I was stimulated by the comments on a post over at Gutrumbles, to offer my opinion about voting. I pinged it earlier, here.

By voting, even if you vote for the eventual loser, you can then absolve yourself from responsibility for all actions of the winner that you may disagree with. You can complain and bitch and moan all you want. You’ve earned that right.

I believe that if you do not vote, you should not complain about any actions taken by the winner or loser. You have not earned that right. You cannot have any opinions on any issues relating to the election, because, by refusing to vote, you forfeited your right to an opinion. Shut the fuck up!

If you vote for a (third party) candidate who has no chance to win, you’ve still earned the right to an opinion because, your vote affected the outcome of the election. You took a vote away from someone, and that counts. I don’t agree with that strategy, but it does count.

If you do not vote, you are part of the problem.