The Obama campaign puts the entitlement mentality is on grand display.

That's some sentence.

The loss in production for another day off is some where around 75 billion dollars across the country. Good idea for a country reeling from the credit crunch. And the small business' around the country will be hit the hardest. But, hey this is the "One". And the country needs to come to a halt in order to realize what we are about to do and be blessed with.
Democrats have wanted to make election day a national holiday for a long time because, they believe it would favor their turn out.If Obambi is elected it will be a holiday by 2010.

"That's some sentence."

That's some rebuttal. Idiot.

Most of the Obama supporters don't work anyway. ;) ww

Then who does he suppose he's going to hold up for $$ for all those slackers he wants to support? I was asked if I could work the election by our local Republican headquarters yesterday. I told them that if I didn't have to work that I most certainly would, but that I was certain I couldn't get off work that day.

That's easy to do if you are an Obama supporter. You probably don't have a jog and if you do, your manager is probably 20 years younger than you and afraid to tell you "no".

Conservatives talk to friend and neighbors the days leading up to the election to get out and vote.
Go to bed early if you can and wake up early vote and get to work.
That would take effort, Initiate , drive, desire and determination

However lets get the Narrative Big Evil Company does not give employees day off to vote Voter Suppression of XYZ
Jessie and Al to sue.

Ooops, I forgot. What would add to the cost of another "legal" holiday if passed, and it surely will be by the Dems, is it will be a "paid" holiday. There goes that three thousand dollar credit for small business. And, if you think an employer can swap for another holiday, think again.

In all honesty, I think this is a good idea. As things stand now, you've got a peak before work hours, at lunch, and after work. A lot of folks do have problems waiting in long lines, and poll workers can get overwhelmed at times. How about having the day off and spreading the load?

Or better still since the population is so large in the US, the first WEEKEND in November should be set aside for the election. 2 12-hour days should be enough time, and having it on a weekend will give sufficient opportunity for those who want to vote to go before or after work.

In most Democratic countries, election day is a national holiday.

I think it would be a good thing ... unless, of course, you guys don't want the working poor to vote.

This is nothing new. We have IBEW members from LU98 in Philly and they get EVERY election day off mandatory (forced on us contractors), whether local or national. Most go fishing, or hunt, or just watch TV for the afternoon. It's an excuse so the apprentices can "work the poles".
I can easily vote _after_ work, at around 7:00pm. Not sure why the day should be taken off. Who are you going to talk to anyway, unless the individuals aren't working themselves?

...errr, POLLS

It's a stupid idea. There are many businesses (businesses that offer services to the public) that cannot shut down for a day to give their employees an entire day off to vote; restaurants, gas stations, tech support, hospital employees, firemen, police, etc.

What? Don't these people count?

My company is more enlightened than most.
They give us 2 hours off on election day to go vote.

Oh boy. It's a Day of Worship, doncha know?

Is it a paid day off, or do we have to wait until sainthood is officially conferred?

Rance, I would venture to guess that most any employer will accommodate an employee who wants to go and vote. There's a presumption that businesses won't work with their employees, hence the push to make it a national holiday. I've never had an employer tell me I had to work throughout the entire stretch between when the polls open and when they close.

Why, one would think there's no such things as mail-in ballots or early voting, huh?

"I think it would be a good thing ... unless, of course, you guys don't want the working poor to vote."

What a wholly disingenuous thing to say.

of course, you guys don't want the working poor to vote.

How do you get that?
many people who are not poor work very long hours. I have not been able to vote a few times because I will get called away on business trip the day before. NJ many people commute to NY and either wake up early and get to the Polls or come straight home to make it to the polls at night. People have died for my ability to vote so I think I can make the extra effort.

BTW in NJ and NY Election Day is a State holiday but we do not have higher voter turnout than any other state.
In some states you can take the day off without reprisal and in others an employer cannot stop you but since polls are open before and after work it is not a problem.

My point from above still remains do for yourself instead of having government do for you.

Only a complete idiot would be against this idea. Oh, hi oyster. Anyway, what better day to celebrate democracy? Of course it would be like any other national holiday, not every business would close, and nobody would be required to close, but it would help more people vote, which is a good thing.

I also like JLawsons weekend idea. Poll workers would have to work the weekend, but it's once every two years.

