Did you Vote

[Grizzly Adams]

NO! Having been exposed to the Health Care system recently, I am totally disgusted with what the Conservatives have accomplished during the last 37 years. My wife, a highly trained professional, lost her job, during Ralphs cutbacks. Ed talked about change. Well duh, where have you guys been for the last little while??
Having said that, none of the other parties seemed like a credible alternative and I wasn't going to help any of them out with my vote.
Maybe the next time around, these idiots will figure out that they had better offer the 60% of us that stayed home, a real alternative.
Grizz

[Kanonfodder]

Originally Posted by rugatika

Actually, I didn't vote, and you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be complaining about the government as usual. There was no smaller government choice in my riding. Either status quo, or larger government. By voting for any of the 3 parties that were available I would only be lending credibility to them. So...no thanks. The argument could actually be made that by voting status quo you have relinquished your right to complain when they continue sticking their hands in your pocket. By abstaining from endorsing the status quo I have withheld my consent from government to continue on as they have in the past.

How much legitmacy would a government have if they achieved 58% of the popular vote with a 10% voter turnout? I would say that would be a pretty huge signal that there was room for another party to start up. Unfortunately, Paul Hinman and the WAP lacked political legitmacy that they may have garnered had they been lead by someone such as PReston Manning, or Ted Morton. I like a lot of the WAP policies but unfortunately it seems like people were unwilling to take a chance on them. Oh well, maybe next time around, or maybe Stelmach will take the low voter turnout as a hint to shape up. (probably not).

I'll keep complaining about government stealing from me at any rate.

Just my 2 cents.

UH 41% turnout last nite ( you was right Jamie )
so 1 out of every 2 votes cast was for the PC party I would say that was a strong mandate from thoses who cared enough to vote

[geezer55]

To those who didn't vote, you got the government the voters wanted, if you want change you have to get involved and stop complaining and doing nothing.

How much legitmacy would a government have if they achieved 58% of the popular vote with a 10% voter turnout?

The government is as just as legit as we make them, you could have turned up and declined the ballot or did like some I know spoiled the ballot, at least by doing that you showed that you made an effort to go to the polls.

Oh well, maybe next time around, or maybe Stelmach will take the low voter turnout as a hint to shape up.

I don't think any politicians will take a low voter turn out for them to shape up, with a low voter turn out and then all the bitching that goes on after that should be a sign to the voters to smarten up not the politicians.

It didn't surprise me that the Liberals lost seats but I really thought the W.A. would gain some ground. Things could be worse I guess, we could have a Liberal minority with a strong NDP opposition

Let's just hope Ed's as genuine a guy as he seems and can handle the pressure.

[Rust]

I didn't vote, But that was cause I spent 13hrs welding on a rig.
Maybe next time!

[Brudus]

Can’t believe how many people wasted their opportunity to vote, oh well, laziness no doubt. Anyways Ed has served our community well for years, in every title he has held. Also been a strong supporter of our Fish & Game club in the past as well as while having a busy schedule as Premier. I just hope Ed and his man Ted got our strong message at the AFGA conference.

[geezer55]

I didn't vote, But that was cause I spent 13hrs welding on a rig.
Maybe next time!

Not many people should have an excuse for not voting, they give 3 other days that you can vote on. Also you could have gotten a mail-in ballot sent to you. Pure laziness, it isn't like the election was called last week.

[thumper]

I voted - for Ezra Levant.
Spoiled my ballot as our long-time, local PC MP needs a wake-up call, and I couldn't hold my nose long enough to vote liberal or ndp.

[LongDraw]

Kinda a no brainer that the PC party would win again, we really lack a strong opposition in Alberta.

Funny how Taft ranted off at the end of his speech last night to the media about the PC's, voter confusion, PC's have all the money, etc.. This guy needs to go. If Taft couldn't gain ground this time around he is taking up valuable real estate for someone who can properly lead and unite an opposition.

[Map Maker]

Originally Posted by geezer55

Pure laziness, it isn't like the election was called last week.

I didnt vote but wouldn't say it from laziness. I can't complain about the way the government has been running so its not like i want to have a hand in changing it. Also if enough people are unhappy and want to change it for their reasons, not sure i want to stand in their way as well. I'll vote when i want change or scared of change.
plus to vote on election promises is a bitter pill to swallow as well as except for Harper/Klein, I havent seen too many politicians keep their word.

[OutwardBound]

I voted, I got 3 hours off of work to vote cause i work a 12 hour shift so i was definitly exercising my right.

