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Main Forums => Politics => Topic started by: zahc on March 19, 2015, 07:32:34 PM

Title: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: zahc on March 19, 2015, 07:32:34 PM
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/19/politics/obama-mandatory-voting/


"The people who tend not to vote are young, they're lower income, they're skewed more heavily towards immigrant groups and minority groups," Obama said. "There's a reason why some folks try to keep them away from the polls."



discuss.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: TommyGunn on March 19, 2015, 07:40:55 PM
An obvious ploy to hike up the progressive vote.  
It won't happen.
I don't approve of it.


There IS one circumstance I would approve of it.  Just one:
That concurrent with the introduction of this law (which would really have to be an amendment to the Constitution) there would, on every ballot in every election, under every choice for public office, be added the following choice:
□ NONE OF THE ABOVE.
--And, that none of the contenders for the office where "none" won could ever run for any public office, anywhere.
 [tinfoil]
But we all know THAT ain't about to happen! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: Ben on March 19, 2015, 07:41:51 PM
I'm all for it as long as voting day is moved to the day after tax day.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: bedlamite on March 19, 2015, 07:52:28 PM
Make it write in only, not multiple choice.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: Monkeyleg on March 19, 2015, 08:02:56 PM
Require a quiz before voting, with the voter having to know who the VP, senate majority leader, house speaker, and various cabinet members are.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: MicroBalrog on March 19, 2015, 08:39:29 PM
Three words:

Low. Information. Voters.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: MechAg94 on March 19, 2015, 09:04:07 PM

"The people who tend not to vote are young, they're lower income, they're skewed more heavily towards immigrant groups and minority groups," Obama said. "There's a reason why some folks try to keep them away from the polls."
That quote defines people who don't pay attention to politics and are less likely to make an educated vote.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: Ron on March 19, 2015, 09:09:56 PM
Three words:

Low. Information. Voters.

By and large that defines who is currently voting.

Making voting mandatory will bring in a slew of voters who are even at a lower tier.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: zxcvbob on March 19, 2015, 09:14:29 PM
He's talking about the illegal immigrant voters.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: Battle Monkey of Zardoz on March 19, 2015, 09:18:51 PM
Require a quiz before voting, with the voter having to know who the VP, senate majority leader, house speaker, and various cabinet members are.

^this
Along with if your tax liability is zero or you get a refund because your a welfare critter....you cannot vote.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: Ben on March 19, 2015, 09:52:36 PM
Require a quiz before voting, with the voter having to know who the VP, senate majority leader, house speaker, and various cabinet members are.

I bet the political landscape would drastically change if you required a quiz as simple as matching any presidential candidate with their VP running mate. I bet that would eliminate 75% of low information voters.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: MicroBalrog on March 19, 2015, 10:25:54 PM
^this
Along with if your tax liability is zero or you get a refund because your a welfare critter....you cannot vote.

Excuse me? I don't think I appreciate that.

There's tons of people who don't pay direct income taxes but are good citizens just like yourself.

Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: charby on March 19, 2015, 10:58:44 PM
Require a quiz before voting, with the voter having to know who the VP, senate majority leader, house speaker, and various cabinet members are.

Sounds a lot like the old Jim Crow laws on voting.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: Scout26 on March 19, 2015, 11:18:17 PM
I'm all for it as long as voting day is moved to the day after tax day.

Nope.  Same Day.  You pay all (Property, Local, State, and Federal) Taxes.  To each taxing body.  They each have a rep right there in a long line of tables.  You write a check to the School District, County Board, City Board, Pension Fund, State and Feds.  Did I mention, there's no, zero, zip, nada withholding?  Right there, in full.  No EITC or other refundable tax credits.  (We'd obviously have to have a flat tax), then and only then are you handed a ballot and sent into the voting booth.

I bet we'd have balanced budgets and no debt at every level.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: Perd Hapley on March 19, 2015, 11:25:50 PM
Sounds a lot like the old Jim Crow laws on voting.


