This was posted on Facebook today by Bill Connor, who was one of those running against Lindsey Graham two weeks ago.
“Rant,” by the way, is his own term, as you’ll see below. Anyway, I agree with much of what he says here:
Went in to vote just after 8 am, and the precinct was empty. Only around 4 names before mine. OK, I’m not going to hold back: That part (majority!) of the electorate in South Carolina too lazy to vote should be ashamed! Darn it, voting is a right bought and paid for by the sacrifices of so many, and the envy of so many throughout the world. This is about our future, and it is so easy to both vote (took me about 15 minutes out of my schedule, though it might take a few more minutes for others). It is also so easy to research candidates and their positions beyond a few silly TV commercials and signs. I look at the candidates on the ballot in at least one race in the GOP and KNOW that many voters did not conduct any research beyond seeing signs and watching commercials. It is obvious, and it isn’t right and some candidates with incredible backgrounds/ideas are not on the ballot (and I’m not talking about my race). I’m ticked. It’s the reason money buys elections and why so many complain about the influence of money and consultants. It’s due to darn lazy voters. It’s the reason we have the current administration, despite all the failures from 2008-2012. Laziness. I’m no longer going to apologize for that part of the electorate and do back-flips about ways we should reach them. We are all in this boat together and we all have the same civic duties of voting, serving in the military, paying taxes, serving on juries, etc. If this nation’s electorate cares about this state and nation, they will start doing their duty. OK, I’m done with my rant. Back to work!
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I voted- and encouraged friends to do the same- most weren’t aware of the run-off- or the candidates (and I’m talking about college educated professionals with good jobs).
Sad. Very, very sad.
Most people just don’t care. They don’t feel it matters.
I’d rather not have low interest voters vote, and certainly not low information ones
High interest, low information is the worst combo – and the one we most often get, especially in the primaries.
Low interest folks usually don’t vote – that only makes sense.
Low information voters? I’d say primary voters are typically not low information voters. They may be swayed by commercials and cheap campaign tactics, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t know much about the candidates.
Right. But exhorting more folks to vote runs the risk of encouraging low information voters to vote, say, because they recognize a name….
Yes, I am with you. And Barry, if you think low-interest voters don’t vote, I have two words for you: Alvin Greene. There’s just no way that the people who nominated him were overly burdened with information about the candidates.
And I agree with Kathryn.
In my newspaper career, I was always being urged to talk up voter participation editorially, and I never could really get behind it. Yeah, maybe there are some really thoughtful, discerning people out there not voting, but I don’t think there are many of them.
I worry about urging people who currently can’t be bothered to get out and vote. As the Alvin Greene fiasco underlined, there are already WAY too many people voting who haven’t a clue what they’re doing. The last thing we need is MORE people like that voting.
For the same reason, I can’t go along with these kicks that Democrats get on about making it easier to vote. No, you should have to go to some trouble to vote. If you’re not bedridden, get off your lazy behind and get thee to a polling place. And if you can’t be bothered to do that, I don’t want you deciding who gets elected.
Someone will now say that hourly workers have trouble getting off to vote. Look, the polls are open 12 hours on election day. And if you’re going to have to work a more than 12-hour shift on Election Day, there’s absentee voting. But how many people could that possibly be?
No, I want people who will go to some trouble to vote. That’s why I’m not bothered by the Republicans’ Voter ID thing, even though I think it’s unnecessary, and the reasons the GOP gives for it are completely bogus. Republicans are for it for the same reason Democrats are against it — they see partisan advantage in their respective positions. Republicans think it will suppress Democratic voting, and Democrats fear that they’re right. Have Voter ID or don’t have it; I don’t care. But I don’t think there’s a great moral issue involved.
But back to the issue of turnout — I want voters who have really sweated over the issues and candidates, and who would crawl on their hands and knees for the privilege of voting…
Funny thing is, here I am being dismissive of people who can’t be bothered to vote. And the partisans are just as dismissive of people like me, and a lot of media pundits are with them (look at the next think-piece about unaligned voters, and watch for the tone of disdain). They see us independents as too lazy and dumb to be allowed to vote, because we can’t be bothered to pick a side. It doesn’t occur to them that we are the ones who actually THINK, and think well past the idiotic choices that left and right offer us…
Did you hear the comment from the Tea Party candidate in MS after his loss? “True Conservatives never compromise and never reach across the aisle” – or words to that effect.
I just have to shake my head at the willful ignorance of that stance. I don’t want to be contemptuous of that sort of feeble thinking, but it’s hard not to say, dude, what happened in your life that you have grown so fearful of engagement with other viewpoints?
Alvin Greene was an example of low information voters (coupled with some low interest voters) voting.
I maintain those that have no real interest in voting- don’t typically vote.
Low interest voters – to me- are folks that will show up for a high profile election – if they happen to be close to the voting place on election day.
True.
Connor thinks lazy voters are the reason we have the current administration? But I suppose he thinks the re-election of Bush in 2004 was a period of “non-lazy” voters. Of course, the voters are lazy and ill-informed when they vote against your point of view, and energized and enlightened when they vote your way.
No, Mr. Connor, low-information voters are not the problem. Low-information candidates are.
Burn!