open-ended question about the upcoming election

[NOLA556]

I just don't know what to believe anymore. That's kind of the reason I posted the thread, just to get some feedback from you guys. I'm not trying to purvey any message with the thread, I meant the title to be literal. It's open-ended.

I began "waking up" shortly after the '08 elections so I never really paid much attention to politics before that so I don't have any previous experience with national elections to refer back to. (I'm only 24, it's not like I have decades of life experience to refer back to either)

I just don't know what the fuck to think, or what I should do. I hate Romney like the day is long, no less than I hate our current dictator. The only thing that has me thinking is the common sentiment that "the Republicans are taking us down the same path, just at a slightly slower rate". I agree with that analysis, and as much as I hate Romney, he MAY, JUST MAYBE, buy us enough time to get to 2016 without a full scale collapse. Or... like Crudos said, maybe the "imminent collapse" fear-driven mentality really HAS been around for a long time. There have been doomsayers preaching about WW3 and imminent collapse since... well since WW2. My only quarrel with Crudos here is that WHAT IF this is really it. The real deal. I'd hate to brush off this looming fear of WW3 right at the moment when I should truly be worrying about it. There's just no telling what our "rulers" will do, which is partly what makes this prepping game so frustrating.

And EJR, I share your sentiment about individual votes not really counting for much, but I think you're overblowing it just a bit. If it really doesn't count for ANYTHING, then why are you going to waste your time in November? So you can tell your grandkids that you participated in the dog-and-pony-show like a good American? If you really believed 100% of what you're saying, then right now as I type this you'd be going full-retard and finding out where your Senators live. (of course, I'm just humorously making a point, you all know I'm not condoning any such activity)

anyway, I just wanted to give you guys a little insight into what's running through my thoughts right now regarding this topic. I'm extremely frustrated because I can't trust ANY information source, thus making it impossible to weigh my political options. I don't know whether to give up on Paul or keep up the fight all the way to Tampa, throw away my vote on Johnson (I don't dislike Johnson, but the mainstream is right on this one, a vote for Johnson is, in reality, a vote for Obama. Sure you can be proud to have voted on principal, which is respectable, but splitting up the GOP vote just puts mein Fuhrer right back into office), or to hold my nose, suppress my gag reflex, and cast my vote for Romney...

I just don't know what the fuck I should do at this point. I can continue to scream RON PAUL 2012!!!! from the fucking rooftops, but in the end, I'm getting a growing feeling that I'm just jerking myself off.

[JohnyMac]

NOLA,
would you vote for a Romney/ Rand Paul ticket?

[NOLA556]

NOLA,
would you vote for a Romney/ Rand Paul ticket?

I've recently lost alot of respect for Rand. My gut tells me he's far more corruptible than his father. He spoke at something called the "Faith and Freedom" rally (or something like that) and said alot of cool stuff, but one thing he said that disgusted me was "Obama just came out in support of gay marriage, I didn't think his policies could get any gayer"...

On it's face, the comment is actually pretty funny. I support gay people's rights, but at the same time, I'm not at all PC, so I got a chuckle out of it. It's not that particular comment that bothered me, rather, his willingness to conform to whatever crowd he happens to be speaking to. Like a grade-A politician.

So to answer your question, no, a Rand Paul VP scenario wouldn't make me any more likely to vote for Romney. Rand has disappointed me in a major way.

[EJR914]

And EJR, I share your sentiment about individual votes not really counting for much, but I think you're overblowing it just a bit. If it really doesn't count for ANYTHING, then why are you going to waste your time in November? So you can tell your grandkids that you participated in the dog-and-pony-show like a good American? If you really believed 100% of what you're saying, then right now as I type this you'd be going full-retard and finding out where your Senators live. (of course, I'm just humorously making a point, you all know I'm not condoning any such activity)

anyway, I just wanted to give you guys a little insight into what's running through my thoughts right now regarding this topic. I'm extremely frustrated because I can't trust ANY information source, thus making it impossible to weigh my political options. I don't know whether to give up on Paul or keep up the fight all the way to Tampa, throw away my vote on Johnson (I don't dislike Johnson, but the mainstream is right on this one, a vote for Johnson is, in reality, a vote for Obama. Sure you can be proud to have voted on principal, which is respectable, but splitting up the GOP vote just puts mein Fuhrer right back into office), or to hold my nose, suppress my gag reflex, and cast my vote for Romney...

I just don't know what the fuck I should do at this point. I can continue to scream RON PAUL 2012!!!! from the fucking rooftops, but in the end, I'm getting a growing feeling that I'm just jerking myself off.

I'm not overblowing anything.  Voting on the National level is really just like a ritual, nothing more, nothing less.  I do it, to give homage to the shadow, a relic, of the former Republic of the United States of America.  I know it useless, and to be honest, I'm not convinced I will go and vote in November, because I know my vote doesn't count one ounce at all.  I guess it might make me FEEL good, to vote for principle, but I know it is nothing more than a FEEL GOOD action, and actually has no REAL effect on the election at all.

If anything, it can be described as a protest vote.  A vote against the path that the US is on.

[JohnyMac]

Please keep in mind when you go to the voting booth in Nov you are voting for a lot more then a man filling a slot; you are voting for:

> New appointees to the Supreme Court
> You are voting for recommended Federal judges to district courts
> You are voting for US Congressmen/women (Senate and House)
> In many cases you are voting for governors
> You are voting for local state legislatures,

Do I need to go on???

You don't like Romney (I certainly don't) however I do not want Barry recommending new members to the Supreme and District courts. IMO the courts are the guard dogs preventing the hoards from coming in the door. That is why they are appointed to life positions and do not have to face reelections.

I am getting wordy here and I am sorry. I am just trying to say your vote is more important then you think.

[crudos]

JM, I agree with your assessment on the importance of voting for local and state elections. Often they effect you and me alot more than the Presidential election does. Still not voting for Romney though. 

[WhiskeyJack]

Obama= what is probably the most direct route to TSHTF.
Romney = a slow lingering death.

It's a matter of which flavor of pain you prefer.

Not that i agree toatally. but on this comment ill say i prefer the slow lingering decline. It buys me more time to prepare and to open the eys of others. But on the whole i see the same shit just in different piles.

[EJR914]

Please keep in mind when you go to the voting booth in Nov you are voting for a lot more then a man filling a slot; you are voting for:

> New appointees to the Supreme Court
> You are voting for recommended Federal judges to district courts
> You are voting for US Congressmen/women (Senate and House)
> In many cases you are voting for governors
> You are voting for local state legislatures,

Do I need to go on???

You don't like Romney (I certainly don't) however I do not want Barry recommending new members to the Supreme and District courts. IMO the courts are the guard dogs preventing the hoards from coming in the door. That is why they are appointed to life positions and do not have to face reelections.

I am getting wordy here and I am sorry. I am just trying to say your vote is more important then you think.

Voting locally, like county or city level (you should be trying to get out of a city, not matter how small) and then State level actually probably does do some good.  My Congressmen and Senators on the National level just do not change out BY VOTE.  The only way the change is when they drop out, and then a new criminal comes into office for as long as they want, voting them out is just as impossible as voting Ron Paul or Gary Johnson, in the president slot.  Of course, unless they want to be out of office.

So vote on the State level and county level is good, but the National level is a lost cause, IMHO.

[JohnyMac]

Cool Crudos and EJR...I am glad you are going to vote for your local and state communities.  [URL=http://www.smileyvault.co