Logical flaw

Think about how Europe percieved the US after the last election.
US citizens elected Bush. All of them. Therefore, all US citizens
support all policies, no matter how silly or dangerous.

This is a reasonable viewpoint.

Err... That's not a reasonable viewpoint. People are not ants and don't think in lockstep. It is reasonable to vote for someone despite disagreeing with a number of policies and viewpoints. It is reasonable to vote for someone who is hated because it helps prevent the election of someone hated even more. Consider the concept of tactical voting in the UK. And Europeans know that only 40% of the US electorate vote, not all of them.

It is more correct to say the Europeans perceive the US electorate as people, on balance, who prefer the right-wing, corporate, gung-ho, faith-based attitude of Bush and his inner circle over Kerry. The Europeans regard Bush as a destructive, inarticulate, religious nutter and the US as the same for not voting him out when they had the chance. They know that there is a significant proportion of the US who see sense but they were outnumbered and outspent.

[link|http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/25/AR2005052501965.html|Washington Post]:

More than 125 million Americans -- 64 percent of those ages 18 and older -- went to the polls in last year's presidential election, according to data scheduled to be released today by the Census Bureau.

That's the highest it's been for a long time; since at least 1924 according to this graph from [link|http://www.fairvote.org/turnout/preturn.htm|here]:

[image|http://www.fairvote.org/turnout/preturn_files/Prelecturn3_28818_image001.gif|0|US presidential voter turnout since 1924|284|755]

There may be differences in the methodology, and people between 18 and 21 only have been able to vote in presidential elections since 1972 (26th Amendment).

Cheers,
Scott.

Post #211,008 by warmachine 6/12/05 2:07:56 PM Reply	Logical flaw Think about how Europe percieved the US after the last election. US citizens elected Bush. All of them. Therefore, all US citizens support all policies, no matter how silly or dangerous. This is a reasonable viewpoint. Err... That's not a reasonable viewpoint. People are not ants and don't think in lockstep. It is reasonable to vote for someone despite disagreeing with a number of policies and viewpoints. It is reasonable to vote for someone who is hated because it helps prevent the election of someone hated even more. Consider the concept of tactical voting in the UK. And Europeans know that only 40% of the US electorate vote, not all of them. It is more correct to say the Europeans perceive the US electorate as people, on balance, who prefer the right-wing, corporate, gung-ho, faith-based attitude of Bush and his inner circle over Kerry. The Europeans regard Bush as a destructive, inarticulate, religious nutter and the US as the same for not voting him out when they had the chance. They know that there is a significant proportion of the US who see sense but they were outnumbered and outspent. Matthew Greet Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin? - Mark Renton, Trainspotting.
Post #211,016 by broomberg 6/12/05 3:07:40 PM Reply	Not so On a case by case basis, until someone has stated their opinion on the matter, it is reasonable to assume that that were part of the group that voted him in.
Post #211,021 by warmachine 6/12/05 3:49:43 PM Reply	Only applies to just over 20% of the US US voting turnout is low and Bush only won the popular vote by a small lead. That's roughly 2.5 to 3 absentees per Bush voter. It is more reasonable to assume an American is politically brain dead or disillusioned. Unless you're saying that 60% are guilty by failing to vote against Bush (which I kind of agree with). That's really a group that's too stupid to know they're being shafted when it's happening to them. Even among voters, assuming not part of a just under 50% group is far too broad a brushstroke. I can just about go with 20% of voters. Matthew Greet Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin? - Mark Renton, Trainspotting.
Post #211,026 by Another Scott 6/12/05 4:06:34 PM Reply	Nit: 64% of voting age population voted in 2004. 8kB .img [link\|http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/25/AR2005052501965.html\|Washington Post]: More than 125 million Americans -- 64 percent of those ages 18 and older -- went to the polls in last year's presidential election, according to data scheduled to be released today by the Census Bureau. That's the highest it's been for a long time; since at least 1924 according to this graph from [link\|http://www.fairvote.org/turnout/preturn.htm\|here]: [image\|http://www.fairvote.org/turnout/preturn_files/Prelecturn3_28818_image001.gif\|0\|US presidential voter turnout since 1924\|284\|755] There may be differences in the methodology, and people between 18 and 21 only have been able to vote in presidential elections since 1972 (26th Amendment). Cheers, Scott.
Post #211,029 by warmachine 6/12/05 4:14:18 PM Reply	In that case, 1 absentee per Bush voter. Just beat the UK. Matthew Greet Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin? - Mark Renton, Trainspotting.

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