Off the subject, but important. Please vote for your favorite candidates today.

Wouldn't it be great if some innovative airline devised a way to give FF miles for voting?

buying votes with miles jaws43?

this aphorism is dedicated to your proposal:

"I either want less corruption, or more chances to participate in it."

JAWS APHORISM:

"I would like to help you, son,
but you're too young to vote"!

While we're on the subject of voting, I was listening to Steve Dahl, my favorate radio
personality here in Chicago. He's what you
might call a kinder, gentler Howard Stern.

He was talking about how little incentive there is to go out and vote. He suggested giving each voter some kind of a gift after they cast their ballot. Then, his sidekick
said "oh, you mean like frequent flyer miles?"

Neal

I think in my years of voting I have only
missed about two votes. But I would be very
concerned about giving "Gifts" to get people
to vote.

I can see it now: workers for the candidates
outside the polling places tempting us with
triple frequent flyer miles, upgrades on
Delta L fares, free nights at hotels, etc.

Sorry but that would taint the voting process.

Another interesting observation: have you noted in FlyerTalk several "candidates" for
Freddies like Hilton and Delta have put in
ads "for your consideration" like they do around Oscar time? I guess teh Freddie's as
big for an airline's bottom line as an Oscar
helping revive a hasbin actress's career!
CATMAN

Hey Ol' Tom--It would be fine if candidates wanted to give FF miles, but my thought was that an airline would stand outside the polling place and hand out coupons that one could send-in and get miles. No bribery here.

In Baltimore, they call it "walking around money." I walk around, find someone who looks like a reasonable candidate, and say, "Hey, I'll give you five bucks to vote (for my guy)." What's wrong with rewarding folks for doing their democratic duty?

philforest - your scenario isn't democracy, it's corruption. I can name at least a dozen third world countries where your method of enticing voters (or, even better, 'I'll break your kneecaps if you don't vote for my guy') has resulted in incompetent government & economic ruin. If the richest guy were to win, would you really want Bill Gates & his cronies running the country?

No, I believe in old-fashioned democracy, where you vote where your heart & your conscience tell you to.

A CATMAN observation (First of a series
Politics and frequent flyer miles don't mix.

I don't know how I feel about offering frequent flyer miles to get more people to vote. It may. (Jaws43: Your texas has a great early voting system I believe which I think should be adopted nationally. So if folks like me can't get to the polls like this year I can vote in advance and do my "duty!")

But maybe let's get the politics out of this forum -- unless we are fighting to make sure
that the government doesn't interfere in these programs!!! It's a separate entity
and should be kept that way (Randy explained
this better in a past issue of Inside Flyer,
can't remember the month!)

And BaoBab: I too vote with my heart. But some of this year's campaigns gave me heartburn!
CATMAN

an IDUR (still halloween) posting: would you also mind giving miles as an incentive NOT to vote?

Personally, I cannot see any politics here,
Catman. Voting is voting, depending upon what the meaning of "is" is. And, iduR, if
an airline gave FF miles not to vote, how democratic would that be?

I aspire that everyone excercised their opportunity to vote.

jaws43: it was IDUR, and he only wanted some miles too. Rudi being swiss and IDUR being a ghost, are not allowed to vote.

are we really serious about this topic?

Of course not!!