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Democracy is no good if nobody votes |
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By Lee Graczyk
MnSF executive director
Otto von Bismarck said, "People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election."
As we go to press, the election looms large on the horizon. Election Day offers a time and place for voters to have their say. The unprecedented partisanship of this election has made it hard for voters to separate information from misinformation, the wheat from the chaff, fact from fiction, the trick from the treat. The cacophony of campaign rhetoric will only be an echo as we enter the voting