I think there should be. You have so many people voting who have no idea about how government works or who just get their information from the political ads on TV. This is sad. Why not make people take a simple test in order to get a "voter's license"? I mean, these uneducated idiots are contributing to who's going to run this country. People have to take two tests to legally drive a car but no test to vote? Just like driving a car people do not have a right to vote.

Opinions?

11/3/2008 6:48:40 PM

poll tax = no no

and

Quote :

"people do not have a right to vote."

whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

11/3/2008 6:50:06 PM

are you retarded?

11/3/2008 6:51:20 PM

Let's just overturn the National Voting Rights Act of 1965 then.

11/3/2008 6:51:49 PM

That spells corruption like no other. Not to mention that republicans will argue that the test has liberal bias and the democrats will argue that the test is catered towards the wealthy and does not represent the majority of americans' understanding

11/3/2008 6:51:58 PM

Totally new concept.

11/3/2008 6:53:17 PM

If you require a certain level of knowledge as a pre-requisite to participation in the government, then those in power have a strong incentive to deprive the governed of that level of knowledge as much possible. If you can shrink the voting class enough then the those who govern become almost indentical to those who chose the government. I'm not suggesting that this would be an inevitable result, but you would be creating forces pulling in that direction. it is unwise to introduce new incentive for government to seek, whether through legislative policy or executive action, a less educated and less informed populace. They already seem to prey upon our least qualities, we don't need any more blood in the water for the sharks to smell.

11/3/2008 7:01:30 PM

This is the dumbest fucking thread ever

11/3/2008 7:03:51 PM

i think someone needs a simple history test

11/3/2008 7:10:09 PM

I've got a simple test for you:

"Did you vote for George W. Bush in both 2000 and 2004?"

Answer yes, and you can longer vote.

11/3/2008 7:11:04 PM

I think each candidate should write a paragraph on what they plan to do, with no name involved. It wouldn't really affect too many people, only the retarded ones.

11/3/2008 7:12:22 PM

as much as I would love it, I know that it would be absurdly manipulated by those in power, so I've got to say no, unfortunately

11/3/2008 8:46:35 PM

11/3/2008 8:48:59 PM

Quote :

"Just like driving a car people do not have a right to vote. "

you are fucking retarded

and, for that matter, Unamerican

you are putting forward ideas that go against our BASIC ideas of democracy

11/3/2008 9:05:39 PM

you do realize that initially not everyone had the right to vote, right? And the reason had nothing to do w/ racism. It had everything to do w/ ensuring that those who voted were actually smart enough to make a good decision.

11/3/2008 9:07:34 PM

ok, well, yeah it appears that there is not fundamental rights to vote set into the initial constitution (which kind of surpises me)

but the notion has evolved and it is a sound foundation now of univeral sufferage for adults over the age of 18

[Edited on November 3, 2008 at 9:13 PM. Reason : .]

11/3/2008 9:12:55 PM

There are plenty of people out there voting who are too dumb to vote or who are not responsible enough to actually think rationally about their choices. These people are on both sides, but the Democrats have always done a good job of getting them to vote for their candidates by promising them the world if the candidate gets in. I don't know what the solution is, but dumb, irresponsible voting is a problem.

11/3/2008 9:16:14 PM

There are plenty of people out there voting who are too dumb to vote or who are not responsible enough to actually think rationally about their choices. These people are on both sides, but the Republicans have always done a good job of getting them to vote for their candidates by promising them the world if the candidate gets in. I don't know what the solution is, but dumb, irresponsible voting is a problem.

11/3/2008 9:17:10 PM

Voting is a right, driving is a privilege

/thread (this is why garage folk should have to take a test before being allowed to post in other sections)

11/3/2008 9:18:32 PM

^^the Republicans don't have armies of people being paid to register voters while lying to them about the big rock candy mountain they'll be on if their socialist joke of a candidate wins.

[Edited on November 3, 2008 at 9:19 PM. Reason : ...]

11/3/2008 9:19:10 PM

There is nothing unfortunate about the ability of ALL people having a voice in their governance. If they choose to make an under or ill-informed choice that is unfortunate but at least they have a choice. If you want people to make better decisions then focus the energy and funds you'd expend on this 'test' instead on voter education.

You are comparing apples and oranges. Driving a car is a privilege and can't be found in the Constitution. However the right to vote is guaranteed by the 14th, 15th, 19th and 26th Amendments.

11/3/2008 9:19:28 PM

Quote :

"There is nothing unfortunate about the ability of ALL people having a voice in their governance. If they choose to make an under or ill-informed choice that is unfortunate but at least they have a choice."

there absolutely is something unfortunate about it if these people are able to sway the country from sensible policies to absurd ones, whether they be democratic or republican.

11/3/2008 9:23:39 PM

government by the people for the people

11/3/2008 9:24:52 PM

and Bush is the kind of person you get with that, in case you didn't know

11/3/2008 9:25:32 PM

yeah, I'm fine with that

because I like democracy

I like my freedom to choose my leadership, thank you

better this way than any other

11/3/2008 9:28:41 PM

^^^^Well I guess you just made a very strong valid point for why democracy doesn't work.

think about that for a moment.

another reason why Democracy would never work in the middle east.

[Edited on November 3, 2008 at 9:29 PM. Reason : ^]

11/3/2008 9:29:24 PM

Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.

- Winston Churchill

11/3/2008 9:30:32 PM

Quote :

"Voting is a right, driving is a privilege"

prove it.

