Question...

[malthaussen]

16. Any system is susceptible of abuse.

The simple solution of fixing it so people will not be chastised -- or penalized -- for their vote is not so simple. Which is more likely to be abused: a system where everyone's vote is known, or everyone's vote is secret? How do you ensure that retribution will not take place? If I am fired with alleged cause at age 60, how likely am I to be able prove that I was fired because of my age, and not because of the alleged cause?

Furthermore, is it necessary to ask that question? Is it not more to the point to ask what policies and positions one supports, which is an intellectual question? Oh, of course in casual discourse it is a harmless question, and one is perhaps a stickler to insist on the privacy of the vote. But then, this is a public forum, not casual discourse among trusted acquaintances. Indeed, by the ToS, one may be banned for publicly disclosing that he has no intention of voting for the Democratic nominee. Thus hardly a neutral ground. While one cannot be banned (so far as I am aware) for past votes, the question arises as to why they should matter, anyway.

-- Mal