I almost have to laugh at the people who brag about how America’s democratic system is the best thing since Jack Daniels sour mash whiskey. Alexander Hamilton, arguably one of the greatest founding fathers, used to get into heated fights with Thomas Jefferson over the direction in which the Country should go. Thomas Jefferson had an agrarian vision for society. A society that involved farming as a means to economic prosperity. A society that would rely on individualism versus the role of Government. Alexander Hamilton, on the other hand, had an industrial vision. Hamilton believed that manufacturing would lead to economic prosperity for this nations citizens, because not everyone has the ability to be a farmer. Jefferson didn’t like the pollution that the manufacturing environment created. I don’t have to tell you who won that argument…but not so fast. Alexander Hamilton also was a heavy believer in education. He had a fundamental believe in an educated electorate. Did he still win the argument?
I believe, one of the single-most important things in life is to vote, and it is not the right of anyone to influence how we vote. That decision is left to us, but how do we arrive at that decision?
Basically, elections work like this; It’s like voting for that person you really like on American Idol.
I wish it was that simple, but it’s not.
Elections should matter. Elections do matter…to me.
Since we live in a polarized Country–the electorate is split. However, it’s not a 50/50 split. It’s more like a 47/47 split. The electorate consists of 30-36% self-identified republicans. Add another 30-40% self-identified democrats. That will leave 18% of voters that are independents. 9% of the independents tend to lean republican, and the other 9% tend to lean democrat. Elections aren’t won by 47% of the vote, unless there is a third party candidate in the mix. For the most part, there’s one leader of both political parties that run. In order to win, one of them needs 50% of the vote. That is where the low-information voter comes in to play.
The low-information voter has a sense and duty to vote, but they don’t follow the day-to-day politics. They usually check in once every three and a half years. They are referred as the low-information voter because they tend to vote with their gut, and that is why politicians lie.
If you happen to be one of the low-information voters that tuned in to the Republican National Convention this week–you probably would have been impressed. You probably would have had a favorable opinion of Mitt Romney and many of the other speakers. They all told some pretty compelling stories, but they were just stories. And that is why you are a low-information voter.
All of the stories told during the convention were lies. In addition to spewing lies they also expressed this very selfish dialogue. If you were paying attention all they were saying was “I, I. I. Me, Myself”. There is no “I” in a family, the family that they believe are central to their values.
During the first day of the convention the party developed a platform. A platform is simply a list of values that the party believes in. Their first value is to not believe in abortion even in the case of rape and incest. You wouldn’t believe it with all the women speakers on stage professing their love for women. Loving members of their own sex is definitely NOT on their platform. If you were one of the low-information voters that bought this act then you would be the one that would by a Sham-Wow or that Flex Seal super rubber sealant.
Elections should matter. Elections do matter.
We live in an age where the average consumer spends more time researching what type of car to buy, what kind of television to buy, what kind of refrigerator to buy, what kind of computer to buy, what kind of designer suit to buy, where to go to school, what kind of neighborhood to live, what kind of friends we have, where to work and the low-information voter can’t even put in the same amount of time in choosing the leader of the free world. Gimme a fucking break.
Complain all you want about the economy, high gas prices, the high rate of unemployment. It’s all your fault.
Shaggieshapiro says.. 