And Then There’s That Obsession With Cancer Screening
The Michigan Review turns a long-needed critical eye toward “this endless obsession with voting (and obviously, with its precursor, registering).” Yeah, you never hear these voting proponents mention the seamy “registration” side of their little fetish. What are they trying to hide?
First objection: this is a poorly-written article. The “Editorial Board”‘ needs to channel its collective rage into a reasoned argument, instead of scattershot anger. Second objection: “there are a great many stupid citizens who, while they should have the right to vote, should not otherwise be encouraged to.” Typical ivory-tower arrogance and ignorance. It goes without saying, I daresay, that these incoherent ranters are exempted, via natural superiority or something, from the “stupid citizens” category.
posted by Laura on October 6th, 2004 at 2:15 amIsn’t having state legislators pick senators pretty retro? Though I suppose it’s no worse than having the Supremes pick the president.
posted by Edward Vielmetti on October 6th, 2004 at 11:55 amThis has to be the most blatant display of right-wing contempt for our system (paying homage to Eric Alterman, “why do the Republicans hate America?”) I’ve ever seen (or at least in a while). I can’t believe they just came out and wrote that. Of course, I expect the real objection is that the wrong people (those who work for a living in jobs that don’t follow regular 9-to-5 schedules and can’t take off to go vote, i.e. most of the working poor) will end up voting if these diabolical “voter registration” Commies get their way. I know it sounds obvious, but this article is so fucking ridiculous (and now I can’t believe I made it all the way through) that I had to. Balls, I say.
posted by Lazaro on October 6th, 2004 at 4:35 pmI think they’re also misreading the current political climate. I think the people with “mountain-sized” grudges against the current president have had those grudges for a while and have based them on actual upsetting events, while the people who haven’t been paying attention are more likely to vote for him. I’m pretty sure the newly-created, ill-informed army of anti-bushies is the stuff of feverish right wing nightmares. P.S. Check out my hyphen usage!
posted by c-loh on October 6th, 2004 at 11:44 pm“…should not otherwise be encouraged to.”
The arguments aren’t the only thing that need work in that poorly-written rant.
posted by Anna on October 7th, 2004 at 6:43 amI think I know what they are trying to get at, but this has to be one of the most poorly written editorials I’ve seen in my life. By that virture, they should exclude themselves from voting as well. However, this editorial makes me wonder if the Republicans really do want a King instead of a President.
posted by Kozzie on October 7th, 2004 at 7:04 pmA Jay Leno reference? I didn’t know anyone under 40 watched that show.
posted by John on October 7th, 2004 at 10:15 pmWhat this editorial doesn’t mention is that voter registration has always been a gateway to the more dangerous activity of voting. Study after study testify to this link. We must unite to stop the insidious spread of registration before our nation’s youth succumb to the addictive and potentially lethal act of voting! Dare to Keep Kids out of the Polling Booths!
posted by j nordell on October 8th, 2004 at 4:28 pmLet’s just hope that they include themselves in the list of people who probably shouldn’t be encouraged to vote. (Now would be a good time to remind them that they’re in a pretty solid Dem state, and that they’ll have no outcome on local politics either…)
posted by js on October 8th, 2004 at 5:02 pmNow that I look at the article again (and you may well say “that’s your own damn fault”), one of the things that was nagging at me, although I couldn’t put my finger on it, was the way they capitalized “Democracy,” as if it was this bizarre foreign concept threatening to invade our shores. I’m doing my master’s thesis on a British diplomat in southwest China and Burma during the late nineteenth century who used the word in the exact same way, the coming onslaught of the “Demos” who will ruin the empire and drain the imperial mission of the will it demands. Not that that’s in ANY WAY applicable to our current situation…
Oh, these people are too damn transparent.
posted by Lazaro on October 8th, 2004 at 6:32 pmI have more faith in the principle of democracy than I do in any government that practices it, and I applaud organizers of voter drives for channeling their energy in a constructive manner, but they might be careful what they wish for.
Padding the rolls with apathetic voters may cause more Democrats to be elected, but it will not produce more accountable officeholders. I’m not telling vote organizers to give up; I just wish they wouldn’t place so much faith in any party, even their own.
Oh well, I suppose we all must learn the hard way.
posted by TS on October 9th, 2004 at 1:35 amI still think this editorial is wrong on so many levels. Like it or not, this country is based on the principle that everyone should vote (although this was not always the case, but I think somewhere that was the idea). I have seen some ideas where some people think that people who don’t own property shouldn’t vote because they don’t pay property taxes and theoritically don’t have a stake in things (not bearing in mind that a component of rent is the property taxes or that there are other forms of taxes), I think this is wrong. Usually when people talk of restricting votes, they are trying to get rid of people that will put a foil in their plans.
I think a society is more dangerous when less people vote because then the politicians become more beholden to the people that do vote (Social Security will not get touched despite its flaws).
So I don’t know.
posted by Kozzie on October 9th, 2004 at 11:28 amTS, I understand the point you’re trying to make, but that’s one of the hazards of living in a democracy. Additionally, where does the apathy come from? Is it based on ignorance or the convictions of many that their voices don’t matter in today’s political system? At the very least, increased voter registration will result in a technically more representative government. I think c-loh’s right on target about the current concerns of many voters. Registration’s a great thing in my opinion, but from what I’ve been reading in the papers, etc., a great many people are coming forward of their own accord to vote when they usually don’t, simply because they disapprove of the direction in which the country’s headed and realize the importance of this election. Who knows? Maybe they’ll realize that all the other elections are important, too.
And as for that Jay Leno reference in the article, it got me wondering how “random” those encounters with unsuspecting bystanders are (mind you, I haven’t watched his show in years because it sucks). Of course, that’s just what we need to guide our nation–crappy talk-show-based stereotypes!!
posted by Lazaro on October 10th, 2004 at 12:34 pm