For people who are pro-democracy, the goal should be to get as many eligible voters to the polls as possible.

As many eligible voters have more than sufficient time to vote in Texas. I really dont think we need another holiday because
they give us approximately 2 weeks to early vote before the election day (including all day Saturdays) or one can do mail-in, and then of course folks can wait and go on election day if any of those other days / means weren't convenient.

i thought that the object of early voting was so you could do so more 'conveniently'.

Now the 'One' wants people to take the day off. That sounds a lot like Spike Lee's insistence that all black children skip school so they could see the movie 'Malcolm X' on opening day.

Weekend Ballots sounds good but, would that require observant jews to all do mail-in ballots as they could not vote on the Sabbath especially electronic voting becoming more wide spread. Then what of those in services industries that work the weekend and holidays? You would still need a decent robust mail in system.

However we know that the current mail in system often fails the Service member. So first fix how the military Ballots are done and then you can consider moving the date as long as electoral college 34 day requirement is modified.

however Election day works so why fixit Mail in ballots do not work so why not fix that?

Like I said, max, there are three ways to vote; on election day, by absentee ballot or by early voting. These are not ways to "help more people vote"? Or are these just for rubes who can't get the government to mandate another day off for them?

My job gives us a half a day on election day to go vote, which is a good thing. A whole day off I actually don't have a problem with idelogically, though I'm not sure finacially what the impact would be, probably not a good one.

hermie (comment 21) gets it right: The idea that we need a holiday is long dead. All but, what, three states offer early voting, and probably all states offer absentee ballots.

I've been doing my early voting for several days now, and I've got all of my votes in the mail - finally. Like a lot of my fellow Obama supporters I'll be working the polls during Election Day - driving myself and others from polling-place-to-polling-place, signing in under various names, and marking ballots. It will be a l-o-n-g day: so many votes, so little time.

On the surface, sounds like a good idea. Typical of the Democratic lawmaking history - "sounds good", "feels good", - no practical, realistic thinking of the cost or problems the proposed legislation might cause. The few comments here easily show that the idea is much more complicated than "a day off work so all can vote. Of course, he wasn't serious, it is too late to enact such a grand scheme, but it does make him "compassionate" and "caring" and it seems that is all his followers understand.
Grace

Don't forget:

Republicans vote Tuesday,
Democrats vote Wednesday

max - "Only a complete idiot would be against this idea. Oh, hi oyster. Anyway, what better day to celebrate democracy?

Well, call me an idiot then, but I have other idiotic ideas as well:

Like elections held over a Sat/Sun, national/local campaigns only allowed during a 3 or 6 month time frame, NO money donated to a State candidate from outside the State they will represent, term limits for ALL national/local offices, TV/radio advertisement limited to something less than 15 minutes every 24 hours total for each candidate in each state and on each local station....etc, etc.

Is that everywhere or just in Virginia?

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/10/phony-flier-says-virginians-vote-different-days

Well, our income is his government's money, which he'll let you keep a little of, to be fair to those who don't have as much.

If he's setting incomes in this country, he might as well dictate days off, for the sake of his campaign, the chirren, etc.

What a huge f'n dope this guy is.

In other countries that take a day off, it's actually a Saturday or Sunday they have "off" to vote. Think the slackers would come out for that???

Suits me just fine, but I work for a living.

Good grief how long does it take a Democrat to fill out a ballot? Why in the world would a person need an entire day to vote?

I suppose the single moms will need day care for the entire day too.

"Obama thinks everyone should have a day off?"

I'm afraid you've misunderstood. He's asking people who can take off work (thus people who work) if they can take a vacation or personal day to volunteer for the campaign on election day and help get others to the polls.

You can read more about it here:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/dayoff

This just goes to show you how dangerous Obama is. Plus, who in the he## does he think he is?

With this man in charge, our great country will continue to go further down the tubes and that much closer to a 3rd World country.

WAKE UP AMERICA!

NOBAMA 2008

McCain/Palin 2008

Maybe Obama has voted present too many times. Doesn't he and everyone else know that you don't have to vote on that day? There is this wonderful invention called an absentee ballot. I have used it many times. It is very convenient and saves me a trip on election day. That way I can get to my job and be productive. It also allows me to actually research each candidate so that I can vote down the "spread it around" Democrats.