I Vote! I Count!
Over the weekend, President Clinton called me. Yes, that’s right, President Clinton called me! Sure it was an automated robocall encouraging me to vote for Melina Kennedy for Indianapolis mayor, but I was excited all the same. I was way less excited to go to my mailbox Saturday afternoon and find no less than 8 different advertisements all related to the race for mayor. The advertisements went straight into the trash, and it seemed a big waste of money and environmental resources.
The Indianapolis mayor’s race has been the most expensive in history, with both candidates combined fundraising totals over $8 million. Voters in Indianapolis have been overwhelmed with attack ads, as we hit the final stretch for candidates to get their message out before tomorrow’s general election.
So, in light of tomorrow’s election, my question to you this week is, “Do you plan to vote in Tuesday’s election? Why or why not? Do you think “attack ads” work, or do they just turn people off from voting?” You must answer all parts of the question to earn full credit. Answers are due no later than Sunday, November 13th, 2011. By the way, if you need information on where you should go to vote, please go here: http://www.indianavoters.com If you haven’t registered yet, it’s too late to vote in tomorrow’s election, but take a few minutes and register today! It only takes a few minutes and you’ll be all set for next year’s Presidential race.
I do not plan to vote only because I am not registered and by the time I found out how to register it was too late for this election. I do plan on voting in the future. Women have been through a lot to get the right to vote so I feel it is my duty. I don't think attack ads work, they make me not want to vote for either party. Attacking the other candidates is not their job. They need to focus on telling the people who they are and what they stand for, not how bad the other candidates are. I feel that the issues are more important than bashing other candidates.
ReplyDeleteI don't plan to vote for this election. I moved to Indianapolis from St. Louis a little over 3 years ago to come to school. When I graduate soon, I plan on moving away again. So I don't have much of an investment in Indianapolis' future, and I don't keep up with the city's politics.
ReplyDeleteAttack ads probably do more harm than good. Most people give them no more than a glance before throwing them in the trash. Like you said, the materials are wasted, the message is lost, and all that is left in the person is a feeling of disdain for the whole process. If one of the candidates just thought a tiny bit more creatively with his advertising, he could make that wasted money go much further, and would have a huge advantage to the other candidate.
I do not plan to vote. Mostly because I forgot and it is already Wednesday. But I had no interest in voting anyway. I really only vote for the presidential election. I think the 'attack ads' turn people off. Last week we were talking in another class, how we couldn't wait until the election was over so we didn't have to hear the ads anymore.It makes the candidate look bad, but I personally think the ads are really annoying.I'm so happy I don't have to see them anymore.
ReplyDeleteI do not plan to vote on Tuesdays election, I am not registered to vote. I have no excuse for not being registered it's just simple laziness. Also it might be because I am not as informed as I should be about candidates and what they represent, which is my fault as well. All though being in this class is making me reflect more on how important it is to vote and be informed. As far as the attack adds I hate them, I think it does make people pull away from voting because its just a constant bombardment of adds. There for it is a waste of money, they should just stick to commercials and news.
ReplyDeleteBeing that I am writing this after the election, I did vote and plan to continue to vote in every election I can. Without the voice of the people America cannot continue to be great. I vote because it is my civic duty and I vote for the friends I have lost in battle who can no longer vote.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the level of attack ads that we are seeing now are way over the top and most of the time are not based in the truth. However I think that the human race in general are manipulative and will always use dirt on people to get ahead. So I think they work but I don’t like them.
I did vote on election day I always vote first thing so I will not forget or get stuck at work. I think negative campaign can back fire on someone if an candidate is going to do a negative campaign you have to make sure people knows you first because you come out so negative might represent yourself wrong it puts a bad taste in people mouth and view you as a bad guy. I think it works for incumbent but not for someone that new.