11/3/2008 9:34:35 PM

are you doing that SNL parody of Bill O'Riley?

11/3/2008 9:36:13 PM

I already did:

Quote :

"You are comparing apples and oranges. Driving a car is a privilege and can't be found in the Constitution. However the right to vote is guaranteed by the 14th, 15th, 19th and 26th Amendments."

11/3/2008 9:37:17 PM

no man

he means like an EXISTENTIAL right

like the right to "be"

11/3/2008 9:38:33 PM

There is already a test in place.

You can vote IF you can do ANY of the following:
1. Find your way to a voting booth
2. Manage to locate and fill out the form for an absentee ballot
3. Negotiate with another human being for their assistance in performing either task 1 or 2.

I know people that could not manage any of these requirements.

11/3/2008 9:39:55 PM

Quote :

"2. Manage to locate and fill out the form for an absentee ballot"

prove it.

11/3/2008 9:40:58 PM

^^^^at a state level, you do have a right to vote. but there is no right to vote at a national level.

read sec. II, paragraph B.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/00-949.ZPC.html

[Edited on November 3, 2008 at 9:42 PM. Reason : -]

11/3/2008 9:42:22 PM

so... you're making the argument that we don't elect the president by popular vote?

well

THANK YOU 9th GRADE CIVICS CLASS!

...

i mean, that point you're making is procedural

WOOPDEE DOO!

[Edited on November 3, 2008 at 9:45 PM. Reason : .]

11/3/2008 9:44:08 PM

You're correct that there's no explicit guarantee in the 14th Amendment - but there is an implicit guarantee since all males of voting age are to be counted towards representation.

Modern interpretation of the Constitution holds that all who are counted towards representation have the right to have their voice heard.

Quote :

"....But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State."

11/3/2008 9:47:13 PM

YES...

Stern's interviews are proof enough...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg4Njtmbb10

11/3/2008 10:04:24 PM

Ok, let me clear this up for everyone.

There is NO constitutional right to vote.

However, most states grant everyone the right to vote, and the Constitution says, for those states that grant people the right to vote, they cannot discriminate based on race, religion, or previous condition of servitude.

The supreme court has ruled this. Which is why their is a movement to get a constitutional amendment passed to change this.

Hopefully, this won't happen.

Also, I'd be for restricting the number of people who can vote or weighting votes somehow. Maybe the more you pay in taxes, the more your vote counts. Or an economic comprehension test. Don't know how to do it, but it'd be a good idea

[Edited on November 3, 2008 at 10:09 PM. Reason : ]

11/3/2008 10:07:54 PM

Quote :

"Also, I'd be for restricting the number of people who can vote or weighting votes somehow. Maybe the more you pay in taxes, the more your vote counts. Or an economic comprehension test. Don't know how to do it, but it'd be a good idea"

oh, dear lord

it's people like you who put tyrants on their thrones

11/3/2008 10:14:42 PM

Quote :

"Maybe the more you pay in taxes, the more your vote counts."

If anyone should lose their voting privileges, it's people like this.

11/3/2008 10:14:47 PM

Mixed feelings on this. Allowing everyone with a pulse to vote has its problems for sure. On the other hand, who will decide the requirements to vote? If there is a test, who will make it? Who will administer it? I dunno, allowing the mentally retarded to vote is a bit uncomfortable, but where would you make the cut off if you had some sort of cut off?

11/3/2008 10:15:39 PM

Quote :

"people do not have a right to vote"

anyone taking this douchebag seriously and "debating" with him is just as big an assclown.

i think all of YOU PEOPLE should have your voting rights revoked and replaced with a bottle of vodka, just for talking about revoking voting rights for stupid people.

11/3/2008 10:32:22 PM

Democracies do not elect the leaders they want, they elect the leaders they deserve.

11/4/2008 12:22:48 AM

I'm amazed that so many people here don't seem to remember underPSI's posts from back in the good-ol'-days of outright bigotry. The fact is that he's a piece of shit who's only better than salisburyboy because he keeps quieter, and only better than steve9194 because he was never so assertive and long-winded in his defenses.

11/4/2008 2:04:56 AM

Quote :

"and does not represent the majority of americans' understanding "

that would pretty much be the point, wouldn't it?


I'd be on board with this if there was a good way to implement it. Most people have no business voting, but are unaware of their incredible ineptitude. I'm just not sure there is a good way to do this.

11/4/2008 5:56:16 AM

I take the extremist position of annihilating 99% of the world's population, leaving the smartest top 65 million people to live in harmony in America, using the rest of the globe for live simulations of RISK.

11/4/2008 6:20:28 AM

^^^ thank you for the wonderful ad hominem. Even if PSI is a raging racist, it doesn't make his question any less valid.

By the way, I'll leave you with this: my grandmother has alzheimer's and can't even remember the names of her children. yet she is allowed to vote, and does.

11/4/2008 6:54:07 AM

The irony here is that underPSI probably wouldn't be able to pass said test, given the level of understanding about our country he's displayed in this thread.

11/4/2008 8:36:53 AM

one of my 9th grade teachers gave us the test you have to pass to become a citizen.

i was the only one to pass it.

ZING

11/4/2008 8:42:11 AM

I'm down with this idea.

Will get rid of those people voting for Obama b/c they think they will never have to work or pay for gas again.

Will also get rid of the people voting for McCain b/c they think Obama is a muslim terrorist.

Part 2 would get rid of half of my white ass family, so no racial bias. lol

11/4/2008 8:53:25 AM