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| Author: Posted: Nov. 17, 2002 | This Page Viewed: 3,889,906 |
Question of the Week: 12 - 10/23/2000 Pagan Choice for the y2k US Election This week's Pagan Perspective question is a redux of one that we asked about at the beginning of August... And we apologize in advance to our non-United States readers that we have again brought up an issue that is rather exclusive to just one country, but feel free to comment on the shenanigans of the American political system as you see it.) Which political platform or candidate are you leaning towards? Have you made up your mind or changed your mind? Will you vote and who-if you don't mind telling the world-are you planning to vote for? Why have you made this particular choice? |
| Reponses: There are 129 responses posted to this question. | Reverse Sort |
| As For The Presidential Election, I Will Be Voting For Al Gore... | Oct 24th. at 10:36:57 am EDT |
| Susan Reed (Falls Church, Virginia US) | Age: 44 - Email |
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As for the presidential election, I will be voting for Al Gore. I like Ralph Nader and what the Green Party stands for, but I have seen what havoc inexperienced, but well-meaning politicians can wreak in office and it is not pretty. Nader does not know how the political game is played at that level and he will not be effective in the job because of that. The Green Party needs to concentrate on getting people elected at the local level; the party will probably have a greater effect at the level and at the same time train future higher-office candidates that will be viable. I agree with the Democratic platform on enough issues that I donŐt have many qualms about voting for Gore, even if he is not the ideal candidate. He has the necessary experience, he does know how the game is played, and he can get things done. I would much rather have the things he can accomplish done than what Bush will do. I am concerned about the future constitution of the Supreme Court and I would much rather have Gore selecting the justices than Bush. Bush, ah, Bush. Even if he showed a modicum of intelligence and didnŐt uphold a party platform I strongly disagree with, I could not in good conscience vote for a person who belittle minority religions. That implies a gross disrespect of the rights of all Americans that should not be tolerated in a President. With all the hype about the presidential election, we should not forget that there are also state and local elections that we would be paying attention to. Your county commissioners, city councilors, your school board representative have a far greater influence on your day-to-day life than the President or your Congressional representatives. They are the ones who determine how land is used, what kinds of zoning regulations you will have, whether there will be restricted access to certain kinds of materials in the public libraries, what is taught at your childrenŐs schools, even how high your grass can be in the front yard. Even if you cannot make up your mind about who to vote for president, please take the time to learn about your local candidates and go to vote in those elections. If we are unhappy with the candidates we now have for higher office, we must remember that they got their starts in those local positions. By our apathy regarding local elections, we have allowed the politicians we now do not respect to attain the experience and credentials that allows them to stand for progressively higher offices. If we want a better grade of candidate for higher office in the future, we need to elect those people into the lower-level offices now. About "wasted" votes, the only "wasted" vote is a vote not cast. |
| The More I Hear About Nader, The More I Like Him, But... | Oct 24th. at 9:41:42 am EDT |
| Heather (Northern, Virginia US) | Age: 30 |
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The more I hear about Nader, the more I like him, but I also realize that a vote for him will essentially put Bush in office. I wish that ALL candidates had been given the opportunity to participate in the debates, as Perot was several years ago. So for all intents and purposes, we only have 2 candidates to choose from. I will be voting for Gore. Bush's views on just about everything scare me, plus I don't have any confidence in his intelligence(?) and diplomatic abilities, whereas Gore's have been proven. Bush panders too much to the special interest groups and the Religious Right and that frightens me. Religious rights, in the military or otherwise, are not the only issues with which I am concerned, but it's a biggie. I know that we should vote the way our conscience tells us to but I would politely urge those leaning toward Nader to please remember that a vote for Nader will equal a vote for Bush. Which is really too bad. Blessed Samhuinn to all. |
