Don't get me wrong: I agree with you on everything here. I vote in every single election. It makes even more of a difference since I'm still registered in California, so I can vote for my third party candidates without worrying that I'll be allowing a right wing nutjob to get a lead over the Democrat that I, while don't believe will do much more, at least provides the conversation and the ideas that should be in the public's conscious. It's dangerous without liberal ideas being discussed and considered. The people quickly revert back to horrid conservative ideals. I've watched it happen over the last six years on reddit as our country has gotten more and more conservative. That's not a world I want.

My point isn't about voting, it's about the entirety of the Democratic and governmental system of America being broken. Voting is still fucking important, no matter how little it might actually do in the end in this system, that amount might make all the difference. Never assume Gore would be just as bad as W. Never assume Mitt would be better than Obama.

That said, the first election I really cared about was 2000. Seeing that, I completely understand people believing voting is meaningless. Gore winning very well could have been-- and I truly believe it would-- the difference between America having a prosperous future and what we have now. That it came down to... That... I don't put it past anyone to consider it futile. I think they're wrong, but I can't blame them.