Obama: Maybe it's time for mandatory voting

Though survey after survey shows the majority of Americans are more conservative on social issues than most Dem and even GOP pols. A 2014 poll by CNN showed 58% oppose abortion, and quite a recent Gallup poll found around 60% oppose homosexual marriage, to name two current hot buttons.

I'm opposed to compulsory voting, even if it achieves the political results I like. The overweening State needs to be dismantled, and part of that social healing also means reducing the role of politics in social matters.
 
Arthur said:
Though survey after survey shows the majority of Americans are more conservative on social issues than most Dem and even GOP pols. A 2014 poll by CNN showed 58% oppose abortion, and quite a recent Gallup poll found around 60% oppose homosexual marriage, to name two current hot buttons.

I'm opposed to compulsory voting, even if it achieves the political results I like. The overweening State needs to be dismantled, and part of that social healing also means reducing the role of politics in social matters.
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Oh Arthur

CNN poll:

According to the poll, 27% say that abortion should be legal in all circumstances, 13% say it should be legal in most circumstances, 38% say that it should be legal in few circumstances, and 20% say abortion should always be illegal.
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http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/03/06/cnn-poll-wide-divide-over-abortion/

Homosexual marriage:

Same-Sex Marriage Support Reaches New High at 55%
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http://www.gallup.com/poll/169640/sex-marriage-support-reaches-new-high.aspx
 
Read the detail on the 38%. Their exceptions are incest and rape. Outside of that, they oppose legal elective abortion.

On the homosexual marriage issue the questions changed, and your echo chamber source doesn't say. Most people are opposed, but many who are opposed also oppose specific laws like DOMA. Your lefty source fails to make that point, for political purposes. They prefer to leave the traditional marital legal unchanged. Opposing a DOMA-type law is not the same as supporting homosexual marriage.

Whichever way you want to slice it, a majority of Americans are conservative, and they're over-represented in the non-voting group.
 
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Arthur said:
On the homosexual marriage issue the questions changed, and your echo chamber source doesn't say. Most people are opposed, but many who are opposed also oppose specific laws like DOMA. Your lefty source fails to make that point, for political purposes. They prefer to leave the traditional marital legal unchanged. Opposing a DOMA-type law is not the same as supporting homosexual marriage.

Whichever way you want to slice it, a majority of Americans are conservative, and they're over-represented in the non-voting group.
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Echo chamber and lefty source? You mean Gallup poll :rolleyes: , im glad you're reading my posts properly.

I got my sources directly from both the institutes you cited CNN and Gallup, its you whos given alternative sources with their own little twists.
 
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good luck enforcing such BS, non participation shows that the average citizen doesn't give a damm about who wins the elections.
 
Just to add: America is by no means unique or exceptional in having a majority more conservative on social issues than the political classes. In our own country a majority of people oppose abortion, homosexual marriage, and support the death penalty. But in elections these issues are trumped by others, and that also happens elsewhere, including America. As the State grows into the Great Nanny, so the economic issues are politicised, and these trump the social issues in elections. The more elections concern the taking and spending of other people's money, the more these social issues are eclipsed, not because views change but because their own livelihood is affected. Statism and collectivist economics corrodes everything.
 
Unhappy438 said:
Echo chamber and lefty source? You mean Gallup poll :rolleyes: , im glad you're reading my posts properly.

I got my sources directly from both the institutes you cited CNN and Gallup, its you whos given alternative sources with their own little twists.
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I was a bit harsh - sorry. You cite a summary interpretation in a blog on the CNN site. And CNN as an organisation of course has a strong and open pro-abortion stance and aggressive advocacy. The overwhelming majority of its journos and editors strongly self-identify as liberal Democrats. Citing a blog rather than the survey itself is the echo chamber.

Of course I cite my own echo chamber. :p
 
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Arthur said:
I was a bit harsh - sorry. You cite a summary interpretation in a blog on the CNN site. And CNN as an organisation of course has a strong and open pro-abortion stance and aggressive advocacy. The overwhelming majority of its journos and editors strongly self-identify as liberal Democrats. Citing a blog rather than the survey itself is the echo chamber.

Of course I cite my own echo chamber. :p
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Now you are being dishonest, you were originally referring to homosexual marriage source, you said:
On the homosexual marriage issue the questions changed, and your echo chamber source doesn't say.
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I quoted gallup poll, so yeah you were just chatting nonsense.
 
The only benefit I see from this is that those who are benefiting from the state (most likely state department employees) will no longer occupy such a big size of the voting block. Currently they determine the outcome of elections in most liberal democracies, given that they are most at threat.
 
@Unhappy:

I don't intend dishonesty. Sorry.

On reading again I see you are quite right. My lefty echo chamber comment was misplaced. I meant it for the abortion point, which still stands.

I unreservedly apologise - it was a contextual lapse from carelessness because I'm really watching the rugby and punching this in between switching channels Sharks v Chiefs and England v France.

I should pay more attention. Sorry.

Still (in the dying moments of both games) I stand by my main point: the majority aren't supporters of the Dem's fave social agenda.

And compulsory voting is a rotten idea.

PS. Not my only lapse today. In an earlier post I referred to Ayaan Hirsi Ali as a he. Need to upgrade my OS as this one doesn't multitask like I used to.
 
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Arthur said:
@Unhappy:

I don't intend dishonesty. Sorry.

On reading again I see you are quite right. My lefty echo chamber comment was misplaced. I meant it for the abortion point, which still stands.

I unreservedly apologise - it was a contextual lapse from carelessness because I'm really watching the rugby and punching this in between switching channels Sharks v Chiefs and England v France.

I should pay more attention. Sorry.

Still (in the dying moments of both games) I stand by my main point: the majority aren't supporters of the Dem's fave social agenda.

And compulsory voting is a rotten idea.

PS. Not my only lapse today. In an earlier post I referred to Ayaan Hirsi Ali as a he. Need to upgrade my OS as this one doesn't multitask like I used to.
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Cool, no problem :)
 
TriGuN said:
Great question, that nobody has answered.
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Thank you. All the arguments I see in this thread so far, both sides, make out as if the U.S. has the popular vote.

Making voting compulsory would not make much of a difference as the traditional red and blue states would likely still swing the same way.

Not that it matters hugely but I've always considered the Electoral College system to be a ridiculous way to do it.
 
marine1 said:
I think they care but are to lazy to get up and change it
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Don't confuse laziness with defiance. The day i'm forced to vote is the day i throw my lit cigarette into the ballot box after wiping my papet with my ass
 
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