Voting Stright Ticket - Lazier Than Uncrustables

 

One of the recurring themes here at Beards of Fury, (BoF), is our belief that the two party system that we have does not work. Rob Faust popped the BoF cherry against the two party system with his column "Two Parties, Zero Sense," in which he pointed out votes cannot be stolen by third party candidates. I do find it funny though that the same people who are against third party candidates in the Republican party are also some of the biggest Tea Bag, er, Tea Party supporters out there. What is the Tea Party but a third party within one of the main parties? And how has that experiment gone so far? Isn't it hard to get someone elected when they have to start off their ads with "I am not a witch?" Sergio Leonard, in his piece, "My Problem with Democrats and Republicans," pointed out quite clearly that Republicans and Democrats are not really in favor or against policies per se, they are for themselves, and against their opponents, therefore, their agreeing or opposing a policy just depends on who holds the power in Washington, DC at the moment and not their conscious. Finally, our newest member of the BoF writing staff, Dave Deshawn Gosling, asked why people care about what Miley Cyrus is doing, and not so much about what our leaders are in "Apathy Kills, But I Don't Care," and are therefore content with whatever happens on Election Day. My beef with the two party system is will all of the aforementioned type of mindless zombies, and probably more so the biggest simpletons of them all in my humble opinion - the straight party ticket voter.

 At the top of our ballots, we have an option to vote for all the candidates of a particular party or "straight ticket." It's easy, you fill in that selection and voila! You're done, and, you're an idiot.

I think one of the reasons people have such a hard time supporting third party candidates is because those that despise third parties don't like individual politicians, they only like their party. All that matters to a straight ticket voter is what comes at the end of a politicians name signifying their party affiliation, whether it's a (D) or an (R). When people have the attitude of "Anyone but..." the name following the "but" wins.

Voting the "straight ticket" option to me just proves someone has not taken the time to get to learn all they can about who is running. I have particular issues that are near and dear to me. Before going to vote I research the candidates and see who best fits what I believe in, and who I think will be the best person overall for the state I reside in and our country as a whole. Sometimes, the candidate I vote for may not be the individual who is all for what I am, but to me they are still the best candidate for the job. These candidates are normally people who vote with what they think is right, and not how their party leaders tell them to vote.

Maybe people vote straight ticket without thinking because they are afraid they might like what is on the other side if they were to do some actual research before casting their vote. Rhode Island's Democrat General Treasurer, Gina Raimondo, has done a lot for pension reform. For those unfamiliar with Rhode Island, the state is the largest employer, so unions basically run it. Raimondo has shown a lot of courage standing up for what she believes, going against the grain of her own party, but a Republican straight ticket voter in RI would not know of her without doing research.
A person lazy enough to only vote for one party, time and time again, no matter what their candidates pledge, really should move to a country run by a dictator. At least then, they will be able to vote one way 24/7, unless they want to lose one of several body parts.