Just my 2 cents on low voter turnout in Alberta. Could the reason be that i would guess 20% of the province isn't in their riding on election day. I mean between, construction, rigs, sevice companys, plant maintance crews, fly in/out jobs, truckers, that this makes up a signifigant portion of Alberta. I don't now if there are ways they can vote, but i'm sure it's too much work/hassle for most of these people to bother with.

Dustin

[rugatika]

George Carlin on voting:

Or as George Carlin put it:

I don’t vote. F*** 'em. I don't vote. Two reasons. First of all it’s meaningless; this country was bought and sold and paid for a long time ago. The s**t they shuffle around every four years, doesn't mean a ******ing thing.
And secondly, I believe if you vote, you have no right to complain. People like to twist that around – they say, ‘If you don’t vote, you have no right to complain’, but where’s the logic in that?

If you vote and you elect dishonest, incompetent people into office who screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have done. You caused the problem; you voted them in; you have no right to complain.

I, on the other hand, who did not vote, who in fact did not even leave the house on election day, am in no way responsible for what these people have done and have every right to complain about the mess you created that I had nothing to do with.

I know a little later on this year, you're going to have another one of those really swell presidential elections. I'm sure as soon as the election's over, your country will improve immediately.

The next time they give you all that civic bulls**t about voting, keep in mind that Hitler was elected in a full, free democratic election”


Edited a little (it's Carlin)

Cheers.

Keep in mind. I'm usually a fan of voting. Just this round there was nobody even close to deserving my vote, so I did my civic duty and did not lend legitmacy (on my part anyway) to any of the "leaders".

Oh and geezer, I suspect that a lot of people voted BECAUSE they are lazy and were voting for whoever had promised the most handouts, which is typically what happens at election time.

For me...the less government the better, since I can look after myself. When a party comes a long that is going to start REDUCING government they can count on my support. Until then, I will continue to be selective of where my vote goes.

[LongDraw]

Guys,

I know it sounds cheezy and like something your grandfather would lecture you about- but nonetheless here it goes;

People actually die every day fighting in other parts of the world for what we take for granted here. It is sad that most people just don't get it. If voter turn-out was higher than what it is no doubt we would even have a better polital system and leaders than what we have now.

I guess I voted twice last night, once for myself and once again for the 59% of you that did not vote.

[Justanotherbuck2]

I sure did vote and the Liberals got creamed in our riding, but at least I was part of the process. I'm still in shock over the whole outcome of the election. I offered my staff the oportunity to take time off (with pay) to go vote and none took me up on my offer. My staff is under 25 years old so I guess that generation doesn't care or don't think they matter. I would have thought Albertans would have shown up in higher numbers at the voting stations, like I said I'm still in shock.

[Okotokian]

I don't mind attack ads, it's the right of a party to say those things, as long as it isn't clearly libelous (sp?). But I DO think that the sponsor of the ad should at least have to be identified at the end. The ones I saw just ended with nothing, leaving me to wonder who sponsored them.. Liberals? NDP? Encana?

[Copidosoma]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

I don't mind attack ads, it's the right of a party to say those things, as long as it isn't clearly libelous (sp?). But I DO think that the sponsor of the ad should at least have to be identified at the end. The ones I saw just ended with nothing, leaving me to wonder who sponsored them.. Liberals? NDP? Encana?

Organized labour wasn't it?

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by Copidosoma

Organized labour wasn't it?

See, my point exactly. Who knows? Too nervous/devious to put their names on it.

[Chuck_Wagon]

The NDP communists that run the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees donated $300,000.00 of members union money. I hope they are choking on the stomping they got at the polls.

Edited to add:

Largest union joins anti-Stelmach fight
The Edmonton Journal
Published: Thursday, February 14
The province's largest union has joined an ad campaign attacking Premier Ed Stelmach and his Conservatives, and the size of their contribution indicates just how much organized labour is committing to the anti-Stelmach battle.
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees voted Saturday to give $300,000 to the campaign, which has run television and newspaper ads claiming Stelmach has no plan for the province's future.
The campaign was started by two other labour groups, the Alberta Federation of Labour and the Alberta Building Trades Council.
About one-third of the AUPE's 67,000 members work directly for the provincial government.
The Merit Contractors Association, a local employers' group, has criticized the unions for using their members' money for political campaigns.
But unions have countered that their members can always vote out their leaders if they are unhappy with their decisions.
Neither the AFL nor Building Trades Council has said how much they have spent on the campaign so far. But to put the AUPE contribution into perspective, the Alberta Liberals spent $320,000 overall on their 2004 election bid.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by Chuck_Wagon

the Alberta Liberals spent $320,000 overall on their 2004 election bid.

