User comments, IRL

[wheel]

I'm campaigning in a small rural town for a local election. I'm going door to door, thought I'd share a couple 'user comments' I've had so far.

Guy opens the door, grabs my card, looks at it and comes out with "do you support capital punishment"? Really? You're asking me this for local government? Why yes, in fact, let's put up some gallows in the downtown area for friday night entertainment.

"I want a park for my dog. And change the name of the street, because there's someone with that name in the papers right now. But they won't change the name because it's a women's issue. And how come that grocery store had to close? Also, my taxes are too high". I guess I shouldn't campaign in my Santa Claus suit. This same person also told her dog to bite me. Twice. Haha. Only joking.

Snatches my card without saying a word. Looks at it. Throws it back at me and says "Keep it. I've already made up my mind." OoooK then. Is that what you want me to say if I get elected and you come to session with problems? I've made up my mind, so don't bother talking to me? I bet that makes things simpler.

Anyway, I'm off to do some more knocking on doors.

[Propools]

Can I send in an absentee ballot for you?

[Staffa]

Good luck on polling day !

[Old_Honky]

I have often thought that universal suffrage is not necessarily a good thing. There should be some sort of qualifying examination before people are licensed to vote. This would be designed simply to identify our understanding of the political process and our ability to recognise who we are voting for.

In the UK after the last general election a TV station showed voters pictures of various national politicians and asked them who they were, what they stood for and which party they represented. The results were appalling. Yet all these people voted, IMHO they should not have the right to vote if they don't have a clue who or what they are voting for.

My late mother told me that before she got married she always voted labour because her father did, then after she got married she always voted conservative because my father did. There are thousands of families where this behaviour is normal. My maternal grandmother once told me she was going to vote for "that nice Mr Wilson" because "he has such a lovely smile".

So democracies if they are to truly reflect the wishes of the people should bring in in qualified voting and furthermore once qualified to vote, voting should be compulsory.

I am sure that most readers of this forum will have already have formed an opinion about Wheel's views from reading the many posts over the years. Most of us would I am sure vote for him, and a few who disagree with some of his views may not. Voters on the doorstep who are not even prepared to read literature or engage in a meaningful conversation cannot have any basis to vote other than their preconceptions and predjudices.