Vote or Die!!!

[GonzoStyle]

Undoubtably this election has basically been as dead even as any except maybe the last election dubya was in, atleast it looks like it is. The youth have been pushed harder than ever to register and to vote, all these programs and rallies by everyone from puffy to michael moore to MTV, etc has signed up millions of youth to register.

The main question ofcourse is, well should people especially uninformed youth which I would not be too far off to accuse the MTV crowds of being... well should they even be forced to vote?

The next question is that people are expecting a record turn out at the polls, basically the youth vote is mainly a battle cry to vote for anyone but bush, most of these kids are gonna vote cause puffy told them or beyonce or tony hawk or eminem. They aren't voting for kerry they are voting for the guy who isn't Bush cause they've been told Bush is awful, which I am not arguing wether he is or isn't.

But every award show, every special on VH1 and MTV has basically had artists and entertainers break "character" to all of a sudden tell people how important it is to vote. I knew something was up when Lil' John put down his pimp cup and got all serious on the camera during a red carpet thing for some MTV show. This from the skeet, skeet, skeet guy. Some of the tactics have been pretty tacky, namely the most well known one of "Vote or die" by Puffy, which is a tad extreme.

The other thought is that half if not probably more of these kids will not even show up, registration doesn't count unless you show up at the booth on tuesday. Most kids will vote with whatever entertainer they love says, many will vote cause they actually are informed or atleast we hope so. But many will just not show up cause they were either forced or pressured into signing up at some MTV rally when they were just there to pick up chicks, meet carson daily, or get a sign on TV asking jessica simpson to marry them.

Just some random thoughts, maybe i'm wrong.

[Galt]

The reading tests that they used to administer in the 1800s in an attempt to prevent newly freed slaves from voting has some merit. Not from a racist standpoint obviously, but in order to prevent people who don't know anything from mucking up the results. The American populace is largely unfit to govern themselves. Everyone is stupid and reactionary and so weakminded that their vote will be decided by which of the candidates they hear from last.

I bet Michael Moore or some of his minions get arrested (and rightfully so) for interviewing/harrassing people waiting to vote and election officials.

The "record turnout" will be muted because of the insane lines and people not willing to waste a day to cast a vote. I read they are expecting 3-hour lines in Florida. 19-year old kids aren't going to waste 3 hours to vote. Ditto for lazy idiots. Or poor people who get paid by the hour and can't afford such a break. All of whom tend to vote democrat. However, old people don't have anything better to do with their time, and so they'll wait. And old people tend to vote Republican.

The stock market will go up on Wednesday no matter who is elected. So many people just assuming that there will be recounts and we won't know the results for months. I think it's very improbable that we'll have a repeat of 2000, and so if we know who's going to be President after Tomorrow, the market will treat it well.

I really don't like Bush and like Kerry a little less personality-wise. But I honestly don't really care if either one wins. They won't affect my day-to-day life that much one way or another. The only reason I want Bush to win is because there are so many people who just DESPISE Bush that it will make them want to kill themselves if he wins. And anything that brings misery to others makes me feel good.

[diceisgod]

This whole problem can be solved with one fucking pop-up banner.

[Hoon]

I think our forefathers were more concerned with informed voting rather than just aimless, fashionable voting for the sake of voting. An idea which Sean Colmbs and MTV are pushing for.

Patriot Act, shit...
People should be more concerned with MTV's controlling of our youth rather than the government.

[Rooner]

I think you should have to take a test to have the right to vote. I should be like getting a drivers license.

[GonzoStyle]

I agree with Galt on the moore and his supporters observation, it won't be strictly them either who will try to disrupt things though. I also couldn't agree more on the reactionary tendancies many people today have. People are so easily swayed it's frightening, like sheep. One minute they support bush or kerry, next minute they support someone else and its never on the most important aspects and thats their policies, views and stances on important issues. They are swayed by people like Michael Moore and their documentaries, they are swayed by what celebrity is supporting who, they are swayed by what some commentator says or the most ridiculous thing is when they are swayed by how one of the candidates "Acts".

I have seen many pieces on the news and other programs where they poll people and ask them why they are voting for whoever. I have heard so many people say "I'm voting for Bush cause I saw kerry speak and he wasn't funny" or something to that nature... when the fuck did the president have to be funny? what the fuck is this the presidential election or last comic standing?

Now I in no way think that the michael moore documentaries, the bill maher shows, the MTV stuff shouldn't be done or have an influence on the voters. BUT it should not so adversly change your opinion that you go and change your mind, you should have known in t he first place why you chose a candidate and these commentators should only make your choice more valid to you.

Anyone who saw farenheit 9/11 and is voting against Bush cause of that should not vote cause nothing in the documentary was mind blowing, it was basically stuff people knew. Ofcourse there was a lot of info in it and percise examples but it wasn't groundbreaking.

But people are unfortunatly so easily swayed but the worst offenders are people who vote based on the funny angle or the personal angle. People who say shit like "well bush seems like a cool guy who you could have a beer with"... You're not gonna have beer with Dubya, I don't care if the president if funny or cool, his job is to be well informed, unbiased and a leader, not a frat guy.

