In fairness, you posted:When I use the term "in my opinion", it is to soften my post or point of view. It always puts me off when someone posts their opinion as if it were fact, so I like to show that I know the difference between opinion and fact by using that term.
It's intended as a courtesy to the reader.
"You sound proud of your habit of not voting."
I get that it's your opinion, but I've been told hundreds of times that if I don't live in the same little binary world then I'm wasting my vote, that I'm helping elect a nazi / communist / other extremist. It's untrue and it's tiresome.