The Problem With Voting In America: Too Many People Do It
February 12th, 2008
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If you were a cop in the middle of a shootout with some bank robbers, and you saw someone walking down the street, I doubt you’d encourage them to pick up a gun, choose either side, and start shooting.
And yet, most people will tell others that they should vote, regardless of who they support. Why?
There are certainly some important issues in this presidential election. Just to pick one, the Iraq War. Whether you’re for it or against it, you’re likely to have a strong opinion. Does it make sense to push someone into voting, when they might vote against you on something that is literally a matter of life and death for countless people?
Just because someone is eligible to vote doesn’t mean they’ll make a good decision. Maybe people who can’t figure out how to use a ballot aren’t the ones we want electing the next president. Likewise for people who think that Iraq and Afghanistan are the same country. Likewise for people who don’t know who’s running (at least in Virginia, the voting machines showed several candidates who had dropped out before they could be removed from the system).
Actually, I think very few people are well-informed about even a handful of issues. Universal health care can be made to sound either really good or really bad. How many people have heard all the arguments and formed their own educated opinion? I have a feeling that most people just say “yes, I could use some free health care,” or “no, I don’t want my taxes to go up,” without seeing the issue from all sides.
I voted today, even though I don’t consider myself qualified to do so. I decided on a candidate mainly by taking the quiz at Glassbooth, based on my limited (though better than average) understanding of the issues. The result matched my gut feeling, so that was my decision. But I can’t really say I’m sure I made the right choice.
If I don’t think I should really be voting, then certainly there are millions of people out there who definitely shouldn’t. I don’t know why we think we need to encourage them to vote. Personally, I’d love to be the only one who voted. It makes it much easier to get what you want that way. But if you’re going to vote, please vote responsibly. Educate yourself and make an informed decision. Either that, or just ask me who to vote for.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Hi Hunter – I agree. Stupid people should not be allowed to vote, as it puts the rest of the world at risk.
Mind you, I have some strong beliefs that others would disagree on – eg. stupid women who use abortion as a birth control method should be sterilized. And paedophiles should suffer a slow and painful death.
CatherineL’s last blog post..Internet Branding: Did You Screw Up Too?
February 13th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Hmm, but who’s to decide who is stupid? I admit I’ve voted on issues in the past I may not have gathered all the information on, but I do try to vote responsibly. I happen to think some people who vote based on certain issues are not voting responsibly. Recently I’ve been very frustrated with my own father and his change of voting practices, however, you have to vote your conscience and I guess he does. It is also very hard to find objective information. Politicians are excellent at promising one thing to get elected then changing their position.
Thank you for your kind words on Barbara’s blog.
Deb’s last blog post..My Wedding Dress
February 13th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Great point, Hunter.
Maybe this is why voting for President is still not a popular vote (e.g. the actual number of people who voted), but is dependent on the Electoral College.
When I vote, if I haven’t read up on a proposition to fully understand it, I actually skip it and vote on the ones I do know or care about.
Nez’s last blog post..?I Work for the Government?
February 13th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Exactly Deb, who’s to decide who is stupid? I definitely think it’s a good idea that any citizen of legal age is allowed to vote. Require something like a literacy test, and it’s too easy to lose democracy altogether. The system could be manipulated to only allow rich people to pass the test, or only white people, or only people who support the party in power, etc. I think voting should be everyone’s right, but also I’m not going to encourage anyone to vote on the premise that each vote somehow makes the country better.
Nez, in 7th grade we had a debate about the Electoral College, and the judges panel (consisting of three adults, but not the teacher) decided that based on the arguments given, they would have to abolish it. Voters might not be especially well-informed today, but at least they can usually read…that wasn’t always true.
Catherine, I’m not touching that with a ten foot pole!
February 14th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Hunter,
You bring up some great points here. For many years I didn’t vote, mainly because I didn’t follow the news and wasn’t informed. Now I love to watch the debates and hear what each candidate says. I weigh what they say, and analyze if they are believable based on their past record. At this point in time, I’m still not sure.
I also think it’s ironic how some will say, “I’m a Democrat”, so I must vote down my party lines. Who says? I say vote for the person you feel can do the best job, no matter what your party affiliation is.
BTW: Smart move on your pant, re Catherine’s comment. She’s a feisty one. I’m glad I have her on my side.
Barbara’s last blog post..Bloggers Fall Prey To Instant Gratification
February 14th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Barbara, I know some people will automatically vote down their party lines even if they know absolutely nothing about the candidates. I guess that’s not a terrible strategy if they know from experience that they always side with a particular party. But why not do a little homework to be sure about it? Sometimes people change (both the candidates and the voters). And in the primaries, just picking a party isn’t enough–you have to pick a person.
Catherine’s definitely feisty, no doubt about that! And that’s part of what makes her posts interesting.