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Why Vote for Candidates Who Do Not Vote?
Today is Armed Forces Day, so I thought to remember our brave soldiers of World War II by spending some quiet time with the National Archives photo collection online.
As I sat looking at the inspiring, sad, and horrific photo images of the war, I began to think about our primary election in California which is now underway with absentee voting, to be followed by the actual election June 8.
Why would any American who loves this country vote for a candidate who has never voted or has rarely voted?
In California, there are three very wealthy candidates running for statewide office who have rarely voted in an election most of their adult lives.
As I look at these pictures of World War II and the sacrifices that were made for us, I am disgusted that decades later, we have spoiled aristocrats running for public office, who think that their time spent in pursuit of wealth are somehow an excuse for not participating in the democratic system which enables their cushy lifestyles. Here in California, are we “so far gone” down the path of materialism and “appearances” that having candidates who can spend their own millions, is more important than a sense of history and sacrifice for country? These candidates say their voting record isn’t important enough to be a factor in how you vote.
I don’t agree.
Here are the three candidates for statewide office in California who do not deserve your vote because they have not voted in elections most of their adult lives:
Meg Whitman for governor:
Meg is a billionaire, the former CEO of eBay. By anyone’s definition, she has benefitted from the many blessings and advantages of American capitalism. Her opponent, Steve Poizner, has detailed how Whitman, age 53, has not voted for 28 years.
Here is a television ad explaining that Whitman didn’t vote for Ronald Reagan for president, for Pete Wilson as governor, and missed at least 100 elections where she could have voted on tax issues.
Whitman denies the charge, but as yet, has not produced proof that she actually did vote for those 28 years.
Carly Fiorina for U.S. Senate:
Carly is a millionaire, because she was given $21 million dollars for getting fired as CEO of Hewlett Packard. Before Carly’s announcement to run for office last August, it was publicized widely that she has a very “spotty” voting record.
“Officials in Morris County, N.J., said records show she registered to vote there in 1997 but did not vote in a single election and was dropped from the voter rolls in 2005 as inactive.
Before that, Fiorina lived in Montgomery County, Md., where the registrar’s office said they reviewed state databases and found no listing of Fiorina’s voter registration.
Fiorina strongly disputes the voting records as “just wrong,” her spokeswoman, Beth Miller, said. Miller said that Fiorina has no records to prove her past voting record and has acknowledged her failure to vote in some elections. But while “she didn’t vote all the time … she did vote,” the spokeswoman added.
In June, The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Fiorina had voted in just five of 18 national, state and local elections in which she was eligible to cast a ballot since she registered in Santa Clara County in 2000, according to public records. At the time, Fiorina’s chief of staff, Deborah Bowker, said, “It’s never good not to vote.”
By last November, 4 months later and an announced candidate for Senate, Carly was “sorry”, but her staff was “still looking” for proof of voting records for her.
In December, Fiorina admitted her poor voting record, though not in detail. “Shame on me,” she said.
Yes, indeed. Shame on her.
Vote for Chuck DeVore for Senate in California, a state assemblyman and military reservist who has voted all his life.
Damon Dunn for Secretary of State:
Damon Dunnis 33 years old, African-American, good-looking, a former NFL football player and a “millionaire” real estate investor. He is the California Republican party’s “poster child” black candidate for 2010, even though he just moved here a few months ago to run for office.
Damon Dunn wants to be the person in charge of running fair elections in California and he has only voted once in his life, last spring. Unlike Meg and Carly, he’s not sorry at all. He’s very “flip” about it.
“Who better to reach a non-voter than a recovering non-voter?” the Republican businessman from Irvine said in an interview Friday, employing what has become, of necessity, an often-uttered line.”
Damon Dunn’s eligibility for office in California is being challenged in court because he may not have lived here long enough.
Dunn’s challenger in the Republican primary for Secretary of State of California is Dr. Orly Taitz Esq.,a dentist and attorney. She is well-known for her participation in several lawsuits challenging the eligibility of Barack Obama to be president of the United States. She is a Russian immigrant who has voted in every single American election available to her once she became a citizen. You can say what you want about whether she is controversial for her brave challenge to the President of the United States. She is a Patriot, she plays by the rules and she demands the same of everyone else, especially the people who run for office.
Vote for Orly for Secretary of State so that we have an honest person who will do her best to stop fraud in our elections.
You can read more about Orly Taitz in my recent report on this race.
If you are voting in California and think you should vote for Carly, Meg, or Damon even though they never thought voting was important until now, take a look at these photos of those who fought for our right to vote and then feel free to leave me a comment and tell my why a candidate’s voting record is not important.
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