This thread needs to be in the Religion/Politics section.
I live in Oregon, which votes democrat, and due to the absurd electoral system has never had ANY FUCKING RELEVANCE TO ANY FUCKING ELECTION EVER. The only states whose votes matter are Ohio, Florida, and maybe 2 more swing states. Candidate ignore ALL but those states for 99% of their terms then suddenly realize that they need to fire up the bullshit machine if they would like to continue living the good life provided by our corporate overlords that actually govern this, and many other countries.
That anyone believes that there actually ARE 2 parties and not just a group of complete psychopathic nitwits arbitrarily split into two groups for legal reasons is kidding themselves.
There aren't any metal/IQ/Civics/History/Rhetoric/or any other applicable tests of aptitude you need to pass in order to run for office.
Hence we get idiots that claim to be experts on how the opposite sex's genitalia regarding how it can prevent pregnancy in case of "legitimate rape." Also, Michelle Bachman was elected. How in the fuck did that happen? Didn't someone else lose an election to a dead guy?
Anyone that runs for office and desires direct control over the lives of thousands of others is inherently mentally unstable, and not to be trusted with ANY responsibility. They say anything, do nothing, get paid to NOT show up to vote on anything, and have zero accountability to anyone that voted for them. Unless they have an affair. Then, suddenly their ability to govern is stripped away and they MUST resign.
I guess when you are in the business of deceiving everyone, one cannot afford to let one deceit become public record.
Like the WMD lies about Iraq. Bush an CO got ZERO impeachment cries from sending people off to kill and die in the desert on a total fucking lie. But if an intern had blown him, well we just can't have that can we?
And the belief that you only have a right to complain about something if you vote, no. We have every right to complain about it and the good sense NOT to fucking endorse what we see as more of the same world ending, mind killing bullshit from either candidate.
When someone comes along that can actually do more than PRETEND they know what the fuck to do in a position of power apart from treating human lives like playthings, sending them off to kill and die pointlessly, treating our taxes as their own personal petty cash for their own personal agendas, and worst of all ignoring the separation of church and state then I'll vote for them.
As it is, we live in the United States of Corporate Christianity where no one actually DOES what Jesus would do, but if you point that out, or the fact that the NRA in fact ISN'T a branch of our government and has no power apart from its terrorist-like threats and ultimatums which everyone cowers in fear to, then you are branded unpatriotic.
I wish we still lived in a country where we did what is right, not what we can get away with. That did what needed to be done, such as maintaining our roads and crumbling bridges which are getting people killed when they fall apart, feeding our OWN starving children before sending billions in aid to countries that fucking hate us, and providing them with affordable healthcare and educations as opposed to rolling over to our corporate masters. Where we exported something other than soldiers, movies, misinformation, and human spectacle. We need more scientists, and engineers, teachers, and doctors. What we don't need are more celebutards, CEOs, and reality shows stars.
Maybe if we could go a few years before starting multiple wars against countries that haven't attacked us, out of some false sense of moral authority, and against the will of all peoples involved, our so called "job creators" might stop shitting their pants long enough to regain confidence in our economy. Nothing like starting WW3 to get investors to pull out.
But, on topic, and less ranty the reasons we don't vote are already stated by Dirty Hipsters. And, since despite our crumbling infrastructure, inept government, terrifyingly evil corporations, and a younger generation whose IQ is hovering around 70 in the north and 40 in the south thanks to no one giving a shit...this country is still a nice place to live. We have grown accustomed to its imperfections more and more and accept it as the status quo. We know that no matter who is in charge, they aren't likely to go North Korea "eccentric" anytime soon. We see no negative consequences for inaction, either personally (i.e. receiving a fine for not voting) or broadly (genocide, anarchy, poisoned reasources) that some other countries have to deal with. We don't have 18 parties and have to finagle some kind of coalition out of the winning 4, or whatever. We also aren't going to have any kind of armed riots in the streets with 49% of us against the other 51% in an effort to stage a coupe. We may not be perfect, but at least we don't have to deal with that crap every election.
Until there are actual, tangible, personally relatable stakes involved which would stand to affect us in a really negative or positive way...no one gives a shit. If anything they will ***** at the presumption that we should go out of our way to pick an arbitrary option that means nothing, and resentful at the tax money wasted in the whole voting process.
49% of us will always be disappointed, and if it WERE somehow a landslide 80/20 victory that means that there actually WAS a definite reason to vote for one person for a change, and that the losing voters and their party are idiots for even nominating their candidate.