ReplyDeleteI did not vote this election period only because I'm registered in Ohio. I don't think I'm aloud to vote in Indiana. but last election I was too young to vote so this time around now that I can I really want to. At the same time I don't really know how all the voting stuff works. since I'm out of state I REALLY don't know how it works. I will defiantly figure it out come the presidential vote cause that is very important to me.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that attack ads are nothing but bad. All the ones that were stuffed in my mailbox were nothing good to say. I would rather listen to what a candidate has to say rather then see what comes in the mailbox. I think attack ads kind of make people not vote just cause of all the negativity. People start voting based on who they like more rather then the issues.
I don't plan on voting cause I am not registered. I think attack ads push people away cause i hate getting them and they are a bother.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to vote but haven't given myself time to register, but as for attack ads, I think they are childish and a waste of money. I feel that if you are going to pay to put out ads then you should promote your ideas not attack your opponents.
ReplyDeleteI have voted in the last ten years because as i got older got wiser it is a important day of the election. The young generation don't realize how important that day is in this world today. We don't just wont anyone running our state so it is important that everyone get out and vote because yo vote will make a difference trust and believe that. Election Day is a very powerful day, so please get out and vote and get registered it will make a difference.
ReplyDeleteI do not plan on voting Tuesday. I am not voting because I am not registered. I have wanted to vote but I just get busy and I forget to register. I think the attack ads can work in favor of the canadent that is using them, but I also think that it could hurt them too. Because some people don't like people putting down other people. Personally, I don't really licen to the negative stuff. I feel like everything that they say may not be true and they are just saying all that bad stuff just to make the other person look bad.
ReplyDeleteI did not plan on voting. I honestly don't usually vote until the presidential election. I understand that those are just as important or more important.
ReplyDeleteI have always thought attack ads were the wrong way to go. I feel that on top of annoying people, it is using campaign money wrong. I think it would be better to get their own name better known for the things they plan to do that is positive. Spreading negative information about the candidate sends a message out about themselves that they go behind people's backs. Stay safe and just be positive.
I didnt vote. I dont vote in things like these. I'm just here to go to school and I just dont really care for it. I'm against the attack ads. Do they really have nothing better to do than to attack them. Seems stupid and immature and they should be the better person and not have them.
ReplyDeleteNo, I am not voting in the election. It’s not because I don’t want to. It is because I feel like it is not a crucial activity in my life right not. It doesn’t feel like it would really affect my life. However, I bet there is someone that could give me a zillion reasons why I should vote.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion on attack ads is that they are just a terrible strategy. I hate that fact that it puts others down. Aren’t we fighting bullying in school? Why use a strategy that we are demoting to our children? It makes no sense to me. I think participants would make more progress if they went with a positive approach.
I did not vote in this last election. I am not registered and I feel like I didn't know enough about any candidates to really have an opinion about anyone running in Indianapolis. However, I do plan on voting next fall in the 2012 Presidential election.
ReplyDeleteI think attacking other candidates is wrong. It shows insecurity in ones own campaign. If a candidate is fully confident, they shouldn't have to bash others to win. I think it confuses voters and makes the election nasty. It is kind of like bullying and should somewhat be monitored.
I don't plan to vote, but I'm also not technically from Indianapolis. I also don't plan to vote because of the advertising. So yes, I do think attack ads turn people off from voting. If candidates can't establish their superiority without having all their political ads be targeted at pointing out their competitors' flaws, then how qualified might they really be themselves? I don't trust people who have to get by from tearing everyone else down.
ReplyDeleteI didn't vote on the elections last week. I guess it was because I wasn't really sure on how to do to it now that I moved to Indy. And living in south bend I never really paid attention to voting for mayor because I feel it isn't as announced there. Hearing all the attack ads by the different candidates i feel was annoying and did turn me off from even caring. They were giving so much negative feedback for each other that made each candidate not worth voting for.
ReplyDeleteThere are probably many reasons why I should vote, but personally I feel like its not a big thing to me at the time. Not that I do not care, I just feel like I'm not being affected much at the time being. I feel attack ads are useless. I feel they can come at certain points with a whole new angle instead.
ReplyDeleteI will not be voting this Tuesday, I know I should but I haven't paid enough attention to the candidates, or what their policies are.
ReplyDelete