vote or no vote: uninformed citizens
Judy HillI confess I’m a political junkie. I also confess I assume - stupidly, I guess - that most people are at least somewhat informed about the what’s going on in politics these days. So when my yard dude and his co-worker both disavowed me of that notion Tuesday it broke my heart.
“You guys vote yet?”
“I’m not registered,” said one. The other said the same. “I’ve never voted,” added No. 1.
I’m familiar with non-voters. My father never voted. Ever.
“I don’t want to encourage them,” he’d tell me and then launch into one of the many stories he told and retold about political corruption in New York City during the Tammany Hall days of his youth.
My father was cynical. I don’t think my yard guys are. They just have a lot of other stuff on their plates, primarily families and making enough money to keep households going.
But they’re both dealing with the multitude of problems that confront workers who live from week to week - problems they ought to be using their votes to solve such as no health care, high taxes, high property insurance, skyrocketing gas prices, a gallon of milk with a pricetag almost as high as high test.
One had little or no money to buy holiday presents for his kids. The other has a chipped tooth that he can’t afford to have fixed.
When I began yelling (fondly) at them about not voting, No. 1, who runs a very successful landscaping business, tried to deflect the attack by arguing he wasn’t smart enough to vote. He doesn’t keep up with the issues, he said, and, therefore, isn’t well enough informed to make a wise choice.
“I might vote for the wrong guy,” he said. “So I leave voting up to smart people like you.”
Not a good excuse. Not an excuse at all. In fact, it’s bad, bad, bad. He ought to be informed. We all should.
But at least he isn’t making an ill-informed vote. Not so a woman I’ve known for about 10 years who told me later in the day that she doesn’t even know if she’s a Democrat or a Republican.
“I’m not keeping up with things,” she said. “Who’s running?”
Since she was cutting my hair and had scissors in her hands, I didn’t explode. Instead, I calmly mentioned all the candidates. She didn’t recognize most of the names and had no clue what party any of them were in.
Since her admission came after I asked her if she’d voted yet, she tried to reassure me that she would exercise her franchise.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I promise I’ll vote on the way home.”
I didn’t have the heart to ask her for whom - and why. I probably should have told her, “Don’t bother.” But I didn’t do that either.
I guess I’m trying to convince myself that any vote is better than no vote at all.
Editor’s note: See similar laments from the 2004 election, an overwhelming show of apathy in the 2006 election, the general population’s failure to know the slightest thing about government on a national scale, turnout at the ‘06 Presidentials, ghostly turnout at St. Pete’s elections in ‘07, and Wayne Garcia’s recent piece on irrational voters.
Tags: business, citizens, election '08, elections, politics
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January 30th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Bet if you had engaged them in a discussion of the Bucs they would have had a lot to say. Not to denigrate Bucs fans, but the fact is that people pay attention to things that interest them, and politics are just of no interest to all too many people. They don’t seem to connect their economic problems with their ignorance and apathy. Florida (and the rest of the country)would be a much better place if that were not so. The fact is, we get exactly the kind of government we deserve because we elect and keep the wrong people in office.
January 30th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Clyde - when you made that Bucs comparison, it reminded me about my father scolding me as a kid about how well I knew movie lines, could guess which TV shows were being watched by only 5 seconds of witnessing the show, but getting poor grades in school.
I thought Amendment One passing was proof that the voters are ill informed or uninformed. Confused? Afraid the economy will get even worse? “It’s a tax cut! Who votes down a tax cut?!”
January 30th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Politics are a hobby just like anything else.
January 31st, 2008 at 1:04 am
So true, so true. Took me a long time to figure it all out. I study the issues and I stay informed about local govt as well. It’s very important to me. I understand young families with jobs and children, and the hectic lives they lead. Wish govt issues were important enough to them to motivate the inquiries and voting.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Voter ignorance and apathy in Florida has been around since we acquired statehood in 1845.
We’re known as a “goof off” state– we’re the “end of the line”, orginally, for the railroad, and now I-75. Every free-loader, drifter, tax-dodger, general ne’er do well, and criminal running from the law finds their way down here.
Folks relocate here to play in the sun (or hide out) and get comfortably numb.
Seemingly, few want to be adults and focus on our many real, serious issues. That is why we have so many of them. Oddly, the poor public education system perpetuates this system.
January 31st, 2008 at 6:08 pm
SHP, it’s not just Florida, it’s nationwide… http://www.sticksoffire.com/2006/01/12/voters-are-stupid/
February 1st, 2008 at 9:09 am
All that it takes for evil to triumph is for enough good men to do nothing.
The lack of interest in government and politics is most concerning. I guess that is how we got GW. It used to be you could mark one ballot and automatically vote for ALL of the candidates of a chose party. Thank God that went away.
Civic involvement takes a commitment of time and thought, and most Americans are willing to co neither. The same applies to my condo association.
March 26th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
My mother and father were immigrants from Poland. Neither finished the 6th grade. But-abig-but they received their citizenship and were registered to vote. They took me to the polls with them,my little brother went a few years latter. We were taught that it was apriviledge and aduty to be a voter. By the way my brother is a judge.