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Post by Lemon Bloody Cola on Mar 28, 2010 15:16:55 GMT
If you aren't old enough to actually vote (as a scary amount of you aren't!) say who you would if you could.
I'm so excited for this election! I just LOVE elections in general. Not in any sort of idealogical way, I treat the whole process like Celebrity Big Brother or something only with more deliciously geeky stats and graphs!
I thought this one was going to be really boring (the last American presidential one was MEGA), been looking like the Tories are going to romp it for a few years now, but it's been getting a lot more interesting with all this talk of hung parliaments and all that jazz. I can't wait for the debate. I'm preparing Nick Clegg related cheer leading chants as we speak! A trope of busty Lib-Dem cheerleaders called The Cleggettes, now my friends THAT would be a vote winner.
So yeah, that might give you a clue that I tend to vote Lib Dem. my real political views are off in idealist cloud cuckoo land. I'm a moderate libertarian/anarchist.. I cringe at the word "anarchist" because of the pop culture connotations but I find myself leaning more and more in that direction these days. The Lib Dems are miles off my ideals, far too into the EU for me (I'm not Euro-skeptic for any nationalistic reason. I am just deeply weary of centralisation of power, and any government/bureaucratic body of that size/scale) just come the closest of the available options.
Strongly considering voting Labour this time however, just to keep the Tories out. I'm not against conservative economic ideas per se, I just loathe social conservatism and simply don't believe the party have moved away from regressive ideas that stifle diversity. Loathe all that coded "family friendly" bullshit, jerking off the "hard working" 2 point four kids heterosexual middle class majority whilst really alluding to fucking over anyone who doesn't fit into all that either via choice or nature and has alternate experience, goals and perspectives on life. Families, like people come in all shapes and sizes you twats.
Erm yeah.. so tell us who you will or would vote for in the poll but as a side issue, tell us who you PREDICT will win. I think the Tories are going to take it via a very slim majority. I don't think analysis of the polls is taking "shy Tory syndrome" into account. Also with the budget hitting the rich (apparently..) I think the Murdoch/right wing press will give it just enough welly to post Cameron and co over the finish line. (in 1992 many believe a close election was swung in the Tories favour thanks to the memorable Neil Kinnock-baiting "if this man becomes prime minister will the last one out of Britain turn out the lights?" front cover of The Sun)
A Lab/Lib coalition would be ideal.
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Post by Tellurium on Mar 28, 2010 15:48:16 GMT
Well, I don't have the right to vote in the UK and I probably never will, but I'll be in the country and following this election closely, as I did the American one... You bigger countries just have far more theatrical politics than we do! I can't help but be mesmerized. As of yet I don't really know enough about any of the political parties and their positions so I'm going to be spending an awful lot of time learning, I guess. T'will be enriching. I will say that from experience in Canada, we got a Conservative government voted in (minority of course), and most people thought the sky would fall in. It hasn't. And really, even if they do think in regressive ways, implementing any actual thing along those lines is difficult politically, and sometimes the country needs different things at different times. I'd probably never vote for the party, but their time in office has actually, IMO, helped shape the Canadian political landscape for the better. So, vote how you feel, of course, but if they do get in, I wouldn't quite start counting my aborted chickens just yet. And of course, BNP is teh cock of teh SATAN, as twitter kindly reminds me every so often. The fact that they got an EU seat in that election due to strictly to voter apathy will hopefully motivate people for this one a lot more, and turnout will be high. I'm skeptical, but I can dream, eh?
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Post by Lawrence on Mar 28, 2010 16:00:13 GMT
I'm not actually registered to vote in this, I got the thing and filled it out but never sent it off.
I'm not sure who I'd vote for I havent looked into it and dont really watch the news/read papers all that much but I know I don't want a conservative government.
