2010 U.S. Mid-Terms: Did you Vote?

[Kingfish]

Optional: What was your biggest issue, local, state, national, or process - if it can be given without excessive bloodletting?

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For me, I grew sick and tired, tired and sick of the endless phone calls – many of them robotic, on a daily basis interrupting my business. I even received one today just as I was heading out the door from the opposition… I mean honestly: It was worse than listening to a two-week NPR Fund Drive. Every day for days on end, vote YES on XYZ or NO on XYZ. It was a complete invasion and abuse of my sovereign right to privacy. I have Caller-ID enabled with Call-Blocking yet these entities would spoof the system with 000-000-0000. Registering on the Do-Not-Call list needs to apply to ALL institutions: Commercial, NFP, and Political.

Just Don’t Call damnit! grrr

ADDENDUM: Posted on MSNBC this afternoon…
Political calls jam Comcast system in New England

Glad to be done with it. KF

[mdd0127]

I'd wake up at 3am and snowshoe ten miles to vote if the vote was to turn it all off and start from scratch with a foundation of common sense, ethics, and sustainability, but there's no way I'll waste any more of my time playing in the current system. It's too corrupt to change....the pres said so himself on the daily show.... and voting just tells someone somewhere that people still believe in this crap. I vote with my dollars and labor every day. If things keep going the way they are, voting with bullets might become the only option but at least then you know your vote counts. People voting for the lesser evil are a big part of the problem. If all of the candidates suck, we should be able to vote "none of the above". If "none of the above" wins, there could be a re-election with different candidates or the position could just be eliminated completely due to lack of interest. I have always wanted to make a difference and change things for the better so I actually used to follow the races and candidates. That said, I NEVER saw a candidate run that I thought deserved to live on this earth, much less be in charge of anything. I really mean that NEVER...not one...not for one second did I think, "Hey, that's a good guy. He might change things." It's always scumbag lawyers, corporate CEO's and corrupt career politicians. I have yet to meet anyone running for any office that has any integrity whatsoever. Until then, I'll battle the system in my own ways and won't be wasting time "voting".

Bottom line is they're ALL crooks and I can't wait for their corrupt system to come crashing down on them.

[jmygann]

Not everyone agrees ... not everyone gets what they want. Its still the best system out there IMHO. Go Local

[Sheriff Jon]

Yes, we voted.

But two things are very clear after yesterdays mid-term election. The people of this country are united in a desire for change. But we are far from being the United States of America at this time

Republicans are beating their chests and gloating at the beat down they gave the Democrats. Democrats, including OUR President are sad at the shellacking that they received, and the press is stoking the fires of that division.

The other thing that is crystal clear, at least to me...until both parties can get beyond which side they are on; Republican or Democratic, and start working together to solve our very real problems and doing what we the people have elected them to do, we as a country will continue to be.....the Divided States of America.
And united we stand...divided we fall.

[StudEbiker]

Yes, we voted.

But two things are very clear after yesterdays mid-term election. The people of this country are united in a desire for change. But we are far from being the United States of America at this time

Republicans are beating their chests and gloating at the beat down they gave the Democrats. Democrats, including OUR President are sad at the shellacking that they received, and the press is stoking the fires of that division.

The other thing that is crystal clear, at least to me...until both parties can get beyond which side they are on; Republican or Democratic, and start working together to solve our very real problems and doing what we the people have elected them to do, we as a country will continue to be.....the Divided States of America.
And united we stand...divided we fall.

We could try uniting behind the Constitution. Let's start with the Tenth Amendment and go from there. Just a thought.

[bigmoose]

Yep, I voted early, and often!

I too believe in the Constitution! A great place to unite around!

[biohazardman]

Yes,
I voted as usual for what I thought to be the lesser of the two evils although as the years go by it's getting harder to tell them apart. The dictator we now have and all his czars should be tried for treason and then shot. Not to say that others before him should not suffer the same fate just that he is more worthy than the rest so should be a good example and go first.
OOPS did I say that out loud? ;^)

We are still a great nation and the Constitution is definitely a gift from our maker still we need to use it as it was meant to be used or fall.

[bigmoose]

BHman you just wrote what I have thought for the last 2 years!

These new folks in the house have to have integrity, with a capital I. If they are going to be different, they have to "not be for sale" and no more business as usual... Get a backbone and start standing for what is right. The good of the country comes before "bridges to nowhere" and the threat that if you cut my earmark, I'll cut yours... Clean your act up. The right to tax does not give you an infinite treasure chest to sprinkle among your constituents... I also agree that being a senator or a representative should not be a career.

[liveforphysics]

Yes,
I voted as usual for what I thought to be the lesser of the two evils although as the years go by it's getting harder to tell them apart. The dictator we now have and all his czars should be tried for treason and then shot. Not to say that others before him should not suffer the same fate just that he is more worthy than the rest so should be a good example and go first.
OOPS did I say that out loud? ;^)

We are still a great nation and the Constitution is definitely a gift from our maker still we need to use it as it was meant to be used or fall.

