Are There Voter Registration Booths At Any Of The OWS Protests?

[lame54]

:Shrug:
Seems like a perfect combo
Increase the # of registered voters (which the repugs can't stand) and
Send a very clear message of what we expect hear in this election season

[pinto]

1. Great point / idea. I've not seen any mention, one way or the other.

:kick:

[SixthSense]

2. We're past that point

if voting mattered we'd have gotten results by now... in the past 5 years both parties have been thrown out on their ear and NOTHING of substance has changed.

[lame54]

3. so nobody's voting in the next election? - Congrats Repugs

[xiamiam]

11. both parties in complicit in corporate corruption..nt

[Cannikin]

18. And the answer to that is not to vote? What am I missing?

[xiamiam]

35. the answer to that is to not vote for someone who does not represent your ideals just because they

have a D after their name

[lame54]

39. The answer is to not let the R's win

[xiamiam]

40. agreed..but i cant vote against my personal principle..not knowingly..nt

[lame54]

41. .

[dameocrat67]

42. more dems voted for the nostrings bailouts than republicans

so you are not viewed as an answer, and nobody wants to become an arm of the democratic party anymore because you are viewed as users particularly among those protesters that were also antiwar.

individual dems that arent corrupt can set up shop, but dems as a party have no credibility.

[lame54]

45. and what are you?

[dameocrat67]

53. a democrat, but not a partisan one

n/t

[lame54]

19. so - history tells us...

the more voters - better chance for dems
less voters - better for repugs
I say let's go with more voters

[Hell Hath No Fury]

23. Unfortunately, many Dems are now part of the problem.

2008 proved beyond a doubt that "Dem control" alone is meaningless to producing solid Democratic policies on a national level.

"Democrat" isn't a good enough reason to vote for a candidate these days, IMO. The most liberal/progressive candidate available is the only real choice.

[lame54]

32. but that's not what we are faced with in the upcoming election

[xiamiam]

36. that is one of the reasons people are in the streets..nt

[pnwmom]

4. Yeah, that's what the Rethugs want us to think.

They'd be happy if we didn't bother showing up because we were too busy having demonstrations.

[dameocrat67]

43. we arent too busy having demonstration

we just view many democrats as sellouts.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. How is anything going to change then?

Nobody says that they have to vote for a Republican OR a Democrat or that some of them can't run for office themselves, right? :shrug:

[SixthSense]

9. It's going to change by what's going on @ OWS and elsewhere

Massive protests in the streets from people who have had enough.

I have little confidence that the results of elections (tallied by unauditable electronic voting machines) are genuine anyway. That game is all about dividing us on 51%-49% issues so that nothing important ever changes.

And the elections themselves? So influenced and corrupted by Wall Street and other special interest money that the little guy who wants to run has no serious chance of competing on the field set by the moneymen and the narrowly-held media corporations that control the message.

[Robb]

12. Have you told any Republicans to stop voting?

I have little regard for anyone seeking to depress turnout on a site dedicated to Democrats and progressives. It may not be strictly against the rules at the moment, but neither is registering my disgust.

[SixthSense]

15. Did I say that?

I didn't tell anyone to stop voting. Vote away. I'll be voting myself... however I won't be voting with the illusion that that vote is anything more than a symbolic expression of my outrage with the present state of affairs.

I'm simply stating my opinion that the problems we face aren't going to be solved by voting. I base that opinion on the simple fact that it hasn't, even though we have been trying since at least the 1960s. They are going to be solved by the pressure applied by people in the streets.

[dameocrat67]

44. hopefully the demonstrators make enough of a nuisence the politicians listen

electing them does nothing, since the first two years of the obama administration the democrats controlled both houses and the presidency and they still caved to wallstreet.

[H2O Man]

7. Incorrect.

The correct answer is that we will vote, but not limit our options to voting. Especially not for Tweedle-Dee or Tweedle-Dumb. And we will begin to Ocuupy Public Office.

Voting is not, of course, the only option or tactic. But it is one of them.

[SidDithers]

25. Is the President Tweedle-Dee or Tweedle-Dumb in your story?...nt

Sid

[H2O Man]

29. "in your story"

And what "story" might that be?

[H2O Man]

72. Nothing, eh?

[Scuba]

8. NonSense. Just see my sig line.

[sufrommich]

16. No "we're" not. You speak for nobody but yourself and it's

ridiculous statements like that that will kill this movement.

[JoePhilly]

46. Disagree ... we need more people to VOTE ... that is part of the problem.

As a nation, we've become complacent. Too many people don't vote. If they started to vote regularly, then we would not be here in the first place.