| I Must Say That It Does Look Like There Is Not Much... | Oct 24th. at 3:59:32 am EDT |
| Michael (Dublin, European Union, Ireland) | Age: 23 - Email |
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I must say that it does look like there is not much choice for our american friends, the result of a two party system is that you only have two candidates with a chance. Europe does not have this problem for two reasons: 1) about half of our nations have Kings or Queens, (no decision involved there) 2) the other half have presidents which only fulfill the role of a figure-head, a sort of a rubber stamp as it were, with no decision making power. The big decision makers in our systems are the Prime ministers and Chancellors, but even still we tend not to have the "one man" image in government, we have more emphasis on parties. Another difference is that coalitions are more common, so rarely can any party win an election without compromising with another party. My conclusion? I prefer the Parliamentarian system, it's what I'm used to and what I trust the most. Happy Samhain all!!! |
| Mm All:) To Be Honest, I Had Almost All But Made Up... | Oct 24th. at 12:26:26 am EDT |
| Tarah Johnson (St. Paul, Minnesota US) | Age: 25 - Email |
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MM All:) To be honest, I had almost all but made up my mind towards Gore, until I went to a Peace Concert in my town. I got some flyers about Nader and the Green Party in general. Bluntly, I was hooked! It said "Vote your conscience" among other things, and how important waking up the general public to the 3rd parties is to improving politics as a whole. Although I am terrified of someone as moronic, anti choice, and bigoted as Bush winning, I do know with some certainty that if all the things he said were actually impletmented, he wouldn't have a chance in hell of being re-elected, which might not be much of a comfort, but I must vote with my conscience, right or wrong. Also, I was listening to Jesse Ventura's speech at the Mall of America aboutthe 3rd parties as well. |
| I'm Terribly Split. I Like The Libertarian Platform Very Much, But I... | Oct 23rd. at 11:50:09 pm EDT |
| Brigit (Bozeman, Montana US) | Age: 30 |
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I'm terribly split. I like the Libertarian platform very much, but I just hate to do anything which might help the shrub. Even though Montana is a "non-state" with regards to it's importance to the final decision, I am thinking of voting defensively for Gore, in the hopes that at least he'll be a *little* better than W. As for local candidates, I'll be primarily for democrats, unless there is a third-party candidate of potential. |
| I Would Jus Like To Say That I Am Soooooo Glad That... | Oct 23rd. at 10:21:53 pm EDT |
| Rayven (Windsor, Ontario CA) | Age: 15 - Email |
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I would jus like to say that I am SOOOOOO glad that I live in Canada instead of America because this election it seems that you have to pick bwtween the person who you dislike the least. But if I was an American and was of age I would probaly pick Gore over Bush because of Bush's views on the enviroment and his narrow-minded views on WitchCraft as a religion. Good luck you guys! |
| A Vote For Gore Is A Vote Against Bush. Having Just Been... | Oct 23rd. at 9:03:54 pm EDT |
| Mary Wilson (Cartersville, Georgia US) | Age: 35 - Email |
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a vote for Gore is a vote against Bush. Having just been to the Red, White, and Blue 2000 website and read their responses to the religious freedom question, I was again reminded what it is about Bush that really bothers me. While I consider myself a fiscal conservative, I am a firm believer in the constitution and intelligent leadership, both of which Bush appears to threaten. I fear if he comes to power, this country will come to war from the very lack of the intelligent, patient leadership which has lead this country for the last 8 years (albeit he may have been a bit unintelligent in his personal life). |
| I Would Want Ralph Nader, He's A Green Back. But Also, I... | Oct 23rd. at 8:35:54 pm EDT |
| LunarBard (Wausau, Wisconsin US) | Age: 16 |
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I would want Ralph Nader, he's a green back. But also, I don't want Bush, so if there isn't any great lead then its Gore. The lesser of two evils you know. Thats IF i could vote :-( |
| My Following Letter, Sent To The George W. Bush Campaign, Should At... | Oct 23rd. at 8:34:47 pm EDT |
| Brandon Watkins (Lansing, Michigan US) | Age: 28 - Email |
