what influences your politics?

[Snow Ho]

i enjoy the reading the posts in this forums. as a recent elgible voter i feel incredibly ignorant when i go to the polls. i rarely know who the hell the politician is but i go cuz i feel like its a priviledge plus the people who fought to get my right to vote. however, i'd like to feel a little better than ' well i just poked some dots in paper'

i'd like to know how you guys educate yourself on issues and canidates. i don't have tv (my antannae doesn't work) i don't trust campaign ads and newspapers seem to have an agenda. right now my parents influence me the most (my dad is a strong union supporter)

[knuckleboner]

being interested is the first step. it's embarrassing how many people just don't care.

newspapers are good, but as you mentioned, there are biases. the biggest way around that is to try and get the info from a few different sources. both sides have fringe elements that aren't worth it and far too misleading. but there are a number of generally middle-of-the-road sources that are good.

the league of women voters usually publishes a voters guide in papers before elections. it gives a synopsis of the candidates, their own personal views on several issues. it's not comprehensive, but it's quick to look at, and far better than going into the booth blind and just looking for an "R" or "D," regardless of the name.


and if i could offer just 1 plea; if you don't already, please pay a little attention to the state and local elections as well. i work in local government and it is truely sickening the minimial level of voter turnout at these levels. we have quite a bit of influence over people's day-to-day lives, yet the turnout is always dismal. "good" turnouts are still WELL below 40% of registered voters.

[Snow Ho]

Originally posted by knuckleboner


and if i could offer just 1 plea; if you don't already, please pay a little attention to the state and local elections as well. i work in local government and it is truely sickening the minimial level of voter turnout at these levels. we have quite a bit of influence over people's day-to-day lives, yet the turnout is always dismal. "good" turnouts are still WELL below 40% of registered voters.

thanks :) its embarrasing that in college i used to work in the county clerks office! but i moved and it was actually a local election that got me thinking about this, i knew none of the canidates positions or had even seen their names before. (except a few yard signs) maybe the local party headquarters have just the issues and not something slamming the other party?

if only all choices were as easy as spam vs the toastmaster general.

[John Ashcroft]

Listen to Rush Limbaugh, that's all you'll ever need. ;)

[FORD]

Originally posted by John Ashcroft
Listen to Rush Limbaugh, that's all you'll ever need. ;)

....as the best example of what NOT to believe :D

[Pink Spider]

You could listen to Rush Limbaugh--or you could get a lobotomy to achieve the same effect and save yourself countless hours. ;)

I always try to find a third, fourth or fifth opinion. Anyone that sucks up to the Democrats or Republicans obviously has an agenda of some sort and I usually don't really like those kinds of people. I would recommend reading anything by Jim Hightower, Ralph Nader or Noam Chomsky, etc. Basically, you should try to find sources that won't push any party's platform if you want to know what's really going on.

Don't bother with the mainstream news media, anything relevant to anything important gets lost to make time for Michael Jackson updates and sports scores. It's not like you'd ever get an objective look at corporate America by corporate America anyway.

Like knuckleboner said, it's best to get involved locally and it's the easiest place to make a difference. If you can't find where the politicians stand, pressure your local news media into giving the candidates coverage. They usually don't like giving coverage of third party or independent candidates, but I find that pestering them daily until they finally do something can sometimes help. :)

[ELVIS]

Noam Chomsky ??

You're insane...

[Pink Spider]

Is Chomsky too much reading for you?

[FORD]

I doubt Elvis has ever read any of his stuff. Of course, I haven't either, but I'll admit it, and not say anything about the guy's writing.

[ELVIS]

I have read a little, and I have listened to him through radio 365.com...

He's a nut job to listen to...

[Big Train]

You should always base your politics on two things :

Information
Logic

NEVER base your politics on emotions. Might sound cold but it is true. That doesn't mean be a heartless prick, but be logical about it. Those who plead on the basis of emotions always reveal their motives quickly and usually propose things that make no sense in the larger scheme. The phrase "I don't think it's right", is the sound of a million useless programs and grants given for foolish things that help nobody. Same can be said for the conservative side (yes, I CAN criticize my own side of the fence). Each issue needs to be weighed individually on the basis of merit solely.

[ELVIS]

But trees and chickens have feelings too!

[BigBadBrian]

Follow the lead of BBB, JA, Elvis, Ally, and get onboard a winning team! :gulp:

[Wayne L.]

Nothing influences my politics from Rush Limbaugh to Don Imus to FNC or CNN or stupid campaign commercials or meaningless political rhetoric from both political parties espousing conservatism & liberalism. I can think for myself which is why I'm an Independent because both political parties are out of their minds rhetorically in more ways than one if you have ever watched C-Span but I predict George W. Bush will win against John Kerry despite poll numbers now.

[freak]

After being raised by die-hard union Democrats and spending many years off and on in universities staffed by uber-liberal nutjobs who graduated but never left....

I am proud to say I retained the ability to think for myself and not be a knee-jerk reactionary.

I became their worst nightmare - A social/econonomic conservative.

:D

How did I escape the liberalism trap? Very simple...

I asked liberals questions and never got satisfactory answers.

"Hey, supposed intellectual, how are you going to pay for this little idea??"

*silence*

"Mr intellectual, why do you expouse racial equity yet continue to pigeon-hole races and cultures with labels?"

*silence*

"Hey, Eggbert, why do you run for cover and hurl insults when asked simple questions?"

*Runs for cover and calls me a Jesus loving racist*

Liberal behavior is Pavlovian, if anything.

[John Ashcroft]

Heh heh heh... Nailed 'em, did ya freak?

Pretty much the same story with me (minus the liberal parents).

I just applied a bit of simple logic to my questioning of liberals. When it was overwhelmingly apparent that they couldn't answer the simplest of queries regarding the things they "know", I realized that their entire platform was based on deception and fear mongering.

Ask any of them why their pet projects have all failed, and you'll get one answer... "Insufficient funding". And then you simply remind them that social spending in our country has outpaced economic growth year after year after year, and yet they want more??? And then they'll attempt a diversion by starting with the name calling. Something like this: "The poor people are all kept that way because the evil, rich Conservatives are all greedy!" Or some bullshit like that.