Questions for our American folk

[STEED]

How passionate are you on politics?

Only at elections or all the time?



Reason I ask, here in the UK most people don't give a stuff which in my view is wrong. As if you want real change you got to get off your rump.

[AVGWarhawk]

I keep up with it. You have to. Legislation is going on all the time. Need to keep a running record until the next election comes up. This helps to determine if you want to keep them in or dump them off.

[Blacklight]

I'm a loudmouth who doesn't keep his mouth shut when he doesn't agree with something he finds morally wrong. Therefore, damn right, I pay attention to the crap my government is doing, who the candidates are.. what they stand for... etc...
At the risk of starting a fight, I can seriously say that I am a die hard liberal and I find the "Conservative" way of doing things backwards wrong, and fundamentally flawed. The Conservatives are also WAY too much puppets of special interest groups and the "Religious Right" who shouldn't even be INVOLVED in politics in the first place hence "Separation of Church and State" ! They've been trying to get that rule taken out of the Constitution for years and have pretty much been ignoring it altogether anyway. Look how many public schools out there still have prayer at the beginning of the day and shun teaching about evolution.

Okay.. I've gone too much off on a rant. I'll shut up now.

[DeepIron]

I'm with AVG, I keep an eye on political things and get more animated in the election years. This year especially since we have an opportunity to "break the mold" and get some new blood (no pun intended towards Mr. Obama) in the White House.

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by STEED

How passionate are you on politics?

Only at elections or all the time?



Reason I ask, here in the UK most people don't give a stuff which in my view is wrong. As if you want real change you got to get off your rump.

Very!

And yes, I do write my Senators and district Congressman all the time.

-S

[mrbeast]

Think I'm one of the few people who actually vote in the UK, practically all of the people I know don't bother voting at all.

Its amazing how many people won't take 5 minutes to excercise a right that countless thousands have died to defend. :hmm:

[baggygreen]

We get people interested for 6 weeks every 3 years.

Mandatory voting system.

interviews with young kids 18, 19, 20 - why did you vote Labor? "cos Kevin07 (his slogan) sounds cool" or "cos he's younger than howard"

I'd much rather a system of voluntary voting, then you won't get all the dolts and ignorants voting on the basis of a cool, rhyming slogan rather than policies.

[bookworm_020]

Originally Posted by baggygreen

We get people interested for 6 weeks every 3 years.

Mandatory voting system.

interviews with young kids 18, 19, 20 - why did you vote Labor? "cos Kevin07 (his slogan) sounds cool" or "cos he's younger than howard"

I'd much rather a system of voluntary voting, then you won't get all the dolts and ignorants voting on the basis of a cool, rhyming slogan rather than policies.

I'd keep it mandatory, It means that everyone keeps an interest(?) in politics, so that when the election comes around, people care about who they vote for.

People do take it seriously, I OIC of a polling place at the last election, people may grumble, some may write isnults on the ballot paper that will never be seen by the person they dislike, but they do think about the people they want to vote for and who they don't.

I woul hate it to be a case of who can get the most supporters to a polling place, and how many times they can vote!

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

And yes, I do write my Senators and district Congressman all the time.

-S

Ever get a response beyond a form letter? Ever get any response?

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

I'm mildly interested, I watch a few debates, read a few articles, and I vote in the primary and general election. Since I only have one vote in 60 million, it's hard to get overly excited in the process.

That's about my feelings on it, though I'm not a registered voter, however, I think the Americans who aren't a total lost cause would probably speak out on it a little more if they felt they could influence it themselves, perhaps on a county or even state level. Though perhaps kinda sadly I watch world politics far more closely than anything that's going on locally.

[STEED]

I get the impression here from you guys in America take this subject more serious than folk here which is a shame.

[bradclark1]

When I was in the army I really didn't care about politics. Other things were more important. I started paying attention when I was pasturized with Clinton. I really got into it when this current president started running for his first term. Sometimes my heart rate goes up but then what Neal says. One in sixty million, but yes I am One. I vote out of fear that that idiot might win by one vote.

[dean_acheson]

I am a huge C-Span junkie which stays on at my house all weekend while I clean and pick up the house, I like to get my news from the Net, haven't watched a network news show in years.

I worked on Capital Hill during law school (which I went to in D.C.) I catch every debate that I can, both Republican and Democrat. This summer I'll watch Gubinatorial (sp) debates from other states.

I follow certain Supreme Court cases.

I follow the actions of my County Commissioners. I actively particiapate in decisions made in the area in which I live.

I love politics, I love ideas. I like the debates. It's all very fun, and very serious to me, at the same time. Some folks like football, or soap opreas, or such. I like Politics (and military history and NASCAR)

Not to offend, but it is a rare day that I don't wake up, and thank God that the English won the French and Indian wars, so that this country is based on the English Republican/Common Law system. Yay!

I subscribe to the Weekly Standard and the National Review. I did let my Economist subscription run out.

[JSF]

Originally Posted by STEED

How passionate are you on politics?

Only at elections or all the time?



Reason I ask, here in the UK most people don't give a stuff which in my view is wrong. As if you want real change you got to get off your rump.

1) Very!

2) 24/7

3) We have a similar situation here in the U.S.of A. However, I sense it's probably consistant around the globe...people sitting on thier big fat apathies waiting for someone else to get involved and then tell them what to think about it. Lead, follow or get out of the way, but for crying out loud DO SOMETHING!

[Sailor Steve]

I'm more political than I used to be, but my real passion is history; i.e. what politicians did before and why. I worry some about what's going on now, but my take usually ends up being a little different from those around me.

[Onkel Neal]

I'm mildly interested, I watch a few debates, read a few articles, and I vote in the primary and general election. Since I only have one vote in 60 million, it's hard to get overly excited in the process.