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| Author: Posted: Nov. 17, 2002 | This Page Viewed: 3,890,630 |
Question of the Week: 14 - 11/6/2000 The Unresolved US Election Did YOU vote? Which candidate did you vote for? How do you feel about the political wrangling going on right now in Florida? Will/Should either candidate concede for the good of the country-or should either/both fight it out until we all scream for mercy? How do you think either candidate, if declared the winner, will be able to bring the country together given the inference that the election results now point to an America that is almost equally divided into one camp or the other? And the BIG question-What, if any, impact will the final results have on the Pagan communities? |
| Reponses: There are 263 responses posted to this question. | Reverse Sort |
| I Voted For Ralph Nader, And For The Most Part I Don't... | Nov 9th. at 9:39:30 pm EST |
| Bryony Ravenwillow (Independence, Missouri US) | Age: 32 |
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I voted for Ralph Nader, and for the most part I don't regret it. I was disappointed that he didn't get the 5% of the vote that would have qualified him for federal funding in 2004, but seeing how close it is between Bush and Gore right now, maybe it was for the best. After all, if Nader had gotten his 5%, then Bush would have been declared the winner, and pagans everywhere would be preparing for a rocky four years. I believe that the people of Palm Beach county should be allowed to revote. 19, 000 ballots were thrown out because there were two presidential candidates voted for. In the same county, only some 3500 ballots were tossed because of double voting for senate races. Even Pat Buchanan is now on record saying that many of the votes he received in Palm Beach county were probably meant for Gore, and possibly in numbers sufficient to give Gore the presidency. If Buchanan can say that, then there must be something wrong. The election process is not infallible, mistakes are made, and in a race as close as this one has proven to be, those mistakes could be the difference between who wins and who loses. The thought of Bush taking the White House on a technicality gives me chills. I am strongly against Bush, and not only for his anti-pagan views. I truly believe that if he wins the election he will only be a figurehead, making the policy decisions the NRA, oil lobbies, and corporations tell him to make. At the first sign of crisis, it won't be his decisions that determine action---it will be what his father tells him should be done. I honestly don't think that Bush has what it takes to be president. At least Nader has intelligence and is capable of making his own decisions. Gore has political experience, and knowledge of what it takes to run a country. I don't particularly care for Gore either, but at least I believe he can do the job. As for the electoral college, I think it needs a complete overhaul. It is creaky and outdated, and it reflects the Founding Fathers fears that the average American would be incapable of choosing a leader for themselves ---a very patriarchal view in a former world where blacks and women had no rights at all. There should be a new system created that recognizes the voice of all, that doesn't insult the intelligence of the average citizen. That said ---- NADER IN 2004! |
| Ok You Asked For It. ( Gets Out Large Soap Box And Megaphone... | Nov 9th. at 9:38:01 pm EST |
| John Miner (Stark Raven ) (Raleigh, North Carolina US) | Age: 48 - Email |
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OK you asked for it. ( Gets out large soap box and megaphone ) I voted for Gore. He might not be the most solid choice going as a manager but his platform is good and sympathetic to my personal beliefs. The main reason I did not even consider Bush is the fact that he does not recognize the Wiccan religion as valid. Many people have worked very hard to get Wicca listed as a recognized religion, the government has stated that it is a religion and taken steps to uphold the rights of Wiccans to practice their beliefs. I feel this was a hard fight, many Wiccans and Pagans have devoted mega hours to making this a reality. Senator Barr from North Carolina has stated he would work to get Wicca removed as a nationally recognized religion. Governor Bush has told him he would not veto the bill !!! I personally fear this and if it should ever come to pass, would cry for the lost hours of our devoted fellow Pagans that have worked so hard to achieve the dream of liberty and freedom. I do not desire to step back into the Dark Ages, with that in mind it was impossible for me to vote for anybody but Al Gore. There are times to make a statement by voting for independents, it is my belief this was not one of them. Pagans had a lot on the line in this election, we needed to rally to the sympatetic camp. The electoral College was created to insure balance of the election. How it would ever achieve balance is beyond anything that I can conceive, it has far outlived its usefulness, I am for abolishing it before the next Presidential election. Should WPB get to revote? It is your civic duty as an American to read and understand the Ballot. There have been dubiously worded Ballots on many elections in the past, I say if you didn't execute the ballot correctly its your problem, learn from it, be better prepared next time, and don't be ashamed to ask for help if you need it. Should Gore concede? Heck NO, I wouldn't ONE more Goody: There should be a news black out on all election results from the time the first booth opens in Maine, till the last Booth closes in Hawaii. Up to the second Media reports can skew an election. |
| George W Bush. Pretty Dissapointed, The Whole Thing Has Me Wondering About... | Nov 9th. at 9:37:46 pm EST |
