Church encourages members to vote

lundbaek · Profuse Pontificator

Church encourages members to vote

Jen · Senior Bucketkeeper

Wow, they haven't done that since the last election!

DoubleD · Senior Member

They may not have done it since the last election, but they do it for a reason.

Fact is, the State of Utah has the lowest voter turnout percentage of any state in the Union.

When it's a presidential race, many democrats feel like it's a waste of time since the electoral college vote always goes Republican.

In Arizona in 2003, if even 1/4 of the Latter-day Saints had voted, we would have an LDS governor instead of the Lesbian that leads our state at present. Only 15% of LDS voted in that election.

Sad.

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

All they can do is talk to us. Not many have ears to hear it seems.

arbilad · Head Chef

Something I like pointing out when people discuss statements like this on the church's part: they never say "Vote for the lesser of two evils" or "vote for the person who will do the least damage". They encourage us to vote positively. They encourage us to vote for an honest person. They encourage us to vote for the person who will most closely follow gospel principles. They don't qualify that by adding "and has a chance of winning".
If you get right down to it, anyone could win, if enough people voted for them. The church encourages us to vote for the most honest person, the person most likely to uphold gospel principles. In my mind, that person is not to be found in the major party candidates.

lundbaek · Profuse Pontificator

This has been a dead thread for a while, but excitement is already mounting for the 2010 primary and November elections this year. Here in Arizona Senator McCain is up for re-election and is already putting on his conservative face, which is as phoney as a $3 bill. The healthcare issue has a lot of folks fired up, as does the amnesty for illegals issue. These are divisive issues for many LDS church members.

The church will no doubt admonish us again this year to vote for the most honest person, the person most likely to uphold gospel principles. Unfortunately, it seems to me that few members can recognize those candidates most likely to uphold gospel principles. And they vote for lesser of the evils instead of according to gospel principles.

arbilad · Head Chef

Voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil. There is always an alternative, even if it is running for office yourself. And the system can only get more evil by voting for the lesser of two evils. We need to switch around to voting for good.

lundbaek · Profuse Pontificator

Things that drew voters away from candidates regarded as more virtuous, or that led them to vote for candidates with demonstrated lapses in virtue and integrity:

1.) fear of increasing the chance of getting the worst choice by taking a vote away from the "better of the evils"; during my own 2008 campaign some people told me they preferred my platform but feared throwing their vote away.

2.) incomplete and biased record of candidates, causing ignorance of the dark side of their history; people not aware of a particular candidates misrepresenttion of a major tenet of his religion, and not aware that a major Republican candidate had seriously considered switching to the Democrat party

3.) willingness to overlook or forgive a candidates past indescretions:

4.) endorsement of other candidates by prominent persons respected for achievement outside of politics;

5.) belief that the Republican party is more principled than the Democrat party, and therefore the best or safest port in a storm.

6.) no interest in and/or understanding of true constitutional and moral principles