Might not vote 2021

[GordonS]

3 hours ago, BFTD said:

The really odd thing is that Labour seem to have abandoned their core vote and are chasing the Tory vote, the party who are (theoretically) their diametric opposites and appeal to fewer than 15% of registered voters in Scotland. Not to mention working with the Tories against the party that the majority of their support has been lost to.

Genuinely, they have no reason to still exist, other than to provide high-paid employment to a diminishing number of people with no convictions.

Labour aren't going after new Tories, they're going after old-school Scottish Tories, the kind of party that someone like Hugo Rifkind would vote for. Economically slightly right of centre but socially liberal, and obviously opposed to independence.

2 hours ago, Pato said:

Is that good guy/w**k thing real or just another urban myth?

People who were at the count say it happened.

[GordonS]

Just now, SandyCromarty said:

You are correct, the Scottish Green Party is Independent but work closely with the other green parties of the UK and Ireland, The Green Party of england, the Northern Ireland Green Party, and it is a full member of the European Green Party.

Meanwhile the SNP is Scottish based with no political affiliation or influences from outside Scotland.  

The Scottish Greens don't work closely with the Green Party of E&W, in fact they're not getting on too well these days. The English are mostly bunny-huggers and yoghurt-knitters, the Scottish are much more socialist. I don't think the Scottish Greens are much closer to their English cousins than the SNP are to Plaid. 

Until getting punted out of the European Parliament the SNP was a member of the same European party as the Greens, and intends to be again as soon as we can rejoin.

[BFTD]

2 minutes ago, GordonS said:

Labour aren't going after new Tories, they're going after old-school Scottish Tories, the kind of party that someone like Hugo Rifkind would vote for. Economically slightly right of centre but socially liberal, and obviously opposed to independence.

An even smaller subset? f**k me.

They should go after the Lib Dem vote to solidify their hold on third. Plus, it would be like an intervention. Amazing anyone still votes for them.

[Fullerene]

23 hours ago, Suspect Device said:

Could drawing a cock and balls on the voting slip really achieve anything?

Could putting a X against any of the useless fuckers really achieve anything better?

Choices choices choices.

 

 

(I will probably still vote SNP/Green)

Warning: If the drawing fits inside the box then it counts as a vote FOR that person.  That happened to a UKIP candidate at least once.

[NotThePars]

4 hours ago, Pato said:

I'd never vote for conservatives & see them as by far the bigger threat to our continued living standards but I don't really see what's meriting all the red dots on this post. It's a reasonably stated desire to achieve the same things that independence supporters want, just without seeing independence as the way to achieve it.

I agree on ballot spoiling. There was a great Modern Parents in viz where the dad has this fantasy about his spoiled ballot being traced to him and being asked to lead the country because he was so witty, I half think that's what a lot of them think could happen.

I first worked out Sam Kriss was an insincere grifter when he posted a picture of his spoiled ballot where he'd drawn the worst hammer and sickle I'd ever seen.

4 hours ago, Pato said:

Misreading instructions would be the big one. People sometimes rank candidates assuming it's an STV system, or cross both constituency and list votes in the constituency candidates selection. My grandad's signature would often be an inch or two away from where the line was so I can well imagine it was possible his cross would not be definitely attributable to one box. We have no data on whether it's a confusion/dodderiness thing or an explicit statement of rejection, which probably suits some folk.

I love that episode of Veep where they do the recount and Dan and Amy argue that the "f**k SELINA MEYER" ballot constitutes a vote because they can make out a comma after the 'f**k' which acts as an endorsement as opposed to a denouncement.

1 hour ago, SandyCromarty said:

 

Meanwhile the SNP is Scottish based with no political affiliation or influences from outside Scotland.  

I mean this is definitely not true and it would be bad if it was anyway. The Scottish Greens are undoubtedly a Scottish party and it's fine if they work closely with other parties given they have a shared participation in the same institutions with those parties.

[NotThePars]

1 hour ago, GordonS said:

The Scottish Greens don't work closely with the Green Party of E&W, in fact they're not getting on too well these days. The English are mostly bunny-huggers and yoghurt-knitters, the Scottish are much more socialist. I don't think the Scottish Greens are much closer to their English cousins than the SNP are to Plaid. 

Until getting punted out of the European Parliament the SNP was a member of the same European party as the Greens, and intends to be again as soon as we can rejoin.

The English Greens chose People's Vote over the Green New Deal so they should be roundly laughed out of left circles until the climate apocalypse hits. Utter welts.

[Fullerene]

4 hours ago, BFTD said:

Seems to be a bit of confusing with regard to spoiling your ballot; the point is to register the fact that you think all the candidates are shite. Any attempt at amusing additions are purely for the bored volunteers having to count them. It's entirely unnecessary to brag about drawing willies to your mates, and anyone who does so is clearly a w**k.

I doubt there are really any elections where every candidate is crap.  It is in the interest of the worst candidates to suggest everybody else is just as bad.  Voter suppression of sorts.

