Just wondering, if a write-in candidate who wasn't even running actually gets more votes than any of the running candidates, does that person not running become president?
Not that it would actually happen, but just curious.
Just wondering, if a write-in candidate who wasn't even running actually gets more votes than any of the running candidates, does that person not running become president?
Not that it would actually happen, but just curious.
I don't think there's a policy in place for that situation because it's literally impossible.
The only way a person could get enough support to win a National election like the presidency is by campaigning for it, so the person who would win the hypothetical Write-in vote would most likely be intentionally running.
I think the answer would be to just fine out what happens on the smaller level like State or town level and then just scale it up?
@Medical:
Just wondering, if a write-in candidate who wasn't even running actually gets more votes than any of the running candidates, does that person not running become president?
Not that it would actually happen, but just curious.
In theory, sure.
In practice it'll never ever happen, because even fully supported third parties don't get very much of the vote, only 1-3% generally, if even that (just enough to ruin it for the party they're most like in a close election) and if there was someone so beloved as to swing millions of votes when they're not even in the running, they would have been the candidate in the first place. Write in ballots are such a super duper tiny ammount of the whole thing that it's irrelevant. And if it somehow did happen, the entire dynamic of how the government currently works would really fall apart due to the two party system, but I'd guess said write-in would lean more one way than the other.
Now, in local small town elections for mayor when you have a population of 100 people, sure, it could do something there…. but for president there will never be enough write ins of the same name to be statistically significant.
That said, if Ahnuld Schwarzenegger weren't an immigrant, and he hadn't done such a weak job in California, I think at the height of his popularity he could have made it as president. Or Will Smith, if he'd run before Obama.
Neither of them are qualified, and after Reagan I don't think we'll ever have another actor at the presidential level, but... there are a few personalities that could get significant write in while not being real candidates, I guess.
But never enough to win without already having been a strong frontrunner.
All rise for President Mickey Mouse and Vice President Goku.
@Medical:
What Occupy Wall Street and BLM have proven though is their ability to start a conversation. Well, the Tea Party also has that ability so that in of itself is nothing to brag about.
Starting a conversation might be good for a blog or a twitter hashtag, that doesn't get shit done.
The Tea party was pretty much able to gridlock the congress and severely kneecap Obama's agenda by getting a bunch of old white people angry and directing them to the voting booth. Occupy didn't do jack shit, instead preferring to hug it out and make stupid worthless hashtags. If they had done what the tea party had done, we'd be in a better place right now. That is the one thing I will credit the republicans for, they know how to mobilize their base to get voting results.
Edit: I misquoted someone, but my points stands, apologies.
Well, Rubio's getting eviscerated tonight.
My statement is aimed at people who think that voting doesn't matter.
So you're speaking to nobody here aside from yourself? Why? This is a forum not a blog.
Which as I have stated is a sentiment I do not believe because it's not a valid one. With that said, i'm asking people what they think because everyone has different opinions. Maybe you should learn how to read an argument coherently in one sitting rather than break it down into small bites because it's easier for your brain to comprehend.
Sorry that I assumed you hadn't trailed off into a hypothetical question soliloquy. Maybe Robby should implement a forums feature where the lights go down and a lone colorless spotlight focuses on you next time? Remember to face the audience as well and not the other actors.
I wanna hear about alternative opinions as to why people think voting/not voting is important.
That's what we're discussing lol. Damn kid, it's like your allergic to stance taking. You didn't want to have a debate between us and our differing opinions, and instead wanted to turn into a debate moderator posing questions neutrally to "the general thread"? Much like not voting you don't want to hold down an argument on your beliefs either.
It's after all, my own view/opinion. Take it as you will. But you're extremely ignorant. You agree on previous post the extent to which the wealthy have merged
No I most certainly did not agree on the extent. Considering the extent in your view is some crippling Russian oligarchy extent that renders democracy dead.
Please continue with how I'm bad at reading comprehension thanks.
you're trying to pass me off as some paranoid conspiracy theorist?
More like a lazy dismissive. Conspiracy theorists as much as I hate them are pretty invested people.
I think of it as a form of activism, not apathy.
Invisible actionless activism. The best kind of activism.
Abstaining is a conscious choice, rather for its own sake.
So is choosing whether to wipe your ass before you leave the bathroom or not, that doesn't give it some profound weight just for being a choice lol.
how is this something to be an ignorant asshole about? Because it doesn't fit smehwere in between your intellectual limit.
Because voter apathy in the first place can make chances lose, and the idea of intentional voter apathy is the ultimate form of that. Not to mention the sort of detached privilege (and I don't throw that word around lightly unlike others) it takes to choose it.
An awful lot of assumptions for someone you don't know much about?
You'll notice the question form of those questions! Or perhaps you did and chose strategically not to answer them?
Given as you don't really address my argument outside of "hurr durr your opinion is juvenile because I'm in this one piece forum with an already preconceived notion about everything so I'm just going to be an ignorant asshole to everyone that doesn't agree with me. "
Your argument is entirely comprised of vague platitudes. Its like trying to engage in a debate with a fortune cookie, there's nothing of substance. That's why I'm bringing up actual straight up issues at stake or that have been progressed on recently. I challenge your nihilism when those things are very much in flux, I also challenged your lazy extreme statements about financing with the flaming garbage piles that were the Walker campaign and the still squirming Jeb campaign. No response was given to that one, for some reason I guess.
