Posted on 03/21/2015 6:37:10 AM PDT by Starman417
(CNN)The president whose major policy achievement is mandatory health insurance thinks maybe voting should be mandatory, too.Asked how to offset the influence of big money in politics, President Barack Obama suggested it's time to make voting a requirement.
"It would be transformative if everybody voted -- that would counteract money more than anything," he said, adding it was the first time he had shared the idea publicly.
The clout of millionaires and billionaires in campaign funding has been enormous, and many claim the uber wealthy have undue leverage in politics.
Speaking of "big money in politics", I live in Los Angeles- Santa Monica to be more precise- and I am sick of the number of times that President Obama (and VP Biden) have tied up traffic out here with their Democratic Party fund raising trips. They seem to stay and leave in the area where I must travel, at the time that I normally must travel. Consistently. Even though he wasn't golfing on taxpayer's dime this time around, this last frivolous trip (last week), the President had to make an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to talk about mean tweets and Ferguson (*groan*) and fundraise at a DNC $33,400 dinner per couple event at Chris Silbermann's home in Santa Monica.
But I digress...
"The people who tend not to vote are young, they're lower income, they're skewed more heavily towards immigrant groups and minority groups," Obama said. "There's a reason why some folks try to keep them away from the polls."
So young people- like high school and college age baristas?- should be made to influence the direction of this country? And immigrant and minority groups? What is an "immigrant group"?
At least 26 countries have compulsory voting, according to the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. Failure to vote is punishable by a fine in countries such as Australia and Belgium; if you fail to pay your fine in Belgium, you could go to prison.Aside from campaign finance issues, the United States also grapples with one of the lowest voter turnout rates among developed countries.
Less than 37% of eligible voters actually voted in the 2014 midterm elections, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts. That means about 144 million Americans -- more than the population of Russia -- skipped out.
I agree that it is a national embarrassment at how apathetic we are as a nation when it comes to voting; that so many of our citizenry take the privilege for granted. However, if a citizen has not familiarized himself with the issues or a politician's stance on the issues, do we really want to force that person to vote? Should he just toss a coin? Play eenie-meannie on the ballot?
(Excerpt) Read more at floppingaces.net...
Mandatory gun ownership!
Mandatory Jessica Biel!
Pay attention in class and learn to read cursive.
Personal inspections? Government Officials could force to people stand outside their homes for personal inspection--as their homes are searched--for whatever might be undesirable.
Oh the possibilities are endless.
following the CONSTITUTION and rule of LAW
impeach obama asap for national security
What else should be mandatory?
That’s simple - everything that’s not prohibited!
2) Mandatory gun ownership
3) Mandatory home ownership
4) Mandatory pay your own way through life
5) Mandatory 2 year military service
6) Mandatory contribute to FReepathons
More after I've had my morning coffee
How about health insurance? Wouldn’t it be great if everyone was required to have health insurance?
Fundamentally changing America....Back!
What else should be mandatory?
2 Thessalonians 3:10 paraphrase If a man will not work, neither should he eat.
How about mandatory thorough investigation of a presidential candidate AND disclosing the results to the voters?
work for welfare!!! sweep/shovel streets, pick up trash, mow and rake public spaces, anything but sit on their azzes smoking drinking and eating while they wait for the next check to come
Enforcement of the Bill of Rights
In the spirit of Starship Troopers (book, not movie), accept mandatory voting only if military service is mandatory too.
Those “days” are but a fond memory!
Mandatory elimination of Post Modernism!! NOW!
Mandatory voting would reduce the influence of big money. REALLY! Groups would still be trying to buy votes. They just wouldn’t have to try to determine who to give the money to since they would know who would actually be voting. Another of Obama’s “jokes”on America. He is just another “know-it-all” that has an answer for everything.
Making sure a person is a natural born, US citizen before allowing them to be a candidate for POTUS.
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