It actually sounds nothing like them at all.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: charby on March 19, 2015, 11:28:45 PM

It actually sounds nothing like them at all.

Taking a test and having to pass before you can vote? That was part of the Jim Crow voting laws.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: Ben on March 19, 2015, 11:39:30 PM
Nope.  Same Day.  You pay all (Property, Local, State, and Federal) Taxes.  To each taxing body.  They each have a rep right there in a long line of tables.  You write a check to the School District, County Board, City Board, Pension Fund, State and Feds.  Did I mention, there's no, zero, zip, nada withholding?  Right there, in full.  No EITC or other refundable tax credits.  (We'd obviously have to have a flat tax), then and only then are you handed a ballot and sent into the voting booth.

I bet we'd have balanced budgets and no debt at every level.

As we've often discussed in the past, I'm right there with you, but was too lazy to write it all out again.  :laugh:
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: Perd Hapley on March 19, 2015, 11:41:27 PM
Taking a test and having to pass before you can vote? That was part of the Jim Crow voting laws.


Oh. It must be the same, then. You sure told me.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: charby on March 19, 2015, 11:49:17 PM

Oh. It must be the same, then. You sure told me.

Sounds like is different that is the same. Were you born an punk or did you acquire that skillset?
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: Perd Hapley on March 19, 2015, 11:51:36 PM
Sounds like is different that is the same. Were you born an punk or did you acquire that skillset?


I thought personal attacks (like calling people punks) were against the rules.

Equating people with white supremacists, however, is not forbidden. So you're OK, there.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: MicroBalrog on March 20, 2015, 12:08:22 AM
It's really impossible to come up with a reasonable voting cutoff.

If there is voting, everyone should be doing it, or as close to everyone as feasible.

Certainly I think that voting standards in the US are already too restrictive.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: Perd Hapley on March 20, 2015, 12:16:41 AM
It's really impossible to come up with a reasonable voting cutoff.

If there is voting, everyone should be doing it, or as close to everyone as feasible.

Certainly I think that voting standards in the US are already too restrictive.

Can you describe, briefly, your ideal voting scheme?

I would say every adult who cares enough to make it to the polls on their own steam should vote. I think they only things I'd change would be restore voting rights to former felons (after they serve stiff sentences, for actual crimes); and at the cultural level, we'd stop encouraging every Tom, Dick, and Harry to vote.

And obviously, voter registration would involve the issuance of free photo ID, if the voter has nothing else. No political entity would be barred from requiring photo ID for their elections.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: MicroBalrog on March 20, 2015, 12:22:30 AM
My ideal voting scheme ?

Ignoring total pie-in-the sky scenarios that I do for sci-fi writing:

I would make it legal for every citizen of the country that is not mentally demented, and who is at least 16 years old (I don't know any precedent of younger people than this being allowed to vote), to be able to vote either in person or by absentee ballot. I would also make it legal for the same people to get elected for as many offices as practicable, and make as many offices directly electable, as is practicable.

Israel allows prison inmates to vote (and in one case even let a prison inmate run, though not for an Israeli office), but that is not practicable in the US because the US voting system is based on precincts and districts.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: Perd Hapley on March 20, 2015, 07:00:19 AM
I would also make it legal for the same people to get elected for as many offices as practicable, and make as many offices directly electable, as is practicable.


I would go the other way, by repealing Amendment 17, and leaving the electoral college in place.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: roo_ster on March 20, 2015, 11:02:58 AM
Too many folks with no skin in the game already vote.  No need to increase the ability of the FSA to get gov't agents to do their dirty work and steal form the productive.

Nope.  Same Day.  You pay all (Property, Local, State, and Federal) Taxes.  To each taxing body.  They each have a rep right there in a long line of tables.  You write a check to the School District, County Board, City Board, Pension Fund, State and Feds.  Did I mention, there's no, zero, zip, nada withholding?  Right there, in full.  No EITC or other refundable tax credits.  (We'd obviously have to have a flat tax), then and only then are you handed a ballot and sent into the voting booth.