Also I'm lost on this last bit. I don't even know how this adresses what I said as I never said otherwise, it seems like you're just trying to use red herring on my argument to leverage yours by pointing out something that I never stated wasn't important. I don't think we necessarily disagree you just lack the comprehensive ability to understand my argument. As I mentioned before voting is not an effective means to effect the status quo.
And how may I ask did any of those issues progress?
Did Obama start a land war in Asia? Like say with Iran? A country the Republicans are falling over eachother to paint as Al Qaeda North Korea.
And how did those Supreme Court justices ever get in there in that court?
How did gun control get progressed in my state (aside from an atrocity)? Why did my state accept Syrian refugees rejected from Indiana?
How did Obama manage to get healthcare through congress in the pared down form?
The little war you're talking about is exactly another reason why I'd also never join the military as well.
But you wouldn't vote lol.
Because I refuse to support the current beuracracy. Are you going to talk shit about my decision not to enlist in the army as well?
Do you not have an idea what selective service is? Christ how young are you? Don't make me feel bad if it turns out you're not even voting age yet!
(people don't expect anyone to enlist in the army, it's the possibility of draft where the choice comes up and even under Bush that was no possibility, this is the ultimate non-stance on your part)
Do I have some sort of juvenile understanding of politics and the military because I choose not to fight?
Oh wait I think your trying to compare this to voting?? How is it at all the same?
These things that you mention I'm well of ware, don't talk as if you're standing on some high ground.
High ground? It's normal ground, or even low ground. The issue is to talk as you do shows some degree of major detachment from reality and real world life stuff.
this debate is over. This just shows your intellectual limit and willingness for alternative opinions. Maybe you should stop breaking down arguments into little bits easy for you to understand and just take the time to read it all in one sitting? Or maybe take an English or philosophy class I don't know what to tell you.
Neither of those classes would help one to comprehend a damn thing about civics, economics, political science, and hard types of social science.
It would teach you how to write detached wordy platitudes though, so this is a very telling comment!
I said that in the context of people choosing to vote if only to make a difference, which cannot be justified, if the difference has a negative effect. This is all about peoples reasons for choosing to vote.
Did you skip right to college level English and skip secondary and primary English? Your grammar is hard to follow and poorly ordered. Or more likely you took Philosophy and def' weren't in on the English stuff. You're doing that opaque wordy poorly written crap that oozes out of certain Majors that are big on making thought pretzels but not on making points.
You're the same person who probably has never heard of the watergate scandal. It's okay. Your ideas of civic duty are superficial at best. What else to expect from a onepiece forums.
crying irl
You could not have possibly lived up to the "EVER HEARD OF CORRUPTION DUDE??" joke harder if you tried.
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Out of sheer curiosity, would people here keep the same speech if Tagg or Earthquake said they are voting blank?
Yes I would. Well except that I don't respond to Tagg-"start petty arguments during international tragedies"-errung anymore.
The same thing happens on the other side…
Republican base voters tend to be firmer voters, while the youth Democrats rely on less so.
Though Trump's base might in fact have lots of soft support.
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Well, Rubio's getting eviscerated tonight.
Christie finally bringing out the Jersey shit-talking, just slamming apple cheeks into the pavement.
Kasich makes a good point on "guys wouldn't our agenda be easier if we were likable?"
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Trump is sedate this time, Iowa's shaken him.
How the hell has the military been gutted?
Also Jeb brings up the old saw about people coming off better by not working and just drawing off the government. Statistically speaking, a person who is living off of the government is much more likely to be a Republican than a Democrat.
@Medical:
Just wondering, if a write-in candidate who wasn't even running actually gets more votes than any of the running candidates, does that person not running become president?
Not that it would actually happen, but just curious.
To be a valid candidate in most states, they'd have to file a letter of intent to run with the Election Commission for that state. So somebody who wasn't even running would most likely be disqualified and it'd just go to the person with the next most votes.
Hey - Hey David - Hey David - David - Hey David, business people/organized crime in Jersey left because taxes, this means that taxes should never be raised ever.
How the hell do you not carpet bomb indiscriminately?
"I would wait for Freshman Orientation to bomb the fuck out of Jihadist University."
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Jihadist U to play Alabama in the Rose Bowl.
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Deeply confused as to whether or not Rubio knows what "Sunni" is.
@Cyan:
Jihadist U to play Alabama in the Rose Bowl.
Do we really need to see Ohio State lose to another SEC school in a bowl game?
Bomb the oil and then take the oil.
Donald, do you understand what oil is?
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With a very small bomber?
If it's focused, then it stops being carpet bombing.
MacArthur and Patton, great examples of well thought-out military action.
Oh, God. Here comes the Benghazi.
Does Guest Speaker Dr. Ben Carson know the geographic positioning of either Libya or ISIS territory?
Huh, they didn't bring it up. I'm amazed.
Trump is pro-torture.
