What is it about elections that bring out the worst in everyone?
959811
I've found that most Q's here on YA are not meant to gain information or stimulate civil discourse. Instead, people here tend to use YA as a "soapbox".\n\nBut the great free-speech tradition of the soapbox is lost in this medium.  That's because these Q's and A's are anonymous.  For a soapbox to be effective, the audience needs to see the speaker (and vice-versa).  Most of what's written here would never be said to someone's face. \n\nHere, we have to wade through what amounts to verbal graffiti, scrawled in the dead of night when no one can tell who the author is.  Graffiti artists and slash-and-burn spam Q-er's share a common trait.  They are children or imbeciles (or both).\n\nStill, I find some gems (like this Q)... enough to make it worthwhile!
907515
Back lash to be different than their parents generation.  Also fear, fear of attacks from terrorists, fear of moral decay etc.  Ignorance too.  I think a fair amount of people think that no party should be in power for too long, so they like to mix it up.  All I know is that in my opinion the Republicans have been in power messing things up for too long.  Clinton may have been a sleazy two timer but he paid that dam national debt down what has Bush done except keep us in this losing very expensive war? I feel less safe than ever, and the real issues that America needs resolved keep going on the back burner such as health care, fair wages, a system for voting that we can be sure is safe and tamper proof.  I just hope that this last election is a sign that the tide is turning.
858802
i think with these electronic machines it is possible to rig the elections.it makes me want to puke that the fact our votes aren't even safe is a question.i believe if they can be hacked or tampered with they shouldn't be used.and the fact that both sides in this election are letting this happen is inexcusable and makes me sick.we should have all marched in the streets against these machines and demanded our votes be safe and secure.no wonder some countries in this world think we are a joke.if they do get caught fixing these elections it will be another sad day in our country.the people who are caught should be punished severely.and i don't mean put in a cushy federal prison.i mean severely.
813726
Because those losers vote for crappy Democrats. The Dems keep these people losers and the losers keep voting for Dems. Vicious cycle.
795435
In a Democracy, you get the leadership you deserve.  The American people are stupid, so stupid leadership is what they will vote for.  Any candidate who is intelligent would do well to conceal it.
1121835
because the odds of winning are TERRIBLE.
80632
Technically, we live in a republic, based on democratic ideals. For example, we don not really have direct election of the president. Even though everyone can cast a vote, this vote is tallied and the results are given to our representative, who then officially vote for president. Hence the electoral college. \nAs for the "everything seems wrong" part, I guess you mean that the government seems to be doing thing that seem wrong. Keep in mind that what the public thinks is right or wrong frequently depends of the media, which is not always objective.
818706
Having it is the worst!\nThis web site should answer any questions you have
1040370
bad things happen to ALL people. No one is exempt or perfect, we are all fallible and human. I do believe that worse things happen to people who put bad out there ...but as for anything negative or bad..it happens to us all!!
462183
Well, the biggest dysfunction is that everyone has an opinion. Everything else tends to subcatagorize under that.
537191
you get what you vote for maybe!!! one vote for each person registered means the majority wishes are represented by congress and senators if they  only did what we wanted it would be great but once elected they lie cheat and steal .nothing you can do except elect really poor stupid people who have more sense then the currnt idiots running things . you should be from the projects and have been arrested at least once to run for office that would scare the shit out them !!!!!!!!!!!!major companies would flee to other nations even start there own like maybe the cayman islands or something.
1125021
there is always some one worse
1073677
because our politicians suck...
758070
this government want do anything about it . so it will only get worst
759857
It's called being a bad person. If it's a disorder then most of our country is afflicted.
1037913
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  If the government is open to public criticism, political excesses can be brought forward and used to generate outrage among the voting populace to either get them removed from office or shine the light of truth upon those performing unsavory acts, hopefully shaming them into stopping or changing.
841378
Hass J, You ask an important question, and you deserve a respectful answer.\n\nWinston Churchill once said, "Democracy is the worst form of government -- except for all the rest."\n\nThe legendary journalist, H. L. Mencken once said, "Democracy is the theory that the common man knows what he wants, and deserves to get it -- good and hard!"\n\nThe sentiments in your question are the core issues that have animated political philosophy since the days of Socrates. How best to govern. People like Socrates and Plato believed that the people couldn't be trusted because they were basically ignorant; and therefore Democracy leads to mob rule. They argued for the rule of the "rational elite."\n\nLater, men like John Locke argued that since the people have to live with the policies of government; and since all sovereignty flows from the the people anyway, the people have the absolute rights.\n\nThe problem is, both groups are correct. The people are the ones who have to pay, and therefore they should have a right in determining the people who make them do the paying. And yet, most people don't pay close attention to politics, and therefore are subject to stupid rhetoric that has no basis in fact. And this leads to fools being elected to powerful offices.\n\nActually I think Clint E is being conservative in his estimates. I think the figure is actually closer to 50%. In most presidential election years, you're lucky if you get half of the electorate to show up. And when they do, there's no guarantee that the decisions they make weren't based on hearing some stupid 30 second sound-bite on TV. \n\nThe answer is education. People have to made aware of the consequences of being uninformed. It's not that people are retarded -- it's that they ACT like they're retarded. That's why some of us come on forums like this. We're trying to raise levels of awareness.\n\nSuperior Question. Hope this answer helps. \n\nCheers, mate