing, but that just made the wingers work harder.
If liberals want the Democratic party to move to the left (I want this) - voting third party will not do it. It will elect more Republicans, f* the country over more, and b/c lots of Democrats are idiots, move the Democrats further to the right. It will never, ever, ever, ever succeed. But enjoy wearing your self-righteous hat all day.
You have to think strategically/long-term. It's not just about voting, which is the laziest part of participating in Democracy. But who the parties think their constituency is. If you take yourself out of that, they will ignore you more. The only way to move the party to the left, and give it any power, is to work from within. It worked for the wingers. It can work for liberals too.
18
Every 'rising cost' the writer is apparently acutely aware of is one a mentally ill, on-Medicare, housing-assisted person who was on track to be tenured somewhere 20 years ago but has subsequently lost their mind would know all about.
Ergo, you're having a laugh at the expense of a very sad person. Sort of like a couple weeks ago when slog was laughing at videos of probably-divorced alcoholics whose kids won't talk to them, huh?
Like I said last time, laughing at sad people as asshole-jock behavior.
Ergo, you're having a laugh at the expense of a very sad person. Sort of like a couple weeks ago when slog was laughing at videos of probably-divorced alcoholics whose kids won't talk to them, huh?
Like I said last time, laughing at sad people as asshole-jock behavior.
19
Prices, like, went up over time?
I've heard of this concept before, but come on, it has to be bullshit.
I've heard of this concept before, but come on, it has to be bullshit.
23
Newspapers get wacko missives from nutjobs all the time. Do you plan to print them all and then argue with them?
25
Unfortunately, both Nader and Lyndon LaRouche are still around. Nader's going to run again (for something, he says) and LaRouche is actually probably in the ground but SOMEBODY's driving that bus he ran.
The Seattle Times did try to throw the election but they were too inept.
The Seattle Times did try to throw the election but they were too inept.
26
No Lyndon LaRouche is alive and well. He just spoke at his webcast at larouchepac.com about the economic collapse and the remedy in a four-powers agreement, USA, Russia, China, India. The youth movement he sponsors is running candidates, ie. Rachel Brown against the babbler Barney Frank, in Massachussetts.
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