Comments on: Hmmm… http://www.barbarellapsychadella.com/2008/09/21/hmmm-3/ Tales of a fashionable gal-about-town. Currently accepting book deals. Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:19:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Amy http://www.barbarellapsychadella.com/2008/09/21/hmmm-3/comment-page-1/#comment-1579 Amy Sun, 28 Sep 2008 00:29:11 +0000 http://www.barbarellapsychadella.com/?p=674#comment-1579 I hate to take a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" approach, but the first-past-the-post system undermines the votes of everyone who doesn't vote for the party that wins. Strategic voting is inconsistent with the values of a democracy; but it's somehow the only viable, yet warped, choice we have to make our vote count for something. I'm just too afraid of Harper's next reign of terror. I hate to take a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” approach, but the first-past-the-post system undermines the votes of everyone who doesn’t vote for the party that wins. Strategic voting is inconsistent with the values of a democracy; but it’s somehow the only viable, yet warped, choice we have to make our vote count for something. I’m just too afraid of Harper’s next reign of terror.

]]> By: ms. xandra http://www.barbarellapsychadella.com/2008/09/21/hmmm-3/comment-page-1/#comment-1578 ms. xandra Sat, 27 Sep 2008 08:34:46 +0000 http://www.barbarellapsychadella.com/?p=674#comment-1578 I can appreciate the motivation behind it, too, but I think the potential for abuse is just so, so high. I think we have the same trust issues. I just am so utterly disgusted with the fact that our system is so fucked up that people even have to consider something like vote-swapping. And maybe I'm too pessimistic, but I just don't feel like this will work. There's no way to mobilize the number of people that would be necessary for it to have a real effect - and trying to do it on facebook excludes a huge demographic from the conversation (I am thinking of people who are older, or people who are of lower socio-economic classes who don't have the same access to online information). I voted already, and I ultimately based my decision on who my local candidates were. It was hard though - I was really torn between Green and NDP for a while, and even still, I know my little lefty vote probably won't count for much, but I really felt like I needed to be honest and vote for what I wanted, instead of voting strategically, and hopefully a show of support for a party I believe in will at least count for something. I also wonder if all of the weird strategic voting and vote-swapping somehow undermines the votes of people who don't vote strategically. I don't know. The only real solution is obviously much-needed electoral reform, but who knows if that will ever happen. I can appreciate the motivation behind it, too, but I think the potential for abuse is just so, so high. I think we have the same trust issues. I just am so utterly disgusted with the fact that our system is so fucked up that people even have to consider something like vote-swapping. And maybe I’m too pessimistic, but I just don’t feel like this will work. There’s no way to mobilize the number of people that would be necessary for it to have a real effect – and trying to do it on facebook excludes a huge demographic from the conversation (I am thinking of people who are older, or people who are of lower socio-economic classes who don’t have the same access to online information).

I voted already, and I ultimately based my decision on who my local candidates were. It was hard though – I was really torn between Green and NDP for a while, and even still, I know my little lefty vote probably won’t count for much, but I really felt like I needed to be honest and vote for what I wanted, instead of voting strategically, and hopefully a show of support for a party I believe in will at least count for something. I also wonder if all of the weird strategic voting and vote-swapping somehow undermines the votes of people who don’t vote strategically. I don’t know. The only real solution is obviously much-needed electoral reform, but who knows if that will ever happen.

]]> By: Amy http://www.barbarellapsychadella.com/2008/09/21/hmmm-3/comment-page-1/#comment-1573 Amy Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:56:31 +0000 http://www.barbarellapsychadella.com/?p=674#comment-1573 I can appreciate the motivation behind organized vote swapping. It's the closest we can get under our first-past-the-post system to proportional representation. I joined the group, largely out of curiosity, after I read about it in the paper. Every part of my being tells me Harper is a scary motherfucker and needs to be blocked from a majority government (I no longer hold any illusions that he won't win a minority at the very least). However, I find myself largely disappointed with the rest of the parties and their leaders (although I feel comfortable throwing my support behind at least two reps in my riding) and so I still have no idea who to vote for. I feel that a large part of Canada feels the same way. I'm also terrified that the Conservative supporters have infiltrated the vote swap group saying they want to throw their support behind someone other than the Cons, but that when it comes down to voting day, they'll vote Conservative instead of the party their swapping partner chooses. Maybe I have trust issues. I can appreciate the motivation behind organized vote swapping. It’s the closest we can get under our first-past-the-post system to proportional representation. I joined the group, largely out of curiosity, after I read about it in the paper.

Every part of my being tells me Harper is a scary motherfucker and needs to be blocked from a majority government (I no longer hold any illusions that he won’t win a minority at the very least). However, I find myself largely disappointed with the rest of the parties and their leaders (although I feel comfortable throwing my support behind at least two reps in my riding) and so I still have no idea who to vote for. I feel that a large part of Canada feels the same way.

I’m also terrified that the Conservative supporters have infiltrated the vote swap group saying they want to throw their support behind someone other than the Cons, but that when it comes down to voting day, they’ll vote Conservative instead of the party their swapping partner chooses. Maybe I have trust issues.

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