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A Rational Reason For Not Voting For President.

By: Brett Redmayne-Titley

Based on observations and interviews at the Democratic National Convention/Charlotte, Sept 1-6, 2012, many Americans in attendance felt neither presidential candidate provided much choice, or difference. Faced with the choice of Romney’s, almost complete 360 degree, hypocrisy from his ’08 platform, and Obama’s multiple treasons in doing the same as current president, many stated their distain at such a poor choice. Indeed, separations in both functional party platforms, i.e. ignoring the will of the voters for the next four years, are now small. The “lesser than two evils” argument, sadly, is the only one remaining in favor of voting at all.

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From the stand point of democracy this may seem depressing, but take heart. Viewed in the light of the essence of democracy, the pure power of the people, voters writing,“ None of the Above,”  in the presidential section of the ballot, can be a  stronger statement than voters realize.

 

Consider, with purpose, a new reason and method for not voting for either, or any, candidate in this election. The argument for not voting, usually, centers on a general “Won’t Vote” platform offered, nationally to all voters, in a form of tepid protest. Sadly, this merely indicates voter apathy, and their unwillingness to get to the polls. What if, however, this same “Won’t Vote,” in the stated form of, “None of the Above,” immediately became a powerful political statement. If applied by millions of Americans at the ballot box this will be an actual, quantified, and powerful, measure of social unrest.

 

First, a couple of fun facts. In the last presidential election of 2008, 212 million Americans were of age to vote and eligible while 169 million did actually register to vote. Of these only 132 million actually made it to the polls on Election Day. That’s 62.4% of all eligible voters. A simple majority would be in excess of 66 million votes.

 

Why must the argument for not voting be so terminal? The other option is to exercise, and participate in, democracy and vote; but not for the office of president. Local and state elections are important to keeping American’s interests in the hat of politics, and nothing restricts registered voters from voting the entire ticket except for that of president. In deliberate hands the power of a, ”None Of The Above,”[NOTA] vote will become apparent.

 

This becomes much more powerful, than merely not voting, for several reasons.

 

Because, the “NOTA” votes will be tabulated, once the polls close, as votes that did not select a president, voter discontent of the two-party system will then be quantified. These figures will be visible, and indisputable, to all Americans, the press, and the candidates for subsequent political, or presidential, office. Further, these votes are tabulated regarding the number of each party’s registered voters who choose not to vote for president, by using their NOTA vote. This means that all party affiliations, Democratic , Republican, Independent, or undeclared will suffer the microscope of statistics. For all declared affiliations the refusal of these registered voters to vote their stated preference, or any preference, will be measured, and provide a national barometer to the voter’s dissatisfaction with the presidential options easily understood by all.

 

Adding even stronger rationale to a “NOTA” is that the quantification of these protest votes delegitimize the eventual winner of the presidency and his administration. Were the NOTA votes ever to reach a majority it would then, certainly, be true that the presidency is indeed illegitimate. While that result, for the moment, remains unlikely the closer the margin of the NOTA votes get to 50% the further the presidency is de-legitimized. Partly illegitimate today, will, during this election, become a measurable unit of what remains of the authority of either party.

 

Using the 2008 presidential model only 132 million of the 169 million voters made it to the polls. This statistic shows that 21.9 percent of potential voters chose apathy to voting. As potential NOTA activists these same non-voters could immediately, in this election, be a voting block of over one-fifth of the registered voters. No third party candidate in American history has achieved this percentage and just these NOTA votes alone would be a formidable starting point for any third party candidate.

 

But, hold on, there are 42 million other Americans who could have voted. How many of them might decide to vote if the NOTA vote was a strong message of protest? And, what about all those republican, democratic, and independent voters who are not looking forward to holding their noses, as they drew the curtains of the voting booth. The air might smell a bit more promising with the option of the NOTA vote.

 

Massage these potential numbers any way you like and the NOTA vote could immediately, in this election, be a powerful statement of dissatisfaction with the two party system.

 

This delegitimizing of the American presidency, via the NOTA vote, in turn, legitimizes the need for a National third-party candidate, and ultimately, a democratic competition for a third-party national political platform. Yes. Democracy?

 

If the percentage of NOTA votes reaches a significant level this would by law, allow for federal election funds, to be diverted to a third-party election effort. These matching election funds would be available to at least a single third-party candidate. What a third-party platform would become is debatable, but it is easy to imagine a third-party primary season, culminating in a meaningful convention, with the production of the party platform, and finally a third-party national challenger. A third party spawned by the people, for the people, and funded by the people through current federal election laws.

 

Of course, thanks to the Citizen’s United Supreme Court decision, the political flood of corporate “free Speech” cash will dwarf the campaign coffers of any third party candidate, but that will not matter as much. NOTA voters will not vote for the two corporate presidential offering no matter what the price of the two billion dollar election. So, Citizen’s United, Super-Pacs, and back door donations will have no effect. The will of the voter will be back. The essence of democracy, the people, will return with a vengeance.

 

The strength of the NOTA votes will also be used to get third party candidates on stage with the two standard regime offerings, and stop the main stream media from ignoring the issues of these opposition candidates, and the issues of Americans. Any resistance to real, quantified, democracy will be met with the metric of the public’s refusal to acknowledge the authority of that politician, or president. “WE did not vote for you,” says all that needs to be stated when combined with THE national statistic; the percentage of Americans who refuse to recognize this government.

 

The NOTA votes will be the symbol by which Americans can protest, while others can begin to understand that America’s democratic protest movement is on the rise, and available to all. Surely, this will provide a catalyst for bringing millions of Americans together to join in protest. All Americans have available to them a strong , rational, expressive means of protest.

 

Damn that sounds like democracy. The kind we used to have. With the collective American social condition screaming for change, change denied them by their politicians, the need for a third-party presidential candidate and, state and local third-party candidates is dire.

 

Yes. Some will volunteer Jill Stein, or Gary Johnson, for the job. No. A candidate garnering less than two percent of the popular vote, will not affect political change, since these two candidates cannot, at this time, claim to be anywhere near a majority. Certainly, these candidates will be bolstered in their subsequent efforts if armed with a quantified measure of the people’s demand for change.

 

These are desperate times, indeed. Despair and apathy are tools of the regime we are trying to change back onto the course of true democracy. WE must be smarter that our adversary. Here, is presented a rationale for not voting for the president, that shows the power of this, hopefully conscious, decision. Certainly, this argument is far from complete and the details would present challenges not, yet, answered. But if we remember, the essence of democracy, the power of the majority, is this not a way to become further empowered. The apathetic “no-vote” suddenly has power. Frustrated voters have at least a third choice, and a statement of protest about their opinion of this two party system. And all other voting age Americans can join this protest as soon as they register to vote. And………?

 

Hmmmm. That sounds like the makings of a Democracy!

 

 

WRB wants your feedback on this important article. This is YOUR world. Stand-up and be counted. It is time!

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