That is amazing. The candidates in the U.S. primaries taking place now probably spend that much per hour. Here's hoping our campaigns here stay RELATIVELY cheap.

[geezer55]

Just my 2 cents on low voter turnout in Alberta. Could the reason be that i would guess 20% of the province isn't in their riding on election day. I mean between, construction, rigs, sevice companys, plant maintance crews, fly in/out jobs, truckers, that this makes up a signifigant portion of Alberta. I don't now if there are ways they can vote, but i'm sure it's too much work/hassle for most of these people to bother with.

There are early voting days, here in Lethbridge, 3 of them or you can apply for an absentee ballot and vote that way. Our soldiers stationed around the world voted that way. There is really NO reason except for laziness. There was a month to make plans to vote. If the people want to blame too much work/hassle to vote they are lying there are plenty of opportunities to vote. I've been able to vote now for 34 years haven't missed one yet . . . had to vote early at times but still got my vote in.

[archdlx]

no wild rose alliance candidate here!

archdlx

[Rocks]

Originally Posted by geezer55

There are early voting days, here in Lethbridge, 3 of them or you can apply for an absentee ballot and vote that way. Our soldiers stationed around the world voted that way. There is really NO reason except for laziness. There was a month to make plans to vote. If the people want to blame too much work/hassle to vote they are lying there are plenty of opportunities to vote. I've been able to vote now for 34 years haven't missed one yet . . . had to vote early at times but still got my vote in.

I work out of town in the bush, for 3 weeks to 3 months at a time, and often in another province. The last job I was on, I was there for just over 4 weeks, in a remote camp, in another province, no phone service unless you own a sat phone, and 160 km from the nearest town. Came home earlier than expected (so I was able to vote this time), but I could have been there until May. I don't think if I had been required to stay I would have been able to vote even if I had wanted to, so it does happen, and more often than you think.

I remember the last PC leadership vote, I was working far from home, I drove an hour and a bit to the nearest polling station only to have them tell me I had to vote in my own riding.

[geezer55]

People of Alberta are complaining that the web site crashed on the day of the election and they didn't know where to vote . . . the election wasn't called March 2nd, they had about 27 days to figure it out. People of Alberta are complaining that when they went to vote the polling station that they had voted at other years and it had moved to another place and they are blaming some one for moving the polling station, people things change and if you are to lazy to look things up you deserve to have to run around looking for the proper polling station. I have two sons and this was their first time they could vote, one's name was on the voters list the other only had his eighteenth birthday three weeks ago but he figured out what he needed to get his name on the voters list and they both voted. My wife and I told them if they didn't vote we would escort them to the polling station . . . we didn't care who they voted for or if they would only spoil the ballot but at least they made a choice. The people of Alberta had about 27 days to make plans to vote and a lot of them waited to the last moment and then when things changed they have to blame some one else for their laziness.

[Bear]

I voted. Until I marked my X I didn't know who I was going to vote for. Guess I could have spoiled my ballot but I voted. It was a toss up between WAP and PC. I really think WAP missed the boat with this election.

As to the AUPE and the attack ads. I am a member of AUPE and I can tell you that the rank and file member did NOT vote on the issue to give money to the attack ads. I am really ****ed with the union for doing so.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by Bear

I voted. Until I marked my X I didn't know who I was going to vote for. .

And some here condemn those who didn't vote. LOL

[Bear]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

And some here condemn those who didn't vote. LOL

What I ment was that I was conflicted between two candidates. This was a crappy election right from the start. Instead of not voting I voted the best I could. It took a last second decision on my part to mark the X. I looked at the names and asked myself honestly to make a decision. It came to me and I marked my X.

[nekred]

I served my country for the democratic right.

This means the right to vote, or not vote.

Not voting means you are happy with whatever happens. We are fortunate in this country that it truly does not matter who gets in. We still have our jobs, family and lifestyle. in other countries if a certain party gets in then your complete existance may be in danger for example look at Kenya recently.

Note voting is exactly the same as purposely spoiling a ballot.

I had a huge dilemma in the vote, I don't like our PC candidate, we had no WAP candidate, and that left NDP (never) and liberal

So I spoiled my ballot good and voted Liberal. We need a strong opposition so that the party in power may actually listen to the people instead of running roughshod over them.

In the scheme of things I could have saved time, effort, and energy and exercised my right not to vote with the same effect!.

By voting all we chose is who gets to waste our money for the next 4 or so years!