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Post by lastgoodbye on Mar 28, 2010 16:33:34 GMT
Yay. I've almost discussed this one to death in class these last few months, but I'll squeeze a little more out. I know tactical voting is a big 'issue' for some people, but personally I think it's okay. So, although the political parties I favour go Greens, then Lib Dem, then Labour in order of good-ness, I would tactical-vote for this May (if I were old enough to vote). The logic behind my voting would be that I wouldn't vote Green because of the sheer pointlessness of it at this moment in time. I would probably vote Lib Dem if I was being optimistic and keeping my fingers crossed for them being the deal breakers a hung parliament, and if I got a fit of pessimistic nerves at the last minute I would vote Labour to keep out the Conservatives. Basically I believe in both of these statements: Strongly considering voting Labour this time however, just to keep the Tories out. A Lab/Lib coalition would be ideal. and would feel tempted to leave the country if PR Cameron and his cronies were in power without Clegg and Vince Cable to babysit them. But in a less close / risky election I would vote Greens, because if you forever withhold your vote for fear of a wasted vote, then a vote for that party will never be non-wasted, right? Ps. I've written an essay about the significance of that Sun headline, haha. We think very alike, Josh. PPs. I agree about how exciting it all is. My politics class are going to get together for the evening infront of a widescreen tv and order pizza.
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Post by sarah on Mar 28, 2010 17:54:56 GMT
i'm only voting if there's a monster raving loony party candidate i can vote for
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Post by jadeface on Mar 28, 2010 18:02:25 GMT
I'm totally unsure. I think all parties say valid things (not the BNP OBVIOUSLY, the main ones) but it's never possible to live up to everything they aim to do. I don't really think they're all evil people who want to brainwash you, of course they make mistakes and evidently take advantage of priveliges (expenses and whatnot) but I dunno. I like to think peoples intentions are where they should be. I get very confused by these things, as obviously my vote has been wasted once, and it may happen again. But I just always feel like I 'don't know enough'. Which is the mentality of a lot of people alongisde 'they're all crooked so what's the point'
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Post by helwin tins on Mar 28, 2010 18:44:26 GMT
i would spoil my ballot on principle, but really, anything other than labour increases the likelihood of the conservacunts getting in.
however, i don't really follow opinion polls too closely because i don't see anyone asking me or anyone i know.
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Post by choolin firth on Mar 28, 2010 23:53:59 GMT
This is the first year I've been able to vote and I'm so excited about it. My mum has told me for as long as I can remember to never waste a vote (she's very into the history of votes for women), so if I didn't vote, she'd be after me. I'll probably be voting lib dem because I've been brought up in a lib dem household so my view on them has always been positive and I like their policies the most. I definitely won't be voting conservative. Again, my opinion on them has partly been influenced by parents. It's well known in my family and friendship circle that at two years old when my mum told me that God loves everyone, I replied with "except Tories and ghosts."
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Post by jay on Mar 29, 2010 0:12:28 GMT
A Lab/Lib coalition would be ideal. basically this. i chose labour in the poll, however, for the same reasons that josh and florence have outlined: i do not want this country to have the tories in power. the thought of it terrifies me, frankly. eta: This is the first year I've been able to vote and I'm so excited about it. i'm ashamed to admit that this is the first year i'm voting as well, at almost 23. the reason i haven't voted in the past is down to my dad being an arsehole, however. meh.
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Post by Lemon Bloody Cola on Mar 29, 2010 20:07:55 GMT
Anyone watch the Chancellors debate? Vince Cable was so badass.. deffo made me lean toward fucking tactical voting and going mellow yellow.
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Post by helwin tins on Mar 29, 2010 20:59:16 GMT
when my mum told me that God loves everyone, I replied with "except Tories and ghosts." amazing, exalt
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Post by jadeface on Mar 29, 2010 21:16:25 GMT
Can someone give me a low down on why tories are awful? Thanks.
(I've never really listened to them on TV, lol)
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Post by naaaat on Mar 29, 2010 21:30:19 GMT
I'd love to vote Green, but I know there's little chance of them winning anyway so I do wonder if there's any point. So, if not them, it'd probably be Labour again. Bear in mind I know practically nothing about politics here (although I definitely WILL be voting), but I don't really like the other two party leaders and Blair seemed to jump ship just as everything was falling apart a bit so Brown's really had a bit of a rough time trying to keep the whole thing together...
Yeah, I don't really know what I'm talking about but my mum says that if the Tories get into power, we'll probably lose stuff like the free Social Services care that my gran's getting at the moment and not many counties even do that as it is, so I'd rather keep that from disappearing!