[The Golden God]

It amazes me the amount of people that don’t vote. I know a lot of idiots but I’d like to think it’s less than 30% of everyone I’ve met. I don’t think they’re all protest non votes I think there is just a lot of people who are simply too stupid or too disengaged to even realise what’s going on which is remarkable given the increase in social media, how can you not know at least a small thing about politics in your own country? I think all ballot papers that are submitted should be counted, even if someone simply takes their paper and puts it in the box unmarked. A none of the above option would be good and would hopefully show that many people are actually engaged in politics but cannot bring themselves to vote for whatever reason and maybe the politicians would actually do something to change that, rather than just bury their head in the sand and say x amount of people just don’t care about politics at all.

[BFTD]

39 minutes ago, Fullerene said:

I doubt there are really any elections where every candidate is crap.  It is in the interest of the worst candidates to suggest everybody else is just as bad.  Voter suppression of sorts.

By "shite", I'm just meaning that you don't agree with any of the candidates.

I'm sure there are plenty of excellent Tory MPs that are really good at their job*, for example, but I'll never be voting for them  

* I don't mean representing their constituents, BTW. That's not their job.

[SANTAN]

10 minutes ago, The Golden God said:

It amazes me the amount of people that don’t vote. I know a lot of idiots but I’d like to think it’s less than 30% of everyone I’ve met. I don’t think they’re all protest non votes I think there is just a lot of people who are simply too stupid or too disengaged to even realise what’s going on which is remarkable given the increase in social media, how can you not know at least a small thing about politics in your own country? I think all ballot papers that are submitted should be counted, even if someone simply takes their paper and puts it in the box unmarked. A none of the above option would be good and would hopefully show that many people are actually engaged in politics but cannot bring themselves to vote for whatever reason and maybe the politicians would actually do something to change that, rather than just bury their head in the sand and say x amount of people just don’t care about politics at all.

One of my mates is quite uninterested and doesn't vote, he says he would support Indy because he likes Nicola Sturgeon, I like to remind him how futile voting is..  

[HeartsOfficialMoaner]

Lots of people don't vote because they are drug users and can't vote for people that want to send them to prison.

[Ira Gaines]

Chris McEleney potentially being selected here for the SNP would have probably ensured me sitting in the house, so I do have sympathy for people who decide they're not voting.

[BFTD]

7 minutes ago, HeartsOfficialMoaner said:

Lots of people don't vote because they are drug users and can't vote for people that want to send them to prison.

One of the most bizarre features of recent elections has been people voting for parties who do not have their interests at heart  

I can't be arsed looking, but do we not have any parties in favour of the decriminalisation of illegal drugs? The Greens, maybe?

[Fullerene]

1 hour ago, BFTD said:

By "shite", I'm just meaning that you don't agree with any of the candidates.

I'm sure there are plenty of excellent Tory MPs that are really good at their job*, for example, but I'll never be voting for them  

* I don't mean representing their constituents, BTW. That's not their job.

I think we are on the same page.  Those people who suggest all politicians are crooks are playing into the hands of those politicians who actually are crooks. 

Like you I would never vote Tory but I realise that some people join other parties with the best of intentions and not just self advancement.

[GordonS]

4 hours ago, Pato said:

I just noticed Natalie Bennett is now in the house of lords!

A very good example of the difference between the parties. Jenny Jones, formerly their 2012 candidate for Mayor of London, is also there.

Can't imagine Lord Harvie of Kelvinside any time soon.

[jamamafegan]

I don't really see what's meriting all the red dots on this post.

Because he’s voting Tory and the Tories are fucking scum.

[Fullerene]

55 minutes ago, jamamafegan said:

Because he’s voting Tory and the Tories are fucking scum.

 

My opinion of the Tories is about the same as yours but you can't ask why anyone would vote for them and then red dot anyone who dares to answer your question.

[Baxter Parp]

12 minutes ago, Fullerene said:

My opinion of the Tories is about the same as yours but you can't ask why anyone would vote for them and then red dot anyone who dares to answer your question.

Anyone that votes Tory is either fucking rich or fucking stupid.  There's no need to ask why, we know already.

[vikingTON]

5 hours ago, Andre Drazen said:

Chris McEleney potentially being selected here for the SNP would have probably ensured me sitting in the house, so I do have sympathy for people who decide they're not voting.

He was never getting on the constituency as McMillan (not exactly brain of Britain either) is a sitting MSP. But him sitting number 5 on the list is just about enough to keep his chances of election low.

I'll certainly use my first vote to keep out the latest grasping, grace and favour Labour fuckwit, who has no other aim in life than claiming their rightful lifetime stint as Inverclyde representative like some ancien regime noble, but the second vote is a quandary. You'd think that a benefit of the list system is that you can make a free philosophical choice with no other consideration, but like the current Morton squad, it seems to be just stacked with countless options that are all dung.

I don't see an excellent reason on recent performance to give both votes to the SNP, although if the polls tighten somewhat to suggest they could lose a constituency or two then this would be decisive. That would require a Labour revival though rather than just some East Coast Tories regenerating though. The Greens are a mixed bag of sound ideas and risible, middle class/student union nonsense - and the fact that posturing bully victim Greer stands for the West region means it's a likely no from me. There's a significant gap still left by the SSP for a radical pro-independence party in this part of the country, that neither current mainstream party represents effectively.

Edited March 21, 2021 by vikingTON

[Baxter Parp]

2 hours ago, virginton said:

I don't see an excellent reason on recent performance to give both votes to the SNP

Do you want independence?