Monday, February 13, 2012

Discussion Question #3: How to Get Out the Vote?

What would you say to someone to convince him that his vote counts?

I wrote "The 2012 Iowa Caucus" (see my January 22 post) to show that every vote counts. The day after the caucus, Romney was found to have won by only 8 votes. I wondered how rotten the Santorum supporters must've felt--those who planned to go but didn't make it to the caucus because they were rushing or not feeling well or busy with dinner. I made up names and towns for these 8 voters so that they would seem more real. As it turned out, there was a miscount and Santorum won by a few dozen votes, but still: only a few dozen. I think this is a great example of "every vote counts"!

My new friend Leonard says we need to remind voters: a vote for the president is a vote for a Supreme Court judge who will make decisions affecting us for a very long time.

What could you say to someone to get them to vote?

3 comments:

  1. I tell women and minorities that as a right to vote this is important. We had too many people die and suffer for our right to vote. Many people was killed for showing up at the poll places so don't let our ancestors feel that their sacrifice was not worth it. I found people not argue but went and voted when they realize how much went into getting right to vote.

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  2. It really makes you feel that you matter in our world and society voting because United States is one of a few that can vote freely without dictatorship and the need to express vote lets our voices be heard.

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  3. So true, so very true, Betty! My friend Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, author of THE F-WORD: FEMINISM IN JEOPARDY, says the same thing in her book (which has become a college campus classic): too many young women and girls don't realize the enormous sacrifices made by women to secure our right to vote. We need to vote out of gratitude, if nothing else!

    Thank you for posting and please come back every couple of weeks to see my new posts!

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