For everyone who proclaims that their vote doesn’t count, just consider the health care reform bill.
The Senate plan barely passed the US Senate early this morning with not one vote to spare. The Democrats needed 60 votes which is exactly what they got. Every Democrat and the Senate’s two independents (who are really Democrats) voted for it and all 40 Republican senators voted against it.
So, if the Democrats had only 59 members, the bill likely would have failed. Consider that Democratic Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota won by just a couple hundred votes after a 6-month long recount. Or consider that Democratic Virginia Senator Jim Webb beat George Allen in 2006 by just a couple thousand votes… out of more than a million cast.
What would have happened if the Republicans had prevailed in either of those races? Just a few hundred votes would have tipped the balance. And ultimately, all the GOP needed was one of those two closely contested seats and they likely would have been able to stop health care reform.
I’m not an advocate for or against health care reform. I’m simply pointing out that elections do matter. The end result impacts our lives for years and years.
Posted by Jay Warren at 11:52 PM. Filed under: main •
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