Please Don't Vote

There is a big election upcoming involving the current president, Barrack Obama, and the Republican party nominee. I would name him too, but most Republicans are so alike it's like trying to distinguish between two identical looking glazed donuts in a bakery case. What's the point? The Republican guy or gal hates the Democrat who equally hates the Republican....who are both envied by the independent candidates that no one votes for and everyone knows can never win a presidential election. And in the end, which ever candidate wins does largely what the losing candidate would when elected, anyway.

But what's really important isn't the candidates. It's the voters. We have too many people voting here because they are told that it is their "duty" to vote. I think that bit of nonsense about civic duty is just used to coerce those who don't care to vote, don't know the people or issues they are voting for or don't want to vote anyway. People should only be urged to vote, to decide who wins based on their fitness and or desire to vote. The prospective voter who doesn't know anything about the election apart from how it might benefit his narrow special interest should stay home on election day. Some people are too dumb, too little informed or too little interested to follow an election carefully enough to vote wisely. I hate it when one of those negates the vote of an informed, educated interested voter.

I know we can't lock them in their rooms on election day, but if we could the welfare of the entire nation would be improved. If only qualified voters participated candidates would embrace real issues and speak intelligently about their plans instead of calling the other candidates names or distorting his or her record, making promises, lying, pretending....all the things the voters now use as a basis for choosing their favorites. It is amazing that Paris Hilton has as much power in the voting booth as a qualified voter like a university professor of politics to decide who is to lead the nation. It's like allowing Angelina Jolie to build a new bridge or having your appendix removed by a plumber.

The flaw in democracy is that it requires an educated, informed, interested voter to voice his or her choices. But society today is filled with too many idiots more informed about the candidates on a reality TV show than about those running for office and executing the responsibilities that the office requires he or she discharge. It's why I hope as many of the unqualified voters stay home on election day. Even informed or sincere voters make bad choices (I voted for Obama last time, I confess it is one of my own bad votes). But at least they are equipped ot vote and more often than not make better choices.

We should have a different style of campaign this presidential election, one for voters. I think a "don't get out and vote if you are stupid" (ok, we can substitute a less offensive word for "stupid") might be the best way of stopping the election of the ship of fools that so often win. Well, since voting is an irrational act, so I guess I can be irrational about who should vote.