One Vote Won't make a difference!

[Michael Alexander]

Whilst in the mood of local elections in Oranjemund!

" ONE VOTE WON'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

The election is upon us.  In a discussion recently, a friend told me that she never votes.  Why bother - one vote won't make any difference.  Well, I had news for her.

But how about you?  Will you vote?  I'm sure you've heard the comment, "Oh, what's the use?  My vote won't mean anything anyway."  You might have even said it yourself.  Well, I'm telling you, don't be too sure.  One vote can make a difference.  It has made a difference many times in the past.  History is full of such examples.

Way back in 1845 in the U.S. Congress, Texas became a state by one vote.  In 1923, one vote in the German Parliament gave Hitler leadership of the Nazi Party.

"Well," you say, "but those were votes of people like senators and members of parliament...you know, important votes.  My little vote at our local precinct - it doesn't mean much."

But, again, don't be too sure.  Let's take an example quite removed from this presidential election.  In 1976, Jimmy Carter won over Gerry Ford.  The State of Ohio went for Carter.  As you know, with the electoral system, when a state has a majority for a candidate for the presidency, the entire electoral vote from that state goes to that candidate.  In this case, Ohio's vote made the difference, and Ohio gave the election to Mr. Carter.

But let's look a little closer at Ohio that year.  Carter's margin in that state was only a few votes in each precinct.  So if only a few additional people in each precinct in Ohio had voted differently, Mr. Ford would have been our president, not Mr. Carter.

Let's look at another one in Ohio at about the same time.  Pro-life Governor James Rhodes beat out challenging pro-abortion Richard Celeste for the governorship by a margin of one vote per precinct.

O.K., let's turn to 1980 when Reagan was elected, and, if you remember, Republicans won a majority in the U.S. Senate that year.  The incumbent senator in North Carolina, Robert Morgan, had been voting consistently pro-abortion.  The challenger, John East, was strongly pro-life.  North Carolina has six million people.  East won that election by 11,000 votes.

And how many pro-life senators do you think won their races that year by one percent or less?  Well, let me list them:  John East I've just mentioned, Senator Mattingly of Georgia, Senator Steve Sims of Idaho (by only 4,000 votes); Bob Kasten in Wisconsin and Alfonse D'Amato in New York.  These narrow-margin victories made the difference in organizing the Senate and in confirming President Reagan's judicial nominees while he was in office.

So, will your vote mean something?  Certainly it will.   "

[henniek]

Yes Michael , one vote will make a difference. Years ago in order to be helped promply , I regestered as a member of Swapo . and on registring as a voter , I was helped promptly , and my name was on the roll as well.
and while we are on permits and the like , did you know we had to have permits to go to the plant and to reside in O Mund ?  , just blotted my name out

[Michael Alexander]

Have a Karma point Hennie, Nice piece of history. A number of prominent white business folk became SWAPO members after independence..... this obviously had something to do with promoting their business interests....

[SandyB]

Being a member  does not mean you have to vote  for them   ,  after all allowed to use conscience .. ....       its called being  shrewd , survival  in the current  situation ..  etc ..

[henniek]

The strategy was to let the oposition do the work , ensuring that my name was not accidentally mislaid and for sure to be on the voters roll -
no bussiness strings attached , just plain shrewed .
Had a friend in the disinformation intellegence - who pickpoceted an Important party members cheque book out of his jacket , took a page out , replaced the book in the mans jacket  , wrote out a healty donation for the Namibian , & forge the signature . The VIP was astonished to read about his donation and generosity in the paper  . But could not ask it back - How will it look in the eye of the public ? with elections comming up

[Michael Alexander]

Nice one Hennie, the boys in the office had a good laugh at that one...