Sign them all up, regardless of party. Get them voting.

That is how you change the government.

[dameocrat67]

55. how do you explain the poor performance dems gave us from 2006

to 2008 then.

[JoePhilly]

61. Where did I say sign them up as DEMs????

Or ... I guess you could try to defend the poor performance of the GOP for the last 30 years. See if that works.

[peace13]

6. Think about it.

Who would want their personal information laying around down there. Too many ways for it to end up in the wrong hands.

[CoffeeCat]

10. Voter Registration is terrific, just not at this venue...

OWS is making a point--that the entire system is corrupt and has failed the people.

Setting a booth--that encourages people to participate in that system--seems a bit
misplaced.

Am I saying that people shouldn't vote? No. I'm just saying that this isn't the
appropriate venue, given the messages that OWS is conveying. We need to continue
putting the focus on how corrupt and unfair the system is.

[lame54]

20. If you can find a better one?...

they call themselves (ourselves) the 99%
voter turnout is not much more than 50%
bringing it closer to 99% could mean the demise of the republican party
but if you want to play it safe while they push for their voter id cards and other means to keep people away from the polls
ok

[JoePhilly]

48. We want these people voting, ESPECIALLY if they are not registered.

If they want to reform the government, then they need to VOTE ... it is that simple.

[dameocrat67]

56. but only for noncorrupt dems

n/t

[JoePhilly]

62. Again ... I did not indicate any party. They should register however they want.

And with whatever party they want.

Of course the Democratic party's positions are FAR more aligned with these folks ... which is why Fox News and the GOP are attacking them.

The GOP could try to speak to the OWS concerns, but I doubt we'll see that. The GOP has no interest in any of the issues the OWS folks are concerned about.

Or do they?

[dameocrat67]

63. who said anything about the republicans.

n/t

[JoePhilly]

64. enjoy your stay.

[OHdem10]

13. Since different states are changing Voter Participation Laws,

it might be wise to asccertain that they all get
registered so they can vote. Some participants
are from out of state, I am sure.

They need to have it driven home. Voting can bring
change. Look at what the Tea Party accomplished.
In a few short months they changed the congress.

They need to learn how each Candidate in House and
Senate votes. Prevail upon the ones who vote
against OWS beliefs and demands.

Right now our party is like two parties in one.
This is why they need to examine voting records.

Try to get committments from the Party on issue by issues.
Look for the hold out Senators and Representatives.

Yes the SYSTEM NEEDS DRAMATIC CHANGE. This will take
a long term commitment from the 99%ers. In the meantime
they must affect every election in order to get to
the Dramatic Change.

Just some thoughts.

[Odin2005]

14. If voting ever changed anything it would be illegal.

[OHdem10]

21. Voting gave us Republican Rule for the last 30 years the

Republicans completely changed our system.

Democrats not voting and having one half of the country
never vote means we relinquished our power to the Republicans

Having Republican House and Senate is the power. When
Republicans hold these bodies they pass their agenda if
they have to ram it through.

Someday the Democrats will learn that just having a Democratic
President is not enough. They will also learn that having
two parties in one with Conservadems holding power only
pushes the country to the right.

Let say Obama wins the Presidency 2012. Let say the GOP
win Senate and House. He will only get Republican Legislation.
We go farther right.

[lame54]

22. NOT voting has given us republican rule...

There is a huge portion of the population who can but don't vote
but they want the things you and I want but don't believe that voting will bring
it's staying home that doesn't bring it

[xiamiam]

37. voting for a democrat in 2008 gave us republican light..nt

[TheKentuckian]

28. You realize that even when Democrats have had both houses or even the Presidency

when you look back, it is still uninterrupted Republican rule.

This is because we have adopted or at least accepted as reasonable discourse, their failed ideology and have had no small part in implementing it.

Look at the TeaPubliKlans, look at the policy coming out of their think tanks, examine the interests they serve, pay attention to their tactics, listen to what they say and explain how "bipartisanship" isn't something that should not be fiercely rejected or how the "third way" will lead us into anywhere but perdition.

[coalition_unwilling]

17. Yes, I've seen one or two registration tables at Occupy Los Angeles. One

is run by (I think) the Libertarian Party, but not sure.

[zacherystaylor]

24. Sounds good if they don't outlaw it

As some have indicated there are problems with voting but lack of voting is even worse. One problem is of course that many states are trying to make this harder to register. The silver lining, if you want to call it that, could be that this will provide another opportunity to show how corrupt the system is. Not that we need that; however it could be part of an effort to educate people and encourage them to participate more based on informed decisions.