| Dan B (Louisvill , Kentucky US) | Age: 28 |
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George W Bush. Pretty dissapointed, the whole thing has me wondering about elections all together. I think that once Florida has been determined either way, the losing candidate should concede. Hopefully, once the election debacle is over, the country will unite behind the president. Little or Non. |
| I Didn't Get To Vote. I Turned 18 September 19th And Apparently... | Nov 9th. at 9:34:34 pm EST |
| Rachel Hoover (Naperville, Illinois US) | Age: 18 - Email |
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I didn't get to vote. I turned 18 September 19th and apparently, that was too late. Not that I knew or anything. I never planned on voting anyhow. But I just read this article on a website that my boyfriend writes on about some of the things Bush said on his website about his campaign... WOW. I'm appalled. I'm shocked. I wish I would have known about this before. I can't believe the things he's already gotten away with in Texas.... I mean... he can't do anything right? We can't let him do anything that promotes one religion over another. And it's pretty obvious and doesn't even need to be SAID that he's fully intending on promoting Christianity over anything else. It's infringing on our rights. The government can't promote one religion over another, I at LEAST remember that from my High School government class. I paid attention to that kind of, because it was important to me. This... I just don't know what to think or do right now. I just needed to get this out, I'm glad I could turn here at least, I mean talking to friends or my boyfriend is one thing, but getting it out to people who are closer to my perspective makes me feel better. thanks witchvox. |
| I Did Vote. I Think That It Is Not In The Best... | Nov 9th. at 9:30:04 pm EST |
| Willowwynde (Cincinnati, Ohio US) | Age: 26 |
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I did vote. I think that it is not in the best interest in the country to allow this to drag out too long. It doesn't look good to other countries. Whoever eventually is proclaimed president-elect will not have it easy with the House of Representatives so close. Dragging it out and dragging the country down, nit-picking over votes will only make that job all the more difficult. Also, if a person has a question about the ballot, they should say so right there. My mom did that for many years and I remember her explaining the ballot and how to vote to one lady...that was part of her job. I don't really see there being any impact inparticular to the confusion of the race on Pagans, it is on the whole country. If people weren't already suspious of things before they are going to be more so now. |
| I Feel That When George Bush Claimed He Would Have Less Government... | Nov 9th. at 9:13:50 pm EST |
| Silver DarkSky (Bozeman, Montana US) | Age: 0 - Email |
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I feel that when George Bush claimed he would have less government I had to vote for Al Gore. I was going to anyway because of his enviromental leanings. To have less government is to have less protection for minority people, disabled, gay, lesbians and pagans. We still need protection. I put up a prediction on my web site on Monday and every hour that passes my reading makes more sense. www.tarotreadings.net Blessed Be! Silver |
| Yes I Voted. I Voted For Al Gore. From What I Have... | Nov 9th. at 9:12:46 pm EST |
| Maginum Spiritwolf (Murfreesboro, Tennessee US) | Age: 34 - Email |
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Yes I voted. I voted for Al Gore. From what I have seen, if George Bush is elected, we can all expect something close to the burning times to return. Bush has said that Wicca is not a religion and if he gets his supreme court justices I am afraid that there will be a case come up and his justices will rule in favour of Christian based religion. I was totally shocked when Bush got West Virgina and Ohio. I had thought they would go for Gore. I also feel if Ralph Nader had fled the country that Gore would had won and we would not be having this mess tonight. I am very afraid for the future. It feels like that if George Bush wins, by the time he is out of office, the only ones with special rights will be the Christians. Those who say the election will not effect anything are just wrong. Listen to the 700 club or Focus on the Family. They have already lit the bon fires for the new burning times. I have overheard christians say "We are in control now and anyone not a christian had better watch out or had better plan on moving to another country" Others have said that they would make the nation similar to Iran, a Fundamentalist Republic only based on Christianity. Now I hear that George Bush is going to retaliate if Gore ask for a recount in florida he will ask for one in Oregon, Wisconsin and Iowa. I am not meaning to create negative energy. I am trying to sound a warning. However know this. We do have an outlet. If the worst were to happen, in 2002, We can vote all the Republicans out of the congress and elect people who truely represent United States and not just the Christian Fundamentalist Right. |
| You're Darn Right I Voted, And I Voted For Gore! I Raced... | Nov 9th. at 9:05:15 pm EST |
| Dottye Anderson (New Port Witchey (Richey), Florida US) | Age: 44 - Email |
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You're darn right I voted, and I voted for Gore! I raced home to Pasco County, Fl from my job in Pinellas County, FL, a distance of over 50 miles in rush-hour traffic, and made it to the polls on time. The voting in Florida is a travesty- roadblocks for minority voters in the Panhandle, bad ballots in Palm Beach county- sounds like more Bush crookery! We should vote again in Florida, and the National Guard should be brought in to ensure that everybody gets a chance to vote, regardless of race. Also, churches should not be used as polling places- separation of Church and State. Gore is our hope for preservation of our religious rights. Bush wants to destroy us. Bush will not succeed in destroying us! May the Gods preserve the Craft! |