I do agree that the recruitment stuff is done by a lot of people to feed their egos, get in the spotlight or seem like they made a difference. The fact is that if you weren't gonna vote, you shouldn't be persuaded to cause its probably a good idea that you don't. If you were too lazy to register or maybe just didnt have the time and you did cause there was a rally then maybe its a good thing and you should vote. The rally's are fine but show up cause you care and are well informed and not cause someones gonna sing a song or you'll be on TV.

[Goatweed]

voting is for suckers!!!

[PatCooper]

the other day i turned on mtv and saw David Banner walking through a southern hood with some young black male asking him what he thought of the canidates and if he was voting and all this crap. And in the background you see a bunch of homies flashing gang signs. The majority of the people that aren't registered voters should stay that way. My opinion.

[Keyser Soze]

thankfully we are not a democracy, but a representative republic. if everyone really had a chance to voice their opinion on who should be president, i fear it might be clint black or one of dem country folk that 70% of the US is comprised of.

[GonzoStyle]

Well it's just sad that people are so careless and uninformed of not just the world around them but of their own country. The main focus of the election is iraq, theres no way around it. But just as so many people still think that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and things of that nature, people think that if Kerry gets in office he will automatically on his first day just stop the war, the war will be over. Kerry on the other hand actually wants to send more troops, ofcourse he wants to involve more countries and have them send troops as well but he's not for stopping the war, he's just against how the war was started and like many of us the terms of which we originally thought we were going to war weren't true, as well as the fact there is really no plan for iraq.

I am not supporting bush or kerry on this or wether the war was good or bad or any of that. But I have seen people time and time again say on these programs that they dont support the war and will vote kerry so we can leave iraq, when in reality thats so far from what he's planning on doing.

We're stuck in iraq now for the long run from the looks of it, it has been almost a year and half since Bush landed on the ship with his GI Joe outfit on declaring the major fighting was over, when it hasnt stopped since and has only intensified.

It's not a matter of Bush will continue the war and kerry will stop the war, it's who you think can do a better job with the war in iraq cause the war hasn't ended, saddam is gone but the war ain't over by a long shot.

[Galt]

Keyser says "representative republic" more than Grumpy said "meatflaps"

[Hoon]

I fear the teeny bopper faction that Leonardo Dicaprio is trying to stir up.
Voting and hormones should be kept seperate.

[GonzoStyle]

all these media and entertainment outlets should be nothing more than a reassurance of a stance you already have taken from educating yourself, if you vote for kerry cause of the new eminem video that's just pathetic.

[Hoon]

And anyone's who's swayed by old farts trying to jump start their career under the guise of being "unaplogeticly outspoken and brave", like John Cougar Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen or Michael J. (J stands for juttery) Fox..
Should be forced to watch a Fear Factor marathon

[GonzoStyle]

I think the country music folk are the worst to be honest, atleast as far as musicians go.

[2 tired 2 give N F]

I was really dissappointed at Eminem with that video. Just didn't seem like his style. Also I thought the song sucked.

[GonzoStyle]

Well it is in his style, he's been against bush and has wrote songs in the past about him and cheyney. Even on his last album the tracks like "white america" and "square dance" and those were very good songs. I am honestly glad to see music take a stance, it is actually something greatly missing from our society today. That's not what I am arguing though, when you had athletes and musicians in the 60's and 70's making statements atleast they were informed and the people were with them cause they understood what was going on.

I think we need people who have a voice like eminem to speak out for us cause our voices unfortunatly aren't heard by the masses.

But when someone votes based off a song or film and only off that, then its a problem. Everyone needs and should identify with the culture and cultural figures but they shouldnt be the mandate by which you choose your leaders.

[2 tired 2 give N F]

What about ignorant statements in songs like Jadakiss saying 'why did bush knock down the towers?' or 'why you gotta do 85% of your time?'

Bush did not knock down the towers...747's did.

You should have to do 100% of you time regardless of the crime.

Songs like that affect this group of people we're talkin about and they're annoying as hell.

[GonzoStyle]

Well that also is a direct reflection of the argument we're having surrounding our society being misinformed, most of the musicians are as well and they don't do it for the right reasons either, they do it for the shock value or to get some press which worked for jadakiss. Though jada said he didn't literally mean Bush knocked down the towers, he meant it as more like he let us down etc etc, it was bullshit ofcourse.

Eminem has always been outspoken against many political figures, plus he has the intelligence and the gift of wordplay to do it.

Though I must admit the chorus kinda irks me, he coulda done a bit more than rhyme mush and bush.

It's not all roses, you got the jadakiss and beastie boys types who don't really do it well and then you got the types like eminem, talib kweli and krs-one who can.

It's the same as society.

[2 tired 2 give N F]

Jada and Beastie enjoy more time in the spotlight of MTV than Talib and KrS though. So it's a 2 bullshitters for 1 well informed person ratio...not very good for the VOTE OR DIE push. This means that ignorance could determine the election. Anyone but Bush is all I hear just like you guys said. Agree or disagree with Bush I think that's a shitty way of looking at the election.