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Post by Rhiflect on Mar 29, 2010 21:36:32 GMT
I'm only just starting to all this party/politics lark. I always got the general gist but until like, Tuesday I didn't know the each of the party's main principals. Apparently the town where I live has voted in a Tory government since like, 1703 or something.
I thought, until recently, that Conservatives were called 'Tories' because 'Conservative' kinda sounds like conservatory. LOL oh dear.
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Post by lastgoodbye on Mar 29, 2010 21:51:21 GMT
Can someone give me a low down on why tories are awful? Thanks. (I've never really listened to them on TV, lol) Just quickly: 1. They have David Cameron (see: smarmy face, no experience aside from PR) 2. They had Margaret Thatcher (see: privatization, the miners strikes, etc.) 3. Their tax policies favour the rich and the super-rich (see: their stance on inheritance tax) 4. Their proposed tax policies favour married couples and family units which revolve around married heterosexual couples, disregarding single parents families and other arrangements ("Let's fix broken Britain!!"). 5. As a rule, they always favour lowering taxes and lowering state support, welfare etc (whereas Labour, as a socialist party, see the need to support lower income families and traditionally do the opposite.) (See: the Champagne Glass theory) 6. The party is funded by super-rich businessmen and Lords who use overseas bank accounts to avoid paying some/any British taxes on their obscene wealth. 7. Members of the Conservative Party have a very strong record of voting against bills in Parliament which support gay rights (the civil partnership bill for one.) If you believe Cameron, their stance on gay rights has changed in the last decade. But in my opinion Mr Shiny PR can say all he wants; it won't change the minds of the Conservative MP's and party members at a grassroots level - why would it?) 8. Conservative MEPs have consistently voted against a string of measures to protect women's rights. 9. Historically, the ideology of the Conservative Party is to not support change; to keep the status quoover generations. Most would agree that this is a really fucking stupid idea, unless you already go to Eton, in which case you probably don't mind that idea. Go figure. 10. David Cameron's face. Disclaimer: This post might be slightly biased.
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Post by lastgoodbye on Mar 29, 2010 21:52:48 GMT
Anyone watch the Chancellors debate? Vince Cable was so badass.. deffo made me lean toward fucking tactical voting and going mellow yellow. Yes, yes and yes. He is definately the best weapon the Lib Dems have at the moment. Such a dude.
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Post by jadeface on Mar 29, 2010 22:01:28 GMT
Thanks Florence, exalt I did actually know quite a few of these things now you've said them, but thanks for putting them together for me, I get very confused about information like this and worry I attach it to the wrong party. I have no idea what my parents political views are. I wonder, I might ask them actually. But because we've never discussed politics I've always found it super hard to decode.
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Post by Rhiflect on Mar 29, 2010 22:11:11 GMT
LOL at 10. They're doing a mini General Election at my school and so there's all those posters making fun of DC's campaign poster (e.g. We can't go on like this. Brown is ugly. I am beautiful and rich.) It's funny.
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Post by jay on Mar 29, 2010 22:11:24 GMT
exalt to florence for her post.
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Post by lastgoodbye on Mar 29, 2010 22:37:18 GMT
Thanks Florence, exalt I did actually know quite a few of these things now you've said them, but thanks for putting them together for me, I get very confused about information like this and worry I attach it to the wrong party. I have no idea what my parents political views are. I wonder, I might ask them actually. But because we've never discussed politics I've always found it super hard to decode. That's okay I really honestly think that politics should be taught in schools as part of the curriculum, like, so bad, it needs to be. Most people don't talk about it at home. My dad has always been reasonably vocal about politics as we watch the news at the dinner table over the years, and is a Lib Dem supporter, so that's leaked into my conscience since I was about twelve I suppose, even before I fully understood it. I've always been able to ask him about things I don't understand, too (and probably get a biased reply ) which will have shaped my views no doubt. However my dad's dad was so right-wing and such a racist he was practically a Nazi, so I hear (he died when I was a few months old), so it's weird. Maybe we're not influenced that much by our parents. I see it as like, an endless cycle of everyone influencing each other – whoever you happen to talk to about things, influence flowing both ways. Yeah, I'm going to go to bed now before I overthink this. Ps. Cheers Jay
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