3 ms·
It's not absurd. Of course there's a continuum of views, I didn't suggest otherwise, but the parties each publish a manifesto outlining their policies well in a
by SandB0x 17y ago
It's not absurd. Of course there's a continuum of views, I didn't suggest otherwise, but the parties each publish a manifesto outlining their policies well in advance and it seems bizarre to only make up your mind at the last minute. People keep "waiting to hear" what the leaders have to say on crime or the economy or whatever. It's in their manifestoes and it's fairly consistent with what they've been saying for the last few years. Policies are not decided on the fly during debates or news shows.
- maw 17y agoIf we pretend that there are two parties, equal in all respects, except that party A eats baby boys and party B eats baby girls, that would be a tough choice to make. I can't decide which is worse. I'd be wrestling with the choice up to the very moment of voting. Afterward, too. That's a contrived example, of course. But for many people, no party will be satisfying, and the choices to be made will not be obvious. If your opinions happen to align almost entirely, or even mostly, with a party, good for you, but for the rest of us, the choices are difficult and vexing, even if you have a long time to think them over. And, indeed, even after several elections (I've seen them while living in three countries), I'm still not sure whom I would have preferred to see win, and not for a lack of paying attention, but because each of the choices, realistic and un-, came with a complex set of tradeoffs.