+1

[julesa]

So from what I can tell, the Republicans are talking a lot about "changing course," and their platform amounts to: "It's simple: cut spending, and create jobs!!!" But I haven't heard any of them say which of those contradictory goals they think is more important right now...

[Lessss]

The US is a Republic not a Dumb mockery See? ! As such the definition of politician = For Sale.

[liveforphysics]

So from what I can tell, the Republicans are talking a lot about "changing course," and their platform amounts to: "It's simple: cut spending, and create jobs!!!" But I haven't heard any of them say which of those contradictory goals they think is more important right now...

They don't have to be mutually exclusive. You just need to pry away the government's fingers in private bussiness, and it thrives again, companies hire people, government expenses dwindle, tax percentages can drop etc.

Abolish the legal support of labor unions (leave OSHA to ensure safe work conditions), end all subsidies, end the concept of sueing companies, immeadiatly cease all non-critical (immeadiate life safety) foreign aid.
Next, destroy this wide spread extremely illegal and unconstitutional concept of fedral offices controlling/funding state matters (federal department of education, etc). These things are explicity state matters for states and only states to handle.
Let failing companies die. This is the whole principal that enables capatalism to work, and when things get bailed out because they are considdered too important to fail, the system is broken, because companies that don't work NEED to die (and take whatever damage it causes with them) so NEW functional companies and spring up in the place of their marketshare (like perhaps GM/Chrystler dieing, and some domestic based EV companies jumping into that market-share vacuum.)

Done.
That might even give us a fighting shot towards holding back China (which is steadily buying our country...)

[julesa]

So from what I can tell, the Republicans are talking a lot about "changing course," and their platform amounts to: "It's simple: cut spending, and create jobs!!!" But I haven't heard any of them say which of those contradictory goals they think is more important right now...

They don't have to be mutually exclusive.
...

I would support removing some legal support for unions. But most of your suggestions are long term changes. Change is sometimes traumatic and can seriously impact economic growth if not done carefully. Ending subsidies would have to be phased out over time to prevent shocking the system. After companies die there is a time lag before other companies will step in, (what is the economic effect of that lag?) and if the new companies can't get credit they may have a hard time ramping up quickly enough to meet demand.

I don't see what Federal offices controlling education has to do with the economy.

Yes, companies that don't work need to die. But two years ago we were facing the greatest economic crisis since 1929. You might say it was an unusual situation. Why do you suppose almost every economist from every side of the political spectrum was saying the bailouts were necessary? It was a bipartisan measure to deal with unusual special circumstances. Was it necessary at the time? Yes. Was it good? No. Which is why new regulations were put in place to help prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20011200-503544.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody

Cutting government spending, short term, will kill jobs and slow economic growth, yet that seems to be what the Republicans want to do. Policy over the past two years has been about emergency measures to stimulate economic growth, including the largest tax cut in history:
http://politics.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/robert-schlesinger/2009/02/12/is-obama-stimulus-plan-also-the-biggest-tax-cut-ever.html

I expect the economy will be back on its feet remarkably soon after the greatest financial crisis since 1929. It wasn't going to happen overnight.

Oh my God they found Obama's Keynesian birth certificate!

[deardancer3]

2006, 2008, 2010 - Three elections in a row with voters dis-satisfied with the way things are going, and looking for a change in leadership.

I expect no new happenings, but in two years more dis-satisfaction with the way thing are going, and looking for a change in leadership.

Its called floundering, blaming, anything but facing reality; We need to reduce the cost of doing business at all levels.. Fed, state, local. Lots of factors-- taxes, entitlements, corp. subsidies, over regulations, Gov. inefficiency.

Since so many special interests get a piece of that higher cost of doing business, they spread those profits far, wide and thick including mass lobbying and industry support/nonsupport of election campaigns for their favorites, its going to be hard to deconstruct the higher costs.

Big changes happen two major ways...
First one is caused by shared dis-satisfaction with the way things are going, coupled with a shared common vision of a new way of being, knowledge of how to make the change, a willingness to pay the price of the change and ability to stick to the process. examples.. Cars becoming the main mode of transportation replacing horses, mass use of plastic rather than cash, Social security.

FAT Chance on the above today.

The other way is called a SIGNIFICANT EMOTIONAL EVENT --"SEE" like the Great Depression, the Civil War.

My opinion is that unless we can stop our bickering and get on with what we MUST do as a country, we will get the second option, change ther REAL HARD WAY.

Otherwise,we continue floundering, voting for the next miracle that avoids the sacrifices, loosing more decent jobs and added value industries, and loosing everything to other countries, as they learn from our mistakes.

There are bright people that know this. Everything now is just delay delay delay the inevitable.

When we get peak oil and we are even further in debt, we will have the big SIGNIFICANT EMOTIONAL EVENT.

d

[Lessss]

As a Canadian it's hilarious to watch Americans talk about politics. The frothing at the mouth, the lack of common sense, the ideologically entrenched failed ideas, the indoctrination, the refusal to admit any good point of those who don't agree with them, and a refusal to see reality. The hidden and evil religious agenda.

But two years ago we were facing the greatest economic crisis since 1929. You might say it was an unusual situation.

Not unusual at all. Go back through the history of stock markets and you see periodic repeats of massive crashes. Money is a tool. It used to be a tool of fair exchange. Now it's a tool of manipulation, discrimination and slavery. Capitalist economics fails in a closed system model. That is why there is always a push to expand markets. Once the old corpse is sucked dry there is a need to move onto a new victim.

With the glut of baby boomers, and the inclusion of more countries than ever before in a common market, there was more money than ever on the exchanges. The baby boomers were soon to retire and start taking that money off the market. Perfect timing to steal it. That is exactly what wall street, real-estate and the banks did. Now we just have to wait for the derivative iceberg to melt. Derivatives are a crooked accounting practice to sell assets of a company to more than one buyer(something that would be illegal if it were stock), to purchase land, machinery etc.. and claim these as profits on the spreadsheets when they are actually losses.

[julesa]

When we get peak oil and we are even further in debt, we will have the big SIGNIFICANT EMOTIONAL EVENT.

Naw. Peak oil isn't going to be a big problem. The environment will pay a price, but there are dirtier fuels that will keep the economy going just fine, long past the production peak of light sweet crude oil. People will choose the economy over the environment. I think we'll get good alternatives working before we do too much damage (though many would argue strongly that we've already done too much damage).

[julesa]

As a Canadian it's hilarious to watch Americans talk about politics. The frothing at the mouth, the lack of common sense, the ideologically entrenched failed ideas, the indoctrination, the refusal to admit any good point of those who don't agree with them, and a refusal to see reality. The hidden and evil religious agenda.

Of course, all Canadians are immune to such weaknesses. It must be the poutine.

[julesa]

All right, so now that the Republicans are in the house, they're gonna get rid of those failing Democratic policies. Cutting taxes while reducing deficits at the same time, these guys are miracle workers! And MAN, they're fast. Look, it's already working!

[StudEbiker]

All right, so now that the Republicans are in the house, they're gonna get rid of those failing Democratic policies. Cutting taxes while reducing deficits at the same time, these guys are miracle workers!

Your myopic view is impressive. It is quite easy to lower taxes and reduce the deficit if you SPEND LESS. As a good liberal I can understand why that hasn't occurred to you.

[Kingfish]

On MSNBC today: GOP leader's top goal: Make Obama 1-term president

There's yer @#$% Republican agenda: Roll back everything the administration accomplished. What kind of horse did the Electorate put forth again? Sooo much energy wasted on derisive pointless politics and NOT one drop on fixing the problems.

What's it like living in Canada?
~KF

[StudEbiker]

On MSNBC today: GOP leader's top goal: Make Obama 1-term president

There's yer @#$% Republican agenda: Roll back everything the administration accomplished. What kind of horse did the Electorate put forth again? Sooo much energy wasted on derisive pointless politics and NOT one drop on fixing the problems.

What's it like living in Canada?
~KF

Making Obummer a 1-term President IS fixing the problem. You say "roll back everything the administration accomplished" as if that's a bad thing.

[AndyH]

The sad part of what's happening in US politics is that marketing is wagging the dog and the voters can't see past their own noses any better than the politicians can. The Republicans and big-oil funded Teabaggers built the 'anger' fire and then used it as 'proof' that they need to come back in.

They talk about jobs, yet as businesses grow they're SUPPOSED to become 'more efficient' - and PEOPLE are some of the most inefficient parts of the system - so by definition, pro-business policies CUT jobs rather than grow them.

The world has moved from the industrial age into the information age but political parties, unions, businesses, and most of the American people are still trying to keep the industrial age alive. They're all gathered around the lifeless body in the intensive care ward fighting to see who should connect another machine.

Instead, they should go outside, look around, realize the world has changed, and find ways to move things forward.

[El_Steak]

What's it like living in Canada?

Cold

[julesa]

All right, so now that the Republicans are in the house, they're gonna get rid of those failing Democratic policies. Cutting taxes while reducing deficits at the same time, these guys are miracle workers!

Your myopic view is impressive. It is quite easy to lower taxes and reduce the deficit if you SPEND LESS. As a good liberal I can understand why that hasn't occurred to you.

Oh, it's occurred to me. I love the idea. I think that's the ideal plan in an economic environment where the private sector can absorb workers laid off by the government's spending cuts. Right at the moment, it's not practical. In a year, maybe two. Not until the employment numbers are more under control.

[liveforphysics]

Unneeded government workers are a bigger burden employed than unemployed. One way the leach enough money from the tax paying economy to live comfortably, one way they leach it through unemployment to live uncomfortably.

Remember, we've got LOADs of government jobs that do nothing but hurt our economy.

If the government paid you a fine living wage to dig holes in your back yard for example, it doesn't matter that you're employed and working, you're just dragging down the producer companies that are paying your salary.