5 things I hate about Elections. 2006 Edition

And of course, with so many of the elections looking to be razor thin close, there are likely to be recounts and law suits as they attempt to declare the winners!

I like elections. What greater sense of the American spirit do you find than that the government essentially changes every few years in a peaceful? Election signs and TV commercials that remind us how friggin' terrific that is? Don't bother me in the least.

I have a friend who is running for re-election for State Representative in Indiana. What bothers me the most are the people who say things about him that are untrue. People who do not know him may believe these lies (hopefully they would research them, but I doubt it) and vote against him.

* Election signs-Nothing says fall in Indianapolis like the beautiful coloring of the leaves during the Autumn season. But every two years there seems to be another way to distinguish the Autumn season, it is the not so pretty red and blue of the current candidates election signs cluttering up the landscapes of people city wide. The annoyance of seeing such well written drivel as "Vote for Blah", or "We Love Blahette", is only to be beaten by the next thing that I hate.........

I have 3 sign is my front yard. I'm not a big fan either but they are there.

**** Electronic Voting Machines-I guess this can go in controversies but I feel it deserves a place of it's own. I keep hearing, and reading about the crookedness perpetrated by the people in charge of these machines. How they have marred the outcome of election the past 6 years. How Bush should not even be in office. I don't know whether any of this is true. I am just so sick of hearing about this. If my guy/gal loses in this election I will just chalk it up as he was out voted. I won't blame voting machines. I mean it is possible that maybe just maybe your guy might have lost because more people liked the other guy. But I might be wrong on that.........

There will never be another election where someone doesn't whine about getting cheated. If you lose just suck it up and blame yourself for not doing a better job of getting more votes.

Let's not forget about the fliers stuck on your car, on your front door, and under your front door. But the worst is the politicians showing up at bus depots and train stations, handing out fliers and "pressing the flesh" to a captive audience waiting in line.

You forgot the telemarketer politicians that are above the law because they aren't asking for money directly.

I get a kick out of the negative ads. There is one that is being broadcast here in Illinois where they purposely bloat one of the candidates until she is twice her normal width. It's like a comedy.

I don't feel that I'm swayed one bit by political ads as I don't tailor my vote to them. I try to keep track of what the candidate has done. What actions he/she has taken in order to make my decision.

When it comes to incumbency, if the incumbent hasn't done what is representative of what I believe and the opponent seems decent but has no record I'm more than willing to give another person a chance.

It is excactly opposite. Democracy thrives on deliberation. It can't work, obviously, if no one is there to debate it's mores and outcomes.

It's your problem, if nothing is ever really discussed, just medialized and overtly depicted.

I find those 5 reasons utterly ignorant.

But really, how can elections really be a tool for effective democracy, especially when voting for someone to represent you typically means that you get little say about the decisions politicians make on your behalf until the next round of elections. Instead, why is there never a discussion of participatory democracy where all citizens can or even are required to participate various decision making processes instead of allowing a small elite make all the decisions? Why do we think elections are the only way to have a so-called democracy?

Don't vote and demand that media ask why we don't vote. Make a big deal of the registered voter apathy.

Make the numbers seem like a real threat, not just lazy voters.

Find out what really matters and start a group to vocalize the problem/issue.

We can do more than just complain about how much things suck right now. But I agree, elections are annoying. I especially hate how so much money to be seen as the least of two evils. What a waste.