Vote Swapping/ Nader Trader

hi all
I just swapped my vote! Since voting for Kerry in Utah is like stopping a semi with a fly I am trading a Nader vote in Ohio with mine. So now this Ohio-ite (Ohioan?) will vote for Kerry and I'll vote Nader and we'll both be actually making a difference instead of pissing in the wind. (i'm full of 'em)
Check it out at www.voteswap.com
It's perfectly legal
and they have a cool website too
Becca

 

Can I swap my vote for a blowjob?

 

Luckily California says it's a safe state so Nader is a good choice to write in. Thanks for the web link though

 

That's a good idea, I hope it is utilized more widely.

 

I usually agree with you, Becca, but I do not think it is wise to assume that a state will positively go for ANY candidate. THis idea could well spell disaster. And a OTHER victory for Bush.

One of two guys will be president. If you WANT Bush out of the White House don't vote third party! There are NO guarentees.

 

There's 9,000 registered now and more than 3,000 are from my state, Utah because we are SO sick of being completely ignored by the candidates. Salt Lake City is a half-demo and big 3rd party oasis in a desert of conservative thinking. This movement is really cool, I watched the stats on the website for Utah double in a day because the Mayor of Salt Lake Rocky Anderson said yesterday he is pairing his vote, and it was in all the news.
Now we need more Floridians, Pennsylvanians, Iowans, Ohios , and other swing states to pair with!! Sorry California I'm glad the stat-watching is fun 'cause they haven't paired one person there yet, and they might not. Don't want to shoot themselves in the foot, I guess.
Woo-hoo, down w/Bush, up with progressives!
B

 

What if this throws the election Bush's way, Becca?

I think it is very dangerous to assume there is such a thing as "safe state" which are "safe" to go for Kerry. More than 8,000 could WELL throw the election. What if one of those "safe states" swings towards Bush due to all the Nader votes?

This entire idea is very unwise, IMO.

 

Its not fair that we should feel forced to vote for eatehr one of tehm. if everyone just voted for the right person instead of voting to throw the other person nader may have a chance or someone else for that matter but polotics are gross. Bush will probably get elected and it's gross. And he will probably do it in a slime ball way.

 

Maggie Sugar, it OK to disagree, but I still think I'm right! If you look at the stats they aren't pairing people from states assumed "safe" for Kerry, or at least only one in every 1,000 registrants. and states that are "safe" for Bush they're only pairing the ones that are 25% or more safe. Bush in Utah is, according to polls, 37% ahead of Kerry.
Basically, this movement will help Kerry AND help third parties. And I'm a Green at heart anyway, just have felt obligated to vote Demo so to vote anti-Repub all of my voting life.
You should read their FAQ, they've really got their heads screwed on IMO.
B

 

I've traded my Gay Marriage vote for a Decriminalization of Marijuana vote. Is that what you mean? I have no problem with Gay marriage, The other person had no problem with Hippies or marijuana to begin with. It's a Win-Win thing.

 

I've never heard of that one Matt! I'd just vote for both, which I have to do this election. I'm voting against the "Marriage Amendment" which is probably going to pass and then be declared US UnConstitional so Utah looks like a bunch of idiots and Utah has a referendum in the works to make peyote legal on reservations, which I hope is one step away from making pot legal.
Anyway, according to votepair's research, your state is a swing state with a 2.3 % lead for Bush. 13 people have signed up to pair votes and all of them have been paired. Utah needs you because there a lot of folks that want to swap IF you were planning on voting for a 3rd party. If you were planning on voting for Kerry anyway, votepair is not for you. And if you're a 3rd party supporter, it would really help to write a letter to the editor so to get more people to the website.

Again, vote pairing is only for swing staters who were planning on voting 3rd party but are willing to vote Kerry (to defeat Bush) and for really Red Staters (Bush shoe-ins) who were planning to vote Kerry but are willing to vote 3rd party to help the cause of party reform.

Two types of people unite!
Obviously, I'm just rearing to go on this thing

Becca

 

I do not beleive that we can predict "safe states." I think these this idea is delusional and dangerous. If we could predict, we woudn't need the election.

WHAT IF your "swaps" pushed the election Bush's way? It is going to be CLOSE! You have the right to do what you want, but there is no such thing as a sure thing, and I think this idea is walking on REALLY THIN ICE.

BTW, the Defense of Marraige act doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of passing. It is just W's brown nosing the far Right.

 

They are not my swaps-- I am merely one voice in a movement. Ifeel lucky enough, and it is rare to feel like a lucky Democrat living in THIRTY-SEVEN PERCENT LED Utah, to be able to vote for a progressive candidate without the fear of it actually helping Bush. I mean, there may be some play in the numbers, but if you lived here you'd know how entrenched the general populace is in conservative 'values' and 'principles'.
But Maggie, you are voting Kerry by your own declaration. This movement is not for you, nor does it affect you unless you are a. jealous of a progressive movement that doesn't include such a progressive thinker such as yourself, b. not an advocate of progressive parties and content with a 2party system, or c. really really scared of
bush winning, so scared you won't even research the statistics on this and see that they are sound. Or, d. ?
But I appreciate your responses, and if you have any anti-votepair documents you can share here, please do.
b

 

I live in Texas, and Texas is almost sure to go for Bush, but I am voting Kerry anyways to help Kerry with the popular vote.

 

And how can you be sure if someone will actualy trade with you ...you go put your vote in for some creep and then then other person has lied and votes for who they want

 

Since we don't have Instant Runoff Voting -- this is society's sad attempt at a bandage to get the same effect. I applaud the effort, although there are a lot of possibilities for corruption.

At the same time though, it will take a huge movement to impliment IRV voting.

It just shows though that there is a need to change the current electoral system.

 

Thought I'd show off my new sig see if it worked, and I'll keep it updated till the election so you can see what kind of difference it's making.

 

i think its good that progressives are being creative. my question would be the same as apples, how can you trust your trading partner....sounds like something republicans would corrupt...i assume everyone registered is checked for affiliation?

 

Maggie, we're talking UTAH here. Bush is up by over 30% there! Kerry ain't gonna win UT, no matter WHAT!

The worst thing the swaps are gonna do is give Bush a slightly bigger margin than he is already going to get. I think it is a win-win temporary solution to a very real fault with the electoral process. Take a few percent away from Kerry (who isn't going to win the state anyway), and use it to boost the vote for REAL progressive alternatives. Kerry gets added votes from would-be Nader/Cobb voters in swing states (where it CAN make a difference).

Kerry wins, Bush loses, and third parties pick up enough votes to get ballot access next time around. What is the problem with that?

 

one step at a time.
kucinich would have been the right choice but just look how that went apple. right here on the forums he had very little support...what was the mantra? he dosen't have a chance....and now the same people are all for nader. and nader is weak as shit compared to kucinich. where is the heart of their passion? i really think it is just as bad to vote for nader to prove a point as it is to vote for kerry for fear of four more years of bush.
nader is not a leader. i really can't see how he gets the support he does.
right now we should be thinking about collateral damage.
bush can really set us behind in four years if we even care about that in four years.
look, i undersatnd the argument, but the fact is we have an oil man attacking oil rich land, and iran and company are working their asses off to get a nuke together because they know they are next...we are creating wwIII. were writing the script right now. what else are these people supposed to do against the oil cowboy....nuclear bombs and suicide...

we need to lose the cowboy and while were still alowed and have rights, take back our government in grassroots movement. we need to have a broader veiw in this election, our local assemblymen, congressman, judges, etc. we need to regain control locally.