Ignorant Voters

I was surprised recently to find out that so many in the nation don't know who's been the majority in the senate for the last two years.. How can they not know that?

It makes you wonder just how they decide how to vote! Is it eeney, meeney, miney, mo? Do they do paper/rock/scissors? Do they just like one name better than the other?

I think it's the reason that people like Ted Kennedy keep getting voted in forever. They know the name and they vote. That's all. They don't pay attention to what he does or does not stand for. And this goes for every candidate. I'm just using Kennedy as an example. Likewise people who vote for a candidate just because they are with a certain political party. It's never made sense to me. A lot of research goes into who I vote for. Many times I do go with an independent candidate as I did this year. I also live in a small town so I have to research the town council. The board of education candidates are very important to me, since I still have 4 children in school. These people are running our country, state, city, county. They are supposed to be speaking for us. We have a responsibility to vote for someone that we feel can accurately give us a voice in the government. People do not seem to realize this.

Tragic, so very tragic. People who couldn't even tell you the posistions or even names in a local or state election, which are arguably more importnata and relevent to one'sday to day life, but can tellyou how much the RNC spent on clothing or other nonsense. We can blame government on the shape of the nation,buut, what many people don't seem to realize, is the blame goes by proxie to those that voted the same government in out of ignorance and belief that these people are the answers to our problems. Words of wisdom from Alexander Tyler; "A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury....."

I, or course, believe that voters should be informed but, being a free nation, every citizen has the right to be uninformed as well and that's as it should be. Aside from requiring a valid I.D. I don't believe that any restrictions should be placed on voting rights because that opens the door for other restrictions until, before you realize it even happened, voting becomes the right of the elite only. I do keep up with our state and, especially our local government here in Nowhere, Florida but mostly because we so badly need change and growth in my county which the Good Old Boys network blocks at every turn. So, I did know who I was voting for and against locally...with one exception...the Supervisor of Elections. That position is held by the wife of our Sheriff who is a friend and dedicated to our county and town. I didn't even consider her opponant.

I know what you mean. If you do not know who the candidate is or what they stand for then they really are not going anyone any good by voting. But in this country you have the right to vote, even if you decide not to exercise your right to know about what you are voting for. People also tick me off that think....I voted...Now I do not have to pay attention to the government for another two or four years. Depending if they bother to show up for a non presidential election. They do not hold their elected officials accountable. They ignore what they do, which is why they can get away with all the BS they do. No one is paying attention. No one seems to care. And we wonder why our congress is so bad. They know nothing is going to be done to them.

You have to know who you are voting for and the issues they stand for, or else you are a blooming idiot. And if the candidate has been there for a number of years or has been someone who is on the ballots for the last few terms, you should know his name. Now in Canada the various parties have various issues, and they all vote the party line, but in the States, the candidate may not agree with the party view so one has to know what he feels on certain issues. Obama got in because he was voted because he was the media's darling and no one investigated him. So the people got what they deserved. If you vote for shallowness, that is what you get shallowness and shallow people will turn into tyrants. It is going to be a long four years.

I felt the same way after Bush won the previous 2 elections. If we're talking about buying votes, that's classic Republican strategy with their promises of tax cuts, as if that's all that each of us should care about. Unfortunately for the GOP, the economic crisis has shown that you can still be worse off under a Republican president, even if you might pay less taxes. For me, the Democrats have always been more about idealism and a better society than just appealing to selfishness. This has been an election where many have been inspired to believe in a new start and a better day. You don't need to know your local representative to care about that and to be motivated to vote for it.

I think maybe we should go back to the monarchic system and not leave the business of electing a leader to ignorant voters. I think political leaders are pretty ignorant too. Cheers!!

People choose who to vote for for a myriad of reasons. Some actually know where their politicians stand on the issues; some just remember the name. Some vote straight tickets. Some get a list from their party. Some are told who to vote for by their church/minister/priest. Some just listen to their spouses. I agree that it's a sad thing that more people don't care why they are voting for a candidate, but they still have the right to vote. I don't believe that anything should be done to prevent them from voting. It's not a perfect system, but I don't know of a better one. Do you?

It is kind of frustrating watching all these videos come out of people not knowing anything about the election or the government besides how much Palin's clothing was worth. I think that if a person hasn't voted in six or more years, their right to vote should be automatically forfeited. There's no reason anyone should go that long in the first place - so if they do, they should know they are risking their future say. It's kind of like saying "Either you are a concerned citizen or you are not, choose". There's no justification for not giving a crap. And if a person doesn't give a crap, then there's no justification for giving him or her a vote. Of course none of this will ever happen, but it's an idea that I'm willing to accept. Word of mouth is a good way to pick where you'll eat, but a horrible way to pick a politician. But that's what has happened this time around, and the after taste will stick around for up to eight years. Better stock up on some gum.

This year, it wasn't even just the Representatives and Senators or local politicians that people didn't know anything about. Many had no clue what Obama was for or against, and they still voted for him. Sad.

Correct!! I agree with you.. why you did not post this before the election? it might help those people who are voting without knowing.. LOL..am serious!!! there are voters who just cast their votes without thinking,, they just listen to the bias media polls and reports.

I think perhaps, whilst it is important people vote for the right reasons, a lot of the time, especially in the uk, the resources arent available for us to really 'see' who we're voting for. Voting is important but yeah voting for the right reasons is more important!

I agree, I think you should only vote for issues or positions that you studied up on. Thats how we ended up re-electing Clinton! I like to stay informed. I make it a point to meet my local up to State Reps. This is good, I see them all of the time and can let them know my views.

The district I vote in has always had a detailed ballot in which you needed to make clear decisions. Most years the names of the candidates appeared but not their party affiliations. As a result I have never pulled a lever for strait party or gone to the polls without learning who was who. It makes the process a little time consuming but it makes it very difficult to be an uninformed voter and still be effective. Some go in to vote for one or two major candidates and/or issues and leave the rest of the ballot blank but, most are simply forced to inform themselves or pick at random which give a fairly even chance.