Ethan Coen's election thank you note

[BikerDude]

Screenwriter/director of the big Lebowski pens scathing election thank you note.

http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/ethan-coen-pens-scathing-thank-you-note-after-trump-win-w450158

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/13/opinion/sunday/2016-election-thank-you-notes.html?_r=0

[jgiffin]

"Calmer than you are."

[Reverend Al]

Johnson?

[LotsaBadKarma]

Early on I put a note on Gary Johnson's Facebook page. They were looking for a campaign slogan and I sort of borrowed one from Bernie Sanders. I told them they should use "Feel The Johnson". They did not reply.
There was something that I heard on the news, though. There was a panel discussion as to why Trump won the election and one of the panelists said that he thought that a candidate cannot go around ridiculing supporters of the opposition by calling them names like "a basket of deplorables" without having to pay a price at some point. I think that perhaps a number of people who supported Trump in their hearts but had not committed to the idea of actually going to the polls took sufficient offense at statements like that to the point that they were inspired to go to the polls and cast a vote.
The other thing though, and I think I came up with this independent of news media input, is that it seems like this was a vote of revulsion, not revolution. I think that many people were just turned off by those who make a career of governance, that there was just too much influence by a group of career political hacks for too long and they voted for the guy with the unfortunate hairdo as a way of telling the DC crowd that they're just not going to continue to vote for the same old shit over and over.
But who knows? I sure as shit don't, that's why I stayed home on election day. I'm surprised that Coen didn't mention us non-voters in his letter. I heard somewhere that non-voting was at an all time high in this election. That might have contributed to the eventual outcome, too.

[Brother D]

I was talking with my special lady about elections and voting and what have you, and how not voting is the same as a vote for the other guy. In some ways, I think yes, as a wasted vote, or indeed the amount of wasted votes have swayed elections. Also, do you think non voters have a right to protest the outcome? I mean, if they didn't want a particular candidate to win, vote against them, instead of not bothering. I'm not sure, dudes.

[Dudeist Monk]

My old Political Science professor always used to say; In a democracy, you have a right to vote, but you also have a right not to vote. This is known as "Voting by abstention". Also, being in a democracy means that whether you vote or not, your voice has a right to be heard by those in power. Do you remove a persons right to voice an opinion about those in power just because they voted against those in power?

He also used to have us debate the issue of voting for the LOA (Least Objectionable Alternative) candidate(s). How many policies do you have to disagree with before you decide not to vote for the LOA? How far do you compromise your own ideologies in order to stop a candidate you disagree with in totality?

Of course, Voting By Abstention is much easier and carries more weight (in popular opinion) when your country's voting system has the option on the ballot papers for "None Of The Above".

Also, in addendum, we, as voters (in general) should never forget that democracy does not begin and end at the ballot box. Democracy means voicing our views and needs at every opportunity. Those who lead our nations are not our rulers, they are the highest servants of the people and must (or, rather, should) do what is best for the whole of the people, not just for those that voted for them (although they regularly do not).

Just a bunch of points to think about and debate. ;-)

[Brother D]

I'd like to know what difference does voting by abstention make? How, by not voting, are changes made?

I think there should be an option to call for a vote of no confidence as a right, whether there is an election or not and if there are enough "none of the above" votes, what then? Would, (in the case of the recent election), the majority go to the next candidate? (Sanders). Lotta ins, Lotta outs, man!

[Dudeist Monk]

Wiser people than myself would be able to give greater detail to the ins and outs of VbA.

My personal opinion is that the difference is more relevant to the individual than to the whole. Some people value their principles more than they do tactical voting (which is what happens if you vote for the LOA candidate). Some people simply believe that they cannot, in good conscience vote for people that go against their principle values.

[BikerDude]

Wiser people than myself would be able to give greater detail to the ins and outs of VbA.

My personal opinion is that the difference is more relevant to the individual than to the whole. Some people value their principles more than they do tactical voting (which is what happens if you vote for the LOA candidate). Some people simply believe that they cannot, in good conscience vote for people that go against their principle values.

I agree.
I have stopped felling obliged to pick one of the several hairballs the system hacks up every several years.
Our involvement should come before the next election to see to it that the monopoly that the two major parties have on ballot access and the debates etc is broken. If we have any hope for a candidate that isn't going to just hire their own guys from wall street when they get in we will need to build from bottom up.

[SagebrushSage]

Don't blame third-party voters. Blame Clinton for being an utterly deficient human being, and blame the DNC for allowing a career criminal to run for public office under their banner. Anybody except Clinton would have won the election for the Democrats handily. Clinton is the most corrupt and bloodthirsty politician in US history. Thank goodness that Trump prevented her from holding public office again.

Clinton had a very negative set of audit findings from the Office of the Inspector General regarding her complete lack of compliance with federal records requirements while Secretary of State. Since generating and properly storing federal records was basically her entire job, that report was nothing less than a finding that Clinton's performance as SoS was completely deficient. Such findings would normally be enough to end anybody's career, and it appears to have ended Hillary Clinton's exactly as we on the anti-Clinton side expected.

We on the anti-Clinton side are enjoying your salty tears, assorted cucks. Maybe demand better candidates from your political parties in the future.

[Brother D]

They had a better candidate, but I guess the best interests of the people don't matter as much as which shitgibbon won! (At least Clinton has experience).

If you want change, petition for it, lobby it, vote for a better system, vote for the people you actually want in congress, not pipe up when it's too Late. Anything is better than the unpopularity contest held recently.

[forumdude]

Tone it down, Sagebrush.

What is it about politics that brings out such rude behavior in people, even Dudeists?

[SagebrushSage]

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[SagebrushSage]

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[SagebrushSage]

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