How many days per year do you spend on political activities?

[tailfins]

My follow up question is: How many days per year does the average person spend on political activities? Dare I guess less than three? So why do people consider it so central to the future of our country? Maybe something else matters more? It's just a thought.

[Noir]

Define political activities.

[jimnyc]

On average, I would say the "average" member probably spends about an hour a week here at DP. That alone would be 52hrs per year. And that's a very low estimate for some on many message boards. Imagine those that spend like 4hrs per day on a board. Do the math, that's like 60 days or so on politics...

Wait for it....

Wait...


That's right, some on this very board have more experience in politics than Obama did when he first ran for the Presidency! :coffee:

[tailfins]

Define political activities.

I mean working to get one candidate elected over another. I would NOT count most conversing on a message board as a political activity. I mean voting, putting up signs, phone banks, etc. In other words, actually doing work to bring about a desired outcome.

[jimnyc]

I mean working to get one candidate elected over another. I would NOT count most conversing on a message board as a political activity. I mean voting, putting up signs, phone banks, etc. In other words, actually doing work to bring about a desired outcome.

Well, I just went from an eternity spent on politics, to zilch. :lol:

[Noir]

I mean working to get one candidate elected over another. I would NOT count most conversing on a message board as a political activity. I mean voting, putting up signs, phone banks, etc. In other words, actually doing work to bring about a desired outcome.

Depending on the year i'd average only about 4 weeks hard activity (i.e. during national/local election years) that would involve going door-to-door, fighting elections etc.

However all through-out the year, every year, i do work for Animal Aid (Petition work, talks, awareness raising etc) while it is not done for any one political party it does have political ramifications (such as the recent ban on using animals in circuses) so i would consider that political activity, combined with smaller ventures like activist blogging, i'd say the time spent on those activities would easily run into weeks of work per year.

[aboutime]

Not trying to be funny with my answer. But after thinking about it for only a few minutes. I have only spent 2 days of my 65 years on political activities...in Reality.

The first was back in 1960, when John F. Kennedy touched my hand at a rally in my home town..when he was running for President, and the second was...when I witnessed LBJ arrive at the Norfolk Virginia, Naval Base where he attended the Commissioning Cerimonies for the U.S.S. America. I took a photo of him getting out of his Limo.

Otherwise. My only Political involvement is reading, learning, and following Forums like this one.

Correction: There were 3. I forgot when George H.W. Bush flew out to our ship in the Persian Gulf, during Desert Shield/Storm on Thanksgiving day, 1990.
Three Different Presidents. Is that political enough?

[gabosaurus]

As many on DP (and its predecessor) know, I used to be an extreme left wing advocate. I worked on political campaigns and in subversive groups. I participated in anti-war protests. I was part of the protest movement during the 2004 Bush Coronation.
That was before my husband and I adopted our daughter. Now I spend all my time as a school counselor, wife and mother. I don't participate in political activities at all. I don't even keep up on TV. The extent of my political involvement is riling people up here on DP.
Once I turn off my laptop (or give it over to my daughter), I don't think about it at all.
Besides, the Animal Channel is a lot more entertaining that Fox News or MSNBC.

[Kathianne]

I mean working to get one candidate elected over another. I would NOT count most conversing on a message board as a political activity. I mean voting, putting up signs, phone banks, etc. In other words, actually doing work to bring about a desired outcome.

I've done all of those, on and off, mostly on, since I was 18. The only activity I haven't done is run for office. My hearing would make that extremely difficult, even on a local level.