A More Realistic View

Get out and vote!

Really though?

Yes, it is an unalienable right to go place your vote in the ballot box. But do we really want everyone to vote? 100 percent voter turnout would be a disaster.

I read on the issues, I follow the news media quite extensively, more so than 19 out of 20 people I know I'd say. But I do not consider myself totally aware of the issues. Of course we all have opinions on Barack Obama and John McCain, but what about Jennifer Weiss who was running for the NC Congress in my precinct (35, that is). Walking up to the polling location I knew nothing about either candidate. So you may ask, how did I make up my mind? By a pretty simple standard in my opinion. Jennifer Weiss was standing out in the rain outside the polling location asking for my vote. In a cold bitter Scottish style rain, she was standing there trying to earn my vote. I acquiesed to her request despite the fact she was a democrat, because I figure that she was willing to stand out in the rain for my vote, that told me more about her character than any political advertisment or flyer ever could.

Coming back to my point (yes, I was going to come back). If I had no idea who Jennifer Weiss was, then what are you basing your vote on? If you don't even know the issues, how can you vote? How can you vote for Barack Obama when you don't understand the effects of increased government spending? How can you vote for John McCain if you don't understand our militaristic role in the world? Its not that I would ever discourage someone from voting, I am simply dumfounded that these two campagins would spend over a billion dollars in advertising and not a penny on voter education. OK, I know some of you will argue that the advertisments are education. But I would highly disagree with that characterization and say that voter education is only legitimate when it is non partisan (look at the facts, where is that education.. everyone has an agenda). And furthermore, when the education explains the issues instead of some blanket false promise saying that I and I alone can fix this problem that you don't understand. I know this is politics, but it disturbs me; and I wonder of those voting today, who truly understands the consequences of their vote.