All done but the song and dance now.

Have him call me, he still owes me $5.00 for having sat through "Every Which Way but Loose".

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Sent from my Hewlett-Packard 75C, using the Flying Merkel motorcycle app.

Stromin'Nroman NC28729, USA

DL650A K7 (Greywolf Moto Lab's R&D test mule) June 1, 2012 - present
DL650A K7 April 23, 2007 - January 6, 2012, RIP

"Look here brother, who you jivin' with that cosmik debris?" Frank Zappa, 1975

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Well, you have the result, finally.

A couple of comments [completely non-partisan, of course!] :-

* It will probably never happen, but . . . there's a lot to be said for compulsory voting. Once you have boiled down all the arguments for & against, you find that the benefits are quite big, overall.

* Also will never happen . . . but I thought you might be half-amused by the concept :

This week, a journalist in Barcelona, Spain, put forward the half-tongue-in-cheek suggestion that all NON-American citizens throughout the world ought to be able to participate in the vote for the American Presidency.

His reasoning that foreigners also should have the vote, is this :
* The American President, owing to all the Checks & Balances and State Interests and entrenched power of Corporations etcetera etcetera . . . is very poorly placed to have much effect on Domestic Affairs and the lives of ordinary Americans.
But, he has a great deal of power to influence Foreign Affairs and the lives of ordinary foreigners throughout the world.

So . . . No Influence Without Representation !?
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Why encourage people to vote if they really don't give a crap ? If someone can't be bothered to get off their arse and vote, do you really want their vote to offset that of someone who has spent many months researching the issues and making an informed decision ?

Wouldn't encouraging those who would prefer to stay on the couch not to vote result in a better informed democratic decision ?

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Owning a Vee is the very definition of a love-hate relationship..

Perhaps I should have specified...

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2006 Vstrom 650

1999 Triumph Trophy 1200

2012 Vstrom 650 (current)

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The "encouraged to vote" [not "compulsory to vote"] system is what already exists in the U.S.A. and many other reasonably genuine democracies.
It has severe weaknesses . . . though not specifically mentioned by Winston Churchill !!
Just look at the present status and present trends. Not good.

It is difficult to assess who is "fit to vote" and who is "unfit".
How do you balance the lazy voter versus (OTOH) the red-hot single issue voter who will climb over razor wire to cast his vote ?
Which is healthier for society ?
And of course, most people are a mixture of those tendencies (even varying from week to week and year to year).
Imperfect as we are, often the short term inconvenience of "getting the vote done" does tend to override long term interests.

There are lots of other points involved, of course.
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Google Trends captured the ignorance of American Voters.
As America votes, America also wonders, 'who's running'? | Fox News

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2006 Vstrom 650

1999 Triumph Trophy 1200

2012 Vstrom 650 (current)

Well will you look at that. Colorado and Washington state are now mini Amsterdams!

I think that extends across multiple parties and out into the back alley.

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2004 DL650 1994 CB1000 1992 DR350 2004 Z400

65 Norton 650 84 Honda XL200 75 Suzuki RM125
72 Yamaha 100 enduro 71 Honda CT90 68 Honda Z50A

I did my part!
Now, for the next several days I must learn how to deal with it.

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2012 DL1000 Adventure (Tinkerbell)
PC-V, TRE, CR8EIX plugs, Madstad bracket, Madstad 22" shield, Fork brace, 17/43 gearing, Airhawks, Chinese mirrors, mirror extenders, RDL.

When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." - Benjamin Franklin