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My following letter, sent to the George W. Bush campaign, should at least tell you who I am NOT voting for: ------------------------------------- I quote Mr. Bush from the webwhiteblue.org website: "Religious Freedom And Tolerance Is A Protected Right I am committed to the First Amendment principles of religious freedom, tolerance, and diversity. Whether Mormon, Methodist, Jewish, or Muslim, Americans should be able to participate in their constitutional free exercise of religion. I do not think witchcraft is a religion, and I do not think it is in any way appropriate for the U.S. military to promote it. " It is obvious that you do NOT support the First Amendment rights of free religion and by immediate extension are a completely inappropriate choice for the position of guarding and executing national laws, per the Constitution of the United States. I also wish to add that you are clearly uneducated about Wicca, the Pagan religions, as well as your own religion, Christianity. Witchcraft" in the sense that it is used by those of the Wiccan faith is analogous to "prayer" in your religion. You have apparently been watching too many B-rate horror movies. Wicca is a strongly positive faith and in NO WAY associates with negative or destructive attitudes or activities. At the core of the religion holds the statement "Harm None." That includes physical harm, emotional harm, and even the violation of another's free will. I have never known a Wiccan who did not fully and thoroughly support this core concept. Can Christians make such claim? Please educate yourself about the religion from an objective viewpoint (rather than being a puppet of the right-wing of your party) before making preposterous and insulting claims and statements. There are more practicing Wiccans in this nation than Buddhists, Taoists, and many other legally recognized religions. I point you to the following location for an objective view on Wicca. The site also contains much objective information on Christianity, Islam, and many other religions. EDUCATE YOURSELF MR. BUSH!!! http://www.religioustolerance.org/witchcra.htm Thank you, Brandon S. Watkins Michigan ------------------------------------- CONTINUING WITH COMMENT.... While I don't feel Gore is a perfect choice, there is no "perfect" choice. However, his support for environmental safeguards and low-pollution energy alternatives, as well as his stated support for freedom of religion, leads me to support him heavily over George W. Bush. Even if Gore didn't support environmental causes so strongly, I would vote for him simply to try to keep the party-puppet Fascist, Bush, out of office. |
| Hi, All!; I Gave Up On The American Political System In 64... | Oct 23rd. at 7:32:43 pm EDT |
| Tarostar (Toronto, Ontario CA) | Age: 58 - Email |
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Hi, All!; I gave up on the American political system in 64, when I filed an absentee ballot from service in the Military to the home state in Nevada. I registered Republican and voted Democrat. The Nevada Registrar of Voters contacted me and said my vote had been disallowed, as the community wards go by registration to candidates. I did not trust Goldwater, but was not allowed to vote for Johnson. When an opportunity came up to move to Canada, I did. BB Tarostar |
| Torn Between Nadar And Gore; I Would Love To Vote My Conscience... | Oct 23rd. at 6:58:15 pm EDT |
| Lynne-Renee Reed (St. Louis area, Missouri US) | Age: 28 - Email |
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Torn between Nadar and Gore; I would love to vote my conscience but I'm literally knotted with fear at the thought of Buxh taking office. Let's be honest, HE isn't going to do any harm if elected. He's a figurehead and can likely as not do a good job of delivering personal appearances. It's his party platform that makes my hair stand on end. Let's not mention his cronies. Mr. Gore is certainly an academic (which I respect) and has in the past been my main reason (twice) for voting for Clinton with high hopes. If elected, I hope he actually delivers some of the things he's held me with over the past 8 years. Want details? Think democratic-socialist. I've lived in Europe, thank you. Nadar seems the best bet for all-around guy wanting to REALLY do something. I will vote for him if it looks hopeless for Mr. Gore. This is so we can have a greater choice of freedom in the future (think multi-party system). Know what's really, really important? GET OFF YOUR TUSHIES AND VOTE! |
| Bush Is So Bad In So Many Ways I'm Stunned That So... | Oct 23rd. at 4:56:30 pm EDT |
| Andraste (New York, New York US) | Age: 35 |
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Bush is so bad in so many ways I'm stunned that so many people out there say they will vote for him. There is nothing, absolutely nothing about him that I like. On top of being an anti-choice, hypocritical, narrow mined, religious bigot with the IQ of a hamster he makes my skin crawl. Asking Gore or Bush is like a highwayman asking "your money or your life?". Duh! I'd rather keep both but only a nutter would say "ok, take my life"! |
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