[L0oniX]

26. Heheh ..yea like voting will magically change who really controls this country.

[leftyohiolib]

27. cant let the re-publi-tards pick the next supreme court justice

[Desertrose]

30. You just don't get it.....

Voting really changes NOTHING when the system is corrupt...broken.

Which is the whole point of OWS...bringing attention (with the hopes of fixing) our broken system.

It isn't about "politics" and shouldn't be...its about how broken the system is!!!

The whole problem isn't right/left...dem/repub... it's up/down....it's about the 99% vs the 1%!

[lame54]

33. I do get it...

but we still have en election we can't afford to lose - that's reality

[War Horse]

38. Yes. Voter apathy is not a solution

Neither is boycotting/distancing oneself from the entire established political process.

It's totally understandable - but not really constructive.

[dameocrat67]

47. not everyone is concerned with electing any and all democrats

some people are involved in the democrats only to support issues they care about. Why should the ows movement care about voting for any old dem including those hostile to ows.

[lame54]

73. I never suggested who they vote for - but history tells us...

that the better the voter turnout the better it is for dems

just sign 'em up

[bvar22]

31. In 2008, the American People gave the Democratic party:

*The White House

*A BIG Majority in The House

*A Filibuster-Proof Majority in The Senate

*A gasping & dying Republican Party

*And Most Importantly, a HUGE MANDATE for "CHANGE",
and an ARMY Standing in the Streets.

They had to work very hard to Fuck Up all of that,
but they did.
This kind of BAD doesn't happen by accident.


You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their excuses.

Solidarity99!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[lame54]

34. and then there's McCain/Palin

[dameocrat67]

49. bogeymen given obamas neocon and neoliberal policies.

n/t

[a simple pattern]

52. Yeah they'd probably let a foreign country install

a great big oil pipeline right down the middle of the country or something

Those darn Republicans

[dameocrat67]

54. they might give a nostrings bailout to wallstreet and keep the war going

and start some new ones.

[lame54]

71. they might have lowered the taxes on the rich even more and bombed Iran

[Politicalboi]

50. I think it would be a good idea

To have voter registration there. Most of these people are into politics, and if we don't get rid of the Repukes and DINO's in congress, we are never going to get better. Wall Street was only allowed to do all this thanks to the Repukes, and their deregulation.

[dameocrat67]

51. terrible idea. you would be rightly viewed as opportunists and users

n/t

[Brother Buzz]

57. We don't need no stinking Registration Booth

Every competent activist should carry at lest one blank form in their hip pocket (The forms are even downloadable from one of the internets). The hepcats carry two: One local, and one National voter registration card.

[Douglas Carpenter]

58. I doubt that would be welcomed at this point

I'm not saying that at some point it might become appropriate. But at this point the OWS is clearly in an independent and nonpartisan - even perhaps a none-electoral politics stage. I'm sure that most OWS supporters will vote Democratic, some may vote for a left third party like the Greens - I doubt very many will vote Republican. But at this stage of development I don't think that attempts to use OWS gatherings as a place to promote a Democratic Party registration drive will be appreciated. At some point, maybe it could be - but for now I think it best for partisans to stand back a little and just listen and learn.

[GliderGuider]

59. .

[Blue_In_AK]

66. Registering people to vote is NOT partisan.

Where did you get that idea?

[Douglas Carpenter]

67. the implication would be understood that way

It is important I believe for the OSW movement to maintain a sense of non-partisan independence - at least for now. At this time I don't think it would either help President Obama and the Democrats or help the OWS movement. There are accusations from the right that Obama forces are behind the movement and there are accusations from the left that his forces are trying to co-op the movement. It would be best for both the OWS movement and President Obama that they maintain some friendly distance. At this time treading lightly is a good idea.

[GliderGuider]

60. There are three reasons that would not be acceptable.

They are named Geithner, Summers and Bernanke. :thumbsdown:

[JI7]

68. how about Elizabeth Warren ?

[GliderGuider]

69. You can't end up with just her - it's a package deal. n/t

[Blue_In_AK]

65. We had no official "booth" at ours,

but we did have someone walking around registering people.

ed. I should also add that everyone has made a concerted effort to keep any partisan politics out of the discussion. I have seen no pro-Obama or pro-Democrat signs at our rallies.

[GliderGuider]

70. That would be utterly catastrophic for the movement!

It would have exactly the same effect as if they selected a leader or came out with a single key demand.

It would give their dis-creditors a handle on them, and would permit their destruction in moments.

No!Fucking!Way!