I bet we'd have balanced budgets and no debt at every level.

Sounds reasonable.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: HankB on March 20, 2015, 11:19:31 AM
. . .
There IS one circumstance I would approve of it.  Just one:
That concurrent with the introduction of this law (which would really have to be an amendment to the Constitution) there would, on every ballot in every election, under every choice for public office, be added the following choice:
□ NONE OF THE ABOVE.
--And, that none of the contenders for the office where "none" won could ever run for any public office, anywhere.
 . . .
How about "None of the Above" being automatically entered as the choice of registered voters who don't actually show up to vote? With the major parties (rather than the taxpayers) having to pay for the next election as their penalty for failing to put forth candidates worth voting for?
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: Headless Thompson Gunner on March 20, 2015, 02:10:35 PM
What is it with Obama always thinking he can force people to do stuff?
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: Fitz on March 20, 2015, 04:01:55 PM
Liz, I , and a few others had an epic argument with some libtard about this issue the other day. it devolved fairly quickly.

The tolerant leftist quickly retreated to "you people can't be reasoned with" and "you would criticize obama EVEN IF HE gave you a million dollars from the treasury!"

To which i snarkily replied "Well yes, because in addition to being fiscally irresponsible, that would not be a constitutional use of his power as president"
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: cassandra and sara's daddy on March 20, 2015, 09:37:48 PM
Didn't the courts rule on those poll taxes and tests?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: Perd Hapley on March 20, 2015, 10:05:18 PM
Didn't the courts rule on those poll taxes and tests?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


But the Republicans have an awful new test! They want people to prove they have a face!
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: Andiron on March 20, 2015, 10:51:26 PM
I would make it legal for every citizen of the country that is not mentally demented, and who is at least 16 years old (I don't know any precedent of younger people than this being allowed to vote)

Why 16?  The immature already have the vote.  The only reason I agree with the age being 18 is it's the age we consider people "of age" and suitable for compulsory military service. 
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: Perd Hapley on March 21, 2015, 01:05:56 AM
Why 16?  The immature already have the vote.  The only reason I agree with the age being 18 is it's the age we consider people "of age" and suitable for compulsory military service. 

Yeah, pretty much. 18 is generally considered legal adult-hood. Drinking and CCW ages in some states notwithstanding.
Title: Re: Obama and mandatory voting
Post by: BlueStarLizzard on March 21, 2015, 06:32:10 AM
Liz, I , and a few others had an epic argument with some libtard about this issue the other day. it devolved fairly quickly.

The tolerant leftist quickly retreated to "you people can't be reasoned with" and "you would criticize obama EVEN IF HE gave you a million dollars from the treasury!"

To which i snarkily replied "Well yes, because in addition to being fiscally irresponsible, that would not be a constitutional use of his power as president"

I'm not sure that actually became epic until the idiot with more picitinny than sense showed up, but yeah, fighting with that moron was certainly an eye opener, which really isn't helpful when it's one in the morning and you actually need to be sleeping.

It didn't devolve into "you people can't be reasoned with11!1!1"
It started there.

Here's Fitz, innocently mocking our President, and me, throwing him an assist, when along comes irate liberal troll, out for blood.

Ultimately, the idiot in question "admitted" that it would be unconstitutional, but was still mad at us for criticizing our Great and Wonderful Oz for even bringing it up because "it was a good idea to at least think about for improving our country" or some rot like that.
I still don't think he actually understood why it was in direct conflict with the first amendment.

I'm still slightly steamed that an American President and someone who is supposedly a Constitutional Scholar dismissed the idea, not on a fundamental philosophical level (because, correct me if I'm wrong, but you know, free speech, pretty basic building block of our whole country, right?) but because of the impractically of legally implementing it.