| Of Course I Voted! I Voted For Gore, And My Husband Voted... | Nov 9th. at 9:02:44 pm EST |
| Ann White (Laurel, Maryland US) | Age: 35 - Email |
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Of course I voted! I voted for Gore, and my husband voted for Nader. We're in Maryland, which is heavily Democratic. I think that, to paraphrase Shakespeare, "something's rotten in the State of Florida." I also find it very suspicious that the media is saying that the turnout was low. I waited about 45 minutes in line, and I've heard reports of waits of over 2 hours to vote! As Pagans, we all need to remember that words are power. The outcome of this election hasn't been decided yet, and probably will be decided in the courts. Remember that whatever is said is put out into the Universe. So, keep thinking, acting, and speaking POSITIVELY. (But we'd better have a backup plan just in case.) |
| Oh, Yes, I Voted. I Also Prayed And Lit Candles On The... | Nov 9th. at 8:54:20 pm EST |
| Byron Ballard (Asheville, North Carolina US) | Age: 44 |
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Oh, yes, I voted. I also prayed and lit candles on the altar and spent time calling all the Pagans I knew to get out the Pagan vote. What's happening is fascinating and intensely frustrating but I love watching the machinery of government. I am a Gore supporter because I believe he has some concern for the state of the global environment and he's a very hard worker. I don't think he's charismatic in the least and I happen to like that in a leader. I doubt that either will concede until there is no hope left. I think Bush is dangerous because he's not very bright (aside from his obvious opinion of my spiritual path) and I'm concerned about his connections to the Religious Right and the US oil lobby. The Pagan movement is a juggernaut worldwide. Election of a Pagan-hostile President might slow the movement somewhat and make our positions as Pagan Americans more problematical (especially for Pagans in the military). But this movement will not be stopped by anyone. Certainly not Bush. Now, if we could just do something about Chainsaw Charles Taylor... |
| Of Course I Voted. This Election Was One Of The Most Important... | Nov 9th. at 8:51:34 pm EST |
| SilverPangaia (Arvada, Colorado US) | Age: 20 - Email |
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Of course I voted. This election was one of the most important in history because our vote actually counted. Often the margin of difference between the canidates are so large that people don't feel they made a difference by voting. We definitely can't say it didn't count this time.I voted for Gore, because although I didn't particulary care for either canidate, Gore as publically said he support freedom of religion and freedom of choice. However I don't think that the pagan community at this time will be impacted all that much. The voters sent a clear messae that they don't really think one canidate is better than the other. Whoever wins will spend the next four years trying just to get the basics passed through a congress that is almost divided down the middle. I don't think any real radical measures will get through. |
| Let Me Start By Saying That What We Are Seeing In This... | Nov 9th. at 8:50:30 pm EST |
| J Kerr (Atlanta, Georgia US) | Age: 30 - Email |
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Let me start by saying that what we are seeing in this election is a travesty. My wife and I voted for Gore because this country needs a real leader. One who understands that America is governed by a Constitution and Bill of RIGHTS and not a Christian agenda. Even as we voted in Atlanta, we both witnessed injustice at the polls. A black woman robbed of her driver's licence by a poll worker so she couldn't ID herself to vote. A young WHITE woman told at three other sites that they were either closed or out of ballots. Our voting site was her last stop. We never saw her vote. She was probably turned away at the tables. I heard poll workers joking about locking people out. In a house of God, even. We voted at a church. I guess they thought that their God had stepped out for coffee, or something. I wasn't amused. I'm still not sure if I even voted for Gore at all. My ballot has the #4 hole punched out when I checked it at the box. #4 was Buchannan. I had better of gotten Gore! Even my wife found problems with her ballot being way to confusing, and neither of us are idiots. She is a Wiccan, like you all. I support her in this and would be ready at a drop to fight for her freedom in a heartbeat. And it seems like I'll have too here soon. The republican cheated. How much evidence does America need? Why else would they want the electoral college vote to stand over the word of the people? A victory by cheating isn't a victory at all. If GW Bush were a noble man, he would personally bide by the wishes of ALL of the people and let the Floridian re-vote. The democrats want it, not as politcians but BECAUSE it is DEMOCRATIC! We the people run this country (Wiccans are people too, Governor), the republicans are living up to their name. They don't think so. History once put a man named Hitler into power and the people said "Hey, this is a charasmatic guy we can all follow. I like his style!". Read your history. Freedom IS pro-choice. Freedom is to believe in whatever Gods or Goddesses you choose. Freedom is to have your voice heard in he vote. The republicans are not for freedom. |
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