Election 2015. Has anyone not made up there mind yet?

Ethan said:
I agree everyone should vote, although in truth there are some people I am happy stay at home.

Nothing wrong with tactical voting. If your chosen candidate hasn't a sniff, but you want to keep out someone else, why not vote for the next candidate who has a chance of unseating then one you dislike, assuming, of course, that they are not equally objectionable.
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But "tactical" voting, as you describe it, is purely negative. Voting to keep someone out rather than to put someone in. The danger, therefore, is of effectively rewarding mediocrity.

I agree that society should be better engaged with the democratic process but informed abstention is, and always has been, a valid action within that process.

I do not agree with the idea of voting for "the least worst" option, support for a political party and its policies should be in a positive form. Obviously this would be helped if FPTP was replaced with something that better reflected the will of the electorate and its choices.
 
MetalMickie said:
But "tactical" voting, as you describe it, is purely negative. Voting to keep someone out rather than to put someone in. The danger, therefore, is of effectively rewarding mediocrity.

I agree that society should be better engaged with the democratic process but informed abstention is, and always has been, a valid action within that process.

I do not agree with the idea of voting for "the least worst" option, support for a political party and its policies should be in a positive form. Obviously this would be helped if FPTP was replaced with something that better reflected the will of the electorate and its choices.
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Totally agree with 99%, well put.
 
Liverpoolphil said:
When has anyone suggested any of them above and suggest you stop making disparaging remarks towards people who are making a valid desicion with the choice they have

Not once have I said I won't vote because they aren't doubt what I "want"
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If my remarks are interpreted as disparaging then I'm afraid that's not my problem. What I think about folks who don't vote is that I simply believe they are quite wrong in not doing so and that some are rather full of their own self-importance or just can't be bothered - when they give their reasons for note voting. This is just my general observation and not aimed at anyone in particular - certainly not anyone here.
 
Liverpoolphil said:
I have stated already why I'm not voting - I'm not sure why you need me to repeat myself ?
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Sorry Phil, I was confused as you'd stated you weren't going to vote for anyone you don't trust, then you said you will go to the booth and spoil your paper, then you said you won't complain about who gets voted in, in your area. So as much as I disagree with you spoiling your paper, you are actually taking the time and effort to go to a polling booth.
 
pauldj42 said:
Sorry Phil, I was confused as you'd stated you weren't going to vote for anyone you don't trust, then you said you will go to the booth and spoil your paper, then you said you won't complain about who gets voted in, in your area. So as much as I disagree with you spoiling your paper, you are actually taking the time and effort to go to a polling booth.
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Yes that is what I said - what's the confusion ?
 
pauldj42 said:
Say by not voting your doing what?
Making a statement that no one will hear,
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1. Last election, my MP had a majority of 16509! Is anyone going to hear my vote?

2. Who said I wasn't going to vote?

3. I hope you can mark an 'X' better than you spell!

4. For the umpteenth time! The right to vote is also a right to forego that privilege - or 'spoil' the form to register 'None of the above'!

pauldj42 said:
Totally agree with 99%, well put.
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Point 3 above almost certainly applies to your arithmetic too! :rolleyes: :rofl:
 
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SwingsitlikeHogan said:
More of the 'its all about me' society - if I don't get what (the mp) I want; if I don't make a difference to the outcome; if none of them are saying they'll do what I want - then I'm not doing it. Sad reflection on theckind of selfish society we live in these days.
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Apart from the fact that Election time is virtually the only time when individuals get to express their opinion, I believe you are making a huge, and invalid imo, leap in reasoning!
 
Foxholer said:
1. Last election, my MP had a majority of 16509! Is anyone going to hear my vote?

2. Who said I wasn't going to vote?

3. I hope you can mark an 'X' better than you spell!

4. For the umpteenth time! The right to vote is also a right to forego that privilege - or 'spoil' the form to register 'None of the above'!



Point 3 above almost certainly applies to your arithmetic too! :rolleyes: :rofl:
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Nice to hear you will be exercising your democratic right.
Yes, totally agree with 99% of what he posted don't agree with 1%, Arithmetic seems fine to me.
When you try to belittle someone on a public forum about a spelling mistake, I believe that says more about you than me, so on that point, I'm out.
 
pauldj42 said:
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Yes, totally agree with 99% of what he posted don't agree with 1%, Arithmetic seems fine to me.
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105 words! I wonder which 1 word (approx) you didn't agree with? :rolleyes: My 'almost certainly' (99.7 confidence level) was pretty appropriate then! :whistle:

pauldj42 said:
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When you try to belittle someone on a public forum about a spelling mistake, I believe that says more about you than me, so on that point, I'm out.
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Some sort of result then - even if the message may not have been absorbed.
 
MetalMickie said:
But "tactical" voting, as you describe it, is purely negative. Voting to keep someone out rather than to put someone in. The danger, therefore, is of effectively rewarding mediocrity.

I agree that society should be better engaged with the democratic process but informed abstention is, and always has been, a valid action within that process.

I do not agree with the idea of voting for "the least worst" option, support for a political party and its policies should be in a positive form. Obviously this would be helped if FPTP was replaced with something that better reflected the will of the electorate and its choices.
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I don't agree. A less worse option is better than a worse option.

One of the problems is that not all votes count. I am in a safe seat. My vote will make no difference. If UKIP was neck and neck with my Tory MP, I would vote Tory. Otherwise I wouldn't touch them with a bargepole.

And the 14% of UKIPers, as much as I disapprove of their choice, and the 6% of Greens (according to current polls) will not get 14 and 6% of the seats, so the system is rigged and tactical voting is a reasonable response. I am originally from N Ireland and tactical voting is an art form there, as well as high turnouts (and alleged posthumous voting).

Abstention is a valid choice too. I basically distrust all the political parties, in varying degrees, so I should abstain. But some or other of them will win and attempt to run the country (possibly into the ground).
 
I'll be voting to keep a party out I don't like. The party I might vote for might not be exactly what I want but if it keeps out what I most definitely don't want that's a good enough start. Will the party I vote for be squeaky clean and every single MP be a paragon of virtue? Don't be so naive.

But it will be the lesser of the evils... Alternatively, I could do nowt and risk getting the worst option.
 
Ethan said:
Abstention is a valid choice too. I basically distrust all the political parties, in varying degrees, so I should abstain. But some or other of them will win and attempt to run the country (possibly into the ground).
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I can certainly sympathise with those sentiments.
 
Living in deepest, darkest Lanarkshire a vote for anyone other than labour or snp is a waste of time. Made the mistake of voting tactically in the past and ended up getting dragged through the farce that was the referendum. So I'll stick to my guns, vote for the blue team and make absolutely no difference at all.
 
I would strongly urge everyone north of the border to vote SNP. This will hopefully ensure we have a conservative majority in government to avoid Mr personality Ed and his cronies putting us back 10 years. Yes, I have made my mind up.:thup:
 
The apathy shown by English voters should, IMO, urge change to the Scottish system where every vote counts.
The two main parties are quite happy with the status quo so will not lead any change. For them it keeps reasonably popular parties like the Liberals, Greens and UKIP under represented.

Change will only be driven by public opinion.
 
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