# Should I vote in California or Michigan? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 11, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-vote-in-california-or-michigan/556840 "2010-10-11T23:34:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-vote-in-california-or-michigan/556840/21 "2010-10-14T04:13:03Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Free speech trumps stupid people any day of the week. If stupid people want to be influenced by the ability of corporations (and PAC’s) to spend advertising dollars (not “buy elections”), then it’s the stupid peoples’ fault; that’s not a “bought election.” Free speech for who? Foreign governments and multinational corporations? Funny, I thought the Bill of Rights protected American citizens, not business entities. Guess I was wrong. > [@](#): > > I admit, though, that I’m having trouble understanding how the statistical insignificance of a single voters’ vote would lead to allowing a corporation to vote. Well, I was musing that if each of our votes are statistically meaningless, then none of us need concern ourselves with actually voting. OTOH, corporations are people now and they seem to have a greater stake, what with all the cash they’re throwing around to influence elections. It’d probably be cheaper and quicker to just let the corps decide our political fate. What do voters care anyway? Less than 40% of the eligible population even turn out for midterm elections and now you’re telling even them that they’re insignificant. It makes you wonder why anyone would go through the effort of driving down, standing in line, and then dodging the pollsters. I’m a liberal in a very red state that just loves its incumbents; I’m about as insignificant as they come. I may as well clean out my fridge this year. So much for civic duty. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-vote-in-california-or-michigan/556840/22 "2010-10-15T07:55:33Z")
The why you should vote thing is the same reasoning for why you shouldn’t steal. Sure, what you actually do won’t change much, but rarely is such a decision made by just one person. Once you start saying that a person shouldn’t vote, where do you stop? At what point should you tell people to vote? It’s far simpler just to tell all people to vote. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-vote-in-california-or-michigan/556840/23 "2010-10-15T14:31:02Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > So while I am not super familiar with the current candidates and issues, I have a better general idea of what is happening than I do in Michigan, where the reverse is true, because I was only there to go to grad school and don’t have any permanent ties or roots in the state. > > For the record, it is unlikely that I will be living in either state in the long term. I dont think you should be voting at all. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-vote-in-california-or-michigan/556840/24 "2010-10-18T21:47:29Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > Free speech for who? Foreign governments and multinational corporations? Funny, I thought the Bill of Rights protected American citizens, not business entities. Guess I was wrong. Why would you be wrong? The constitution protects _everyone_ on our shores. We don’t get special rights just because we’re Americans. Protecting the rights of everyone doesn’t impede on _your_ rights. You have the same opportunities to give as everyone else. You said it yourself: educated voters make the difference. > [@](#): > > Well, I was musing that if each of our votes are statistically meaningless, then none of us need concern ourselves with actually voting. OTOH, corporations are people now and they seem to have a greater stake, what with all the cash they’re throwing around to influence elections. It’d probably be cheaper and quicker to just let the corps decide our political fate. Typical emotional response, which is a shame, because you’re so correct in that people need to understand what they’re voting for, and how government works. How is it unfair to manipulate stupid people? > [@](#): > > What do voters care anyway? Less than 40% of the eligible population even turn out for midterm elections and now you’re telling even them that they’re insignificant. It makes you wonder why anyone would go through the effort of driving down, standing in line, and then dodging the pollsters. I’m a liberal in a very red state that just loves its incumbents; I’m about as insignificant as they come. I may as well clean out my fridge this year. So much for civic duty. See, you lack math skills. Your vote is completely insignificant. But can you muster 10,000 people who would otherwise not vote to vote for whatever it is you’re trying to pass? That’s no so insignificant anymore. Hint: you need to be able to raise money, spend money, donate to campaigns, finance independent advertisements, and do everything that (wait for it…) so-called special interests do! ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-vote-in-california-or-michigan/556840/25 "2010-10-19T00:54:06Z")
> [@Susanann](#): > > I dont think you should be voting at all. I’ve read enough of your posts to know that any advice you give, I’ll do the opposite. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-vote-in-california-or-michigan/556840.md?page=1)