What a bunch
I just had a look at my choice of candidates in the coming election.
A grand bunch of crooks, trough feeders and ne’er-do-wells.
Simon Harris: aka Simple Simon. He of the furrowed brow and syrupy sincerity who unfortunately is our Teashop. It is a source of complete and total embarrassment that Wicklow keeps electing him. He’s a cunt.
Stephen Donnelly: aka Humpty Dumpty. Started as an Independent but turned traitor and joined Fianna Fáil. Our Health Minister. Thinks the public purse is bottomless. He’s a cunt.
John Brady: The only candidate I wouldn’t piss on if he was on fire. He’s Sinn Féin but I’ll overlook that He is the only one likely to turn up if there is a problem so maybe not a cunt.
Charlie Keddy: A regular on ballot papers. If I were to vote he would get my number one for the simple reason that I like the look of him and he only gets a few votes anyway. Hasn’t a chance of being elected if the past few elections are anything to go by. Will never know if he’s a cunt.
The rest: Meh! Not worth the shoe leather. I have no reason to vote for any of them. You know what they all are.
I think I’ll stay at home…
Although staying at home may seem more appealing, that is scant gratitude for all the past struggles which went on to gain and maintain your power to vote, so turn up, make your mark, then see how the cards fall.
My late father was sceptical of all politicians, but never missed a vote in his long life. His guiding principle was to vote for the one who would do the least harm, on the grounds that none of them will ever deliberately do you any good. Better than a no-show, which can/will be construed as apathy.
You have a point, but the struggles were to give us the right to vote without it be necessarily compulsory. Abstaining is as valid a vote as actually voting. It’s a plain statement that I have no confidence in any of them.
Having said that, I may well vote. It depends on the weather!
Mudplugger,
I have adopted the same attitude here for the past several election cycles. I refer to it as voting in self-defense.
Another creative voting strategy, particularly in ‘first past the post’ elections, is to vote for the candidate you expect to come second. That way you reduce the majority of the winner – representatives with large majorities tend to become complacent, those in a marginal state feel the need to attend to their voters better.
Here we have the glory of PR which makes voting a little more complicated. I usually vote for the candidates in reverse order of their chances of being elected, with my number one going to the most hopeless case. Harris will get number 18. Yes, eighteen fucking candidates!
You could always give them a test – to come and change the valve in your rooftop water tank! Trouble is that any of them that responded would probably charge it as ‘election expenses’, (and it would need replacing in 4 yrs time anyway, when it failed)
In interesting idea. Unfortunately that’s out, as Daughter and Navanman fixed the tank and I haven’t actually had any canvassers. It’s one of the great advantages of living in a relatively sparsely populated mountain area.
If you don’t vote, you cannot complain about the fekers that do eventually get into power. For your right to complain and bitch about how stupid/ corrupt these people are you have to vote. You know it makes sense. 🙂