Trump '16 - Bringin' back the bed of nails!
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DING DING DING DING St. Reagan mentioned!
Reagan didn't do dick to get those hostages released; Iran just waited until he was in to humiliate Carter who had already secured their release.
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Jeb makes a pitch to the Southern states with state's rights.
I sorta feel bad for Kasich.
Ted Cruz, what do you think about an issue that you're too busy to do anything about?
Fuck you, Cruz, stop hitting really really close to home for me.
Cruz telling a sad story sounds like Dana Carvey doing his George Bush impression. It's like he's shooting for an emotion other than snide and just not getting there.
Cruz telling a sad story sounds like Dana Carvey doing his George Bush impression.
It sounds more like Paul Lynde to me.
Haha, time for misogyny!
@Cyan:
It sounds more like Paul Lynde to me.
That also works.
"When/If you face Hilary Clinton in the election, how will you make your campaign sexist as fuck?"
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DINGDINGDINGDINGDING Beeeeeennnnnnghazi!
@Cyan:
DINGDINGDINGDINGDING Beeeeeennnnnnghazi!
Still surprised that didn't come up during the Libya discussion.
Wonder how the candidates will respond to North Korea trying to show off tonight and who'll have the most riveting response.
Because filming the police is totally mistreating them!
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Cops can't do their jobs without occasional bouts of excessive force!
Heads up for those not in the know, whenever a Republican brings up "law and order" when it comes to race relations, they're really taking shots at "uppity" minorities.
Nixon loved that line.
"I created a collaborative."
Collaborative what?
@cyan:
macarthur and patton, great examples of well thought-out military action.
would general macarthur have done that policy??
I dont think so.
Now let me tell you more about how to handle the continuous problem of north korea
Rubio denies widespread discrimination against Muslims in America, apparently he wasn't around for 2001 onwards.
And there's the whining about "Christian oppression."
"NOT BEING ALLOWED TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST PEOPLE IS TOO DISCRIMINATION, YOU GUYS!"
Rubio and Cruz would not be standing on that stage if Cuban refugees had faced the same horseshit they support for Syrians.
Arguably also true of Bush having become governor of Florida.
I don't think Jeb actually knew what the Selective Service is. Not surprising considering.
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Even by Ben Carson standards, that was rambling and incoherent.
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"He's likely to be alive. Unlike a lot of people who voted for me in Iowa."
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You know who handled ransom demands right? John Paul Getty!
Due date abortions?! What the absolute FUCK????!!!
Christie brings up the wholly discredited Planned Parenthood videos.
Starting a conversation might be good for a blog or a twitter hashtag, that doesn't get shit done.
The Tea party was pretty much able to gridlock the congress and severely kneecap Obama's agenda by getting a bunch of old white people angry and directing them to the voting booth. Occupy didn't do jack shit, instead preferring to hug it out and make stupid worthless hashtags. If they had done what the tea party had done, we'd be in a better place right now. That is the one thing I will credit the republicans for, they know how to mobilize their base to get voting results.
You are underestimating the power of pressure and awareness. It goes beyond a few blogs and twitter. How do you think the federal government gets involved in a largely black city like Ferguson and finds that there was indeed systematic targeting of minorities by the police force? Protests. Demonstrations. Noise. Movement. How do you think the political conversation turns from the economy and terrorism to police brutality, racism, and the disproportionate jailing of minorities? How do you think?
Starting a conversation is not akin to getting nothing done. It's actually the first step to solving any problem because it makes people aware that there is a problem when too many people aren't. Otherwise, I agree actions speak louder than words but that's something I never contested in the first place.
Due date abortions?! What the absolute FUCK????!!!
Pretty sure that would only ever happen if the life of the mother was at risk.
Same deal with partial birth abortions, which were only ever about 1% of total abortions as a result.
Well, given who spouted that line the mental image I'm getting is of Hillary skulking around the delivery room, pillow in hand ready to smother that infant the second they pop out of the womb.
"I created a collaborative."
Collaborative what?
I have no context of what's going on here or who said it but that's hilarious. xD
Christie brings up the wholly discredited Planned Parenthood videos.
Well Carly wasn't there so…
I have no context of what's going on here or who said it but that's hilarious. xD
Kasich was talking about law enforcement and said "I created a collaborative." Multiple times in fact.
Kasich was talking about law enforcement and said "I created a collaborative." Multiple times in fact.
Maybe he thought "collaborative" was some sort of entity. Ha!
Jeb's closing statement: Hey, remember Reagan? Vote for me if you liked Ronnie!
Carson's closing statement: I'M NOT DEAD YET. I just sound like it.
Rubio's closing statement: Look at my props kids.
Ted Cruz's closing statement: Everybody hates me. And for good reason!
Trump's closing statement: Hey, Ted. Drop dead.
It was nice seeing Christie kicking on Rubio and all, but I still hope for Rubes to do damage on Trump's voters again so I hope that skewering didn't hurt him too bad.
Unless Christie wants to supplant Trump voters himself (not likely).
Rubio is still the lesser of the potential evils. I could handle Kasich and might even get a kick out of Christie going Jersey on people's asses, but neither of those will actually happen.