Voting day!
I been wanting to live this year non-ironically. To embrace my enjoyment of ideas, people, and projects. To be honest about that. To stand up to bullying, and be pretty upfront about it. To act genuinely.
This has, from time to time, caused problems.
Today, it was hard. Virginia is an open primary state, so I could vote for whomever I want.
I have minimal concern over which of my political party* wins the nomination. But, there is a member of the opposite party who, if secured the nomination, would pretty much ensure my side won.
There is, I have no incentive to vote for a member of my party. I have little concern over which of them wins. But, the other side? I could cast a vote for that asshole and watch as the party erupts in flame. And giggle with schadenfreude, knowing that I did my part.
But, I did not. Instead, I figured out which of my candidates I preferred and voted, instead of hate voting. Because to do otherwise would be cynical.
I'm not sure how I feel about this yet. It is odd, knowing that I acted contrary to my long-term interests to maintain this almost Aristotelian ideal of genuineness.
*Note: Stated without regard for political party, because that's not what this is about. I'm happy to have that conversation if my political views aren't obvious.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Your Jedi training goes well. The Council would've loved you.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, Robert Bohl : I'm pretty attached to That Asshole not becoming president.
ReplyDeleteYes, but you've let go your first tangible opportunity to act out of that attachment.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I were talking about switching sides and voting against him, because him getting the nomination is too close to disaster for our tastes. I am not sure what we will do. On our normal side of the fence I think we could live with either choice, but I would really like one over the other.
ReplyDeleteMore likely than not, I will continue with how I normally vote... with hope in the primaries and then an anti-vote in the general.
Ryan Good The fascinating thing, to me, is you have also largely written that such that you could be from either side. That's nicely done.
ReplyDeleteRobert Bohl Sure, but I still want the people from my party to win and I voted for one of those.
ReplyDeleteWell this is where a lack of a deep set of canonical Jedi teachings hampers us, I guess. They were never really clear on what level of attachment was problematic.
ReplyDeleteStill, I'm willing to bet you were operating on the Light Side here.
William Nichols I figured since you took that tone so would I. Man wouldn't it be funny if we were talking about this from different sides of the fence and we just assumed we knew what the other was saying.
ReplyDeleteI have actually had that happen a few times at work...
Robert Bohl
ReplyDeletePeace is a lie, there is only strife.
Through strife, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Constitution shall free me.
.... that sounds like America, kind of.
Ryan Good While possible ... I doubt it.
ReplyDeleteAre your basic choice between a candidate with a lot of insider experience, and one who promises to change things?
Do you feel the front runner of the opposite party will destroy our country, due to baggage and a history of asshatery?
Do the non-front runner of the opposite party scare you even more?
honestly, if I was going to vote for the Other Side, it was going to be for the one i thought would cause them the most strife and chaos. Because i wish ill upon that party -- and hope for freedom for its people.
1. Yes
ReplyDelete2. Yes
3. Only one of them does, the others are more more of the same. (The fact that there are 'others' besides the front runner, and the non-front runner leaves little room for interpretation.)
Yeah I can see that, but that's a little too much like having a man on the hood of your car so you steer towards a wall and gun it. Sure he might jump off, but you may not stop in time. I don't trust that people will vote against him as strongly as we all hope.
So... tinfoil hat time... This is all been a huge ploy to get the insider experience one elected and the scary orange one is really doing all this to ensure her election.
Ryan Good Oh man, you made this all political.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, I wouldn't be at all surprised if orangeman was backed by a false flag operation striving to destroy his party.
LOL
ReplyDeleteFalse flag! Wake up sheeple!
:p
Err.... By which i mean, people choosing to vote republican in open primary states because it is hilarious.
ReplyDeleteMan, I liked this thread back before there were nicknames.
ReplyDelete#threadhipster
I would not be confident enough that the person I hated could never win. And so I would certainly not vote for them to spite the opposition.
ReplyDeleteSean Leventhal Yeah, i think the goal is for a party split, or brokered thing. Or something like that.
ReplyDeleteAnd gets away from the year I want to have: the non-ironic, enthusiastic, honest, embodied enjoyment. Voting for a hated political candidate on the hope that the rival party goes through hell doesn't like fun.