Topic 2G5-2: Election Day

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Thu May 05, 2005 9:30 am

So that time has rolled around once again.
Here in the UK, it's general election day.
The day when the people vote for who they want to run the country/
Dut do you use your vote?

I have been a legal registered voter for 6 years and have yet to pull myself off my arse even once to vote.
Today I plan to but mainly for a bet.
I think this general apathy for politics is quite wide-spread, the press have taken this angle all the way during the campaigns,

So the question is, do you use your vote and if not, what would make you consider doing so?

Calbrena · Post by **Calbrena** » Thu May 05, 2005 9:50 am

Can't vote in England

I will probably vote in 2007 for the French Presidential elections though as last time I couldn't vote and kinda regretted it, even if my vote wouldn't have changed anything to that mess. And I'd like to vote for the Referendum on the Constitution but it's on the 28th of May and I'll be like ~500 kilometres away from the place where I'm registered

Anyway, Engerland.

If I could vote I don't know who I would vote for. I guess I would end up voting for the lesser devil rather than voting for the best candidate. But who is the lesser devil this time?

I think I'd like to vote for Lib Dems, but I don't think they really have a chance so voting for them would probably just make Labour weaker. Not that I want Labour to win, but I know who I don't want to win...

So yeah, I guess the only good vote is to vote for good old J.D.

man of txt · Post by **man of txt** » Thu May 05, 2005 9:54 am

OMG! a very adult discussion here

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Thu May 05, 2005 9:54 am

Lib Dems seem pathetic.
They're all over the place and don't seem to have any real policies.
They've been using the "we're the only people that can make a change in your area, don't waste your vote by voting for the opposition" card for years now and it really is getting old.

Maybe if they picked a better leader for once and actually came up with something remotley impressive that put's them ahead of the pack, I'd consider it.

Calbrena · Post by **Calbrena** » Thu May 05, 2005 10:02 am

I know, that's the problem.

But I guess if people vote for them the other parties might take those votes into account and shift right or left to make sure they get these votes next time next time?

And Luke stop making fun of us

Are you gonna vote?

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Thu May 05, 2005 10:08 am

I'm voting for Blair mainly:
1) Because me, Neil and Watchshisface bet our votes on the England Vs Wales match last October and England pissed over Wales so we all vote for Blain

2) Because I'd like to see him do a third term and break records. Record Breaking is good.

3) Because I know what to expect with him (even if that is lies, cover-ups and half-truths)

4) Because Labour has always been in in my area and I'm never going to be able to change that with my single vote.

5) Because Michael Howard is a smarmy, ugly bastard that prefers to run down the opposition than actually make a good point.

6) Because the Conservative manifesto reeks of bullshit

7) Because teh lib dems and all the others are stupid (okay, maybe not wetherspoon)

8) Because I want to use my vote for once

I'm off to do it now

I like how general election links are coming up now

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Thu May 05, 2005 2:12 pm

Laptron wrote: Note: I won't be voting this year as I am no where near my polling station in London. My area is a very strong Labour seat and I wouldn't expect it to change any time soon.

That's the problem (as the news reports have been so keen to mention over the last month).
The yoth vote is being lost, meaning that the elected goverment is kinda' olny speaking for the older generations.
Today at the polling station I didn't see anybody that looked under 40.
The same on the news, old to really old people waddling in and out.

In this day of email and such, young people want stuff more direct.
Going to a post box or even registering to vote can feel too much hassle for some to be worth it.

The polling station was in a dingy, smelly primary school.
I saw one on the BBC news that was in a garden shed

Maybe the Wetherspoons Polling station, thougha joke, could actually attract a lot more voters.

Being able to vote over lunch/a drink would quite clearly appeal to students more than having to go out of their way to line up with a bunch of old women on their way back from Morrisons.

Saying that, my mum wasn't going to bother voting and I persuaded her to do so

Joei · Post by **Joei** » Thu May 05, 2005 2:20 pm

I didn't vote as this sort of stuff doesn't interest me in the slightest

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Thu May 05, 2005 2:29 pm

Joei wrote:I didn't vote as this sort of stuff doesn't interest me in the slightest

You're not interested in how the country you live in is run?

Joei · Post by **Joei** » Thu May 05, 2005 2:29 pm

Not really. Why? I could pretend if you want.

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Thu May 05, 2005 6:40 pm

My favourite advert was the one that run in the cinemas where the Morefire Cru rapped about how you should use your vote

man of txt · Post by **man of txt** » Thu May 05, 2005 6:44 pm

Calbrena wrote:And Luke stop making fun of us
Are you gonna vote?

Just voted. Unfortunately for labour as they are the strongest candidants and will deliver with most of the things they have put forward! The others arent quite there yet. I did think of voting Ukip, but they would've kicked me out of the country!

Laptron wrote:I think that by default people should care how the country they live in is run. Complaining about anything means that you care about some form of politics. That cheesy advert where the guy says he doesn't do politics and then can't complain about anything is a shit advert, but it's true.

I remember an advert many years back where a guy had a zipper zipped up joining his lips together, the caption being "if you don't vote you don't have a say". I thought it was pretty impressive, but I was very young and impressionable at the time.

The Lib dems had the best campaign this year. Their "political broadcast" ad was a send-up of tony blair and george bush going to war. They based it on the tale of the boy who cried wolf, and had george (as a boy) saying that there was a wolf in the forest even though he had never seen it .

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Thu May 05, 2005 7:00 pm

Lib Dems might have had a funny political broadcast but that doesn't mean their campaign was any good.
Infact, it was half-asses and full of holes and question marks.

man of txt · Post by **man of txt** » Thu May 05, 2005 7:24 pm

Damien wrote:Lib Dems might have had a funny political broadcast but that doesn't mean their campaign was any good.
Infact, it was half-asses and full of holes and question marks.

Which is why I didn't vote for them!

Melanie · Post by **Melanie** » Thu May 05, 2005 10:37 pm

I think it is a shame that many people base their votes on how much charisma they think someone has or hasn't got, but I guess the whole nation is built on superficiality so why should the elections be any different?

And as for the Lib Dems not having any real policies, did any of you bother to read a single manifesto? They plan to abolish council tax, abolish road tax on environmentally friendly cars, you'd get to earn a degree without having to pay top up fees and would only be obliged to make a contribution once you could afford to and would protect green belt land. The Tories? - Jumped on the band wagon and copied the idea about university fees from the Scottish parliment who are already using the system (linked to Charles Kennedy).

Have we all forgotten that the reason we can't afford to go to uni now is because Labour took that priviledge from us? Education education education, right?

Shouldn't the Lib Dems get a chance? After all the others have proved to be pretty diabolical. It needn't be the lesser of two evils. If everyone stopped thinking like that they may have a real chance. It is our generation who have suffered at the hands of both the Tories and Labour and it is our generation who have the power to make a difference.

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Thu May 05, 2005 10:49 pm

Charles Kennedy doesn't seem like a leader at all, that's one of the main problems.

Joei · Post by **Joei** » Thu May 05, 2005 10:51 pm

i wish everyone would register to give their views on election day

Melanie · Post by **Melanie** » Thu May 05, 2005 10:52 pm

What does he seem like? He is serious about politics, which is the main thing isn't it? Tony Blair is a bit of a twat really, so it can't all be about charisma can it?

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Thu May 05, 2005 10:54 pm

melanie wrote:What does he seem like? He is serious about politics, which is the main thing isn't it? Tony Blair is a bit of a twat really, so it can't all be about charisma can it?

That's an opinion.
I'm surprised you didn't vote for Michael Howard, that sounds like something he'd say.

Melanie · Post by **Melanie** » Fri May 06, 2005 12:04 am

I passed my A-levels too but in a country where student loans and debt are the default, I guess I wasn't lucky enough to have anyone offer to pay for me.

And I wonder why are there more people studying than ever.....? Hmmm.

I don't think statistics are really important and consider how things affect me directly.

And just because something doesn't affect you directly, it doesn't make it unimportant.

Square Gamer

Topic 2G5-2: Election Day

Topic 2G5-2: Election Day

hmm