If you don't vote, don't complain (2012 Edition)

As I have said in the past, the very first piece I was ever paid for was a tiny little article in the old GRIT paper entitled "If you don't vote, don't complain."  It was inspired after listening to my Daddy and my Uncle Thomas talk about the current local election.  Neither man liked either candidate, but Daddy said, "If you don't vote for somebody, then you don't got the right to complain about the mess."  I took that message to heart even though it'd be 3 more years before I could vote.  I wrote the piece, earned myself a whopping $35.00 and have done my best to vote in every election since then.

Now, while battling insomnia (with insomnia winning three falls out of five), I was listening to Internet radio and happened to tune in about half way through some half wit's rant on voting.  His attitude was basically "If you don't vote for my candidate, you are the spawn of Satan" and "Even if you don't like my guy, the other guy is much worse so you should vote for my guy because not voting is a vote for the other guy."

This is an argument I have heard time and again.  How not voting or voting "None of the Above" or "Independent/Libertarian" is a waste or a vote for "Insert Unliked Politician here."  I guess, in a purely technical sense, this is true.  If you believe the non-R/D candidate has absolutely no chance of winning, but vote for them anyway then you are taking a vote away from one or the other mainstream candidate.  If you are so disgusted that you vote "None of the above," you are definitely taking away a vote.  So if this is true, why do it?  Why bother to vote at all if both main candidates suck and the others have no chance of winning?

The reason is simple.  To be heard!  The way our election system is set up, individual votes don't have a huge impact.  It is only in large numbers that votes lead to Electoral College spots which lead to election wins.  Still, especially with today's modern data gathering methods, the individual's vote/voice can be heard loud and clear.  Example:

Ruler of the Universe Election 2012

Twitt Money (Reboobican Candidate):  Eleventy Billion votes (5K Electoral Votes)

Beer-rack Go-Bama!  (Damnocrat Candidate: 2 Gazzilion Votes (20K Electoral Votes)

Paul Runs (Liarbartarian Candidate: 1,245 Votes, 3 Electoral Votes)

(PS: Not hating on anyone or any party.  You try coming up with this stuff)

Now from a purely practical POV, the people voting for Mr. Runs "wasted" their votes because it is patently obvious that the Elderly Gentleman running on the "Dinosaurs are invading" ticket had no real chance of winning the election.  However, those 1,245 people stood up and let the whole country know that neither of the main stream choices were worth a crap and that they didn't deserve to be voted for.  They used their votes to say, "WTF, we are going to let them do it to us again?"

Don't be afraid to vote for whomever you want to.  Hell vote "None of the above" if that is an option in your state and you don't like any of the candidates.  It is okay if your candidate doesn't win.  We have fought too long and too hard for the right to vote to just let it sit on a shelf gathering dust.  Take this gift to the polls and let your voice be heard.

"If we continue to vote for the lesser of two evils, then all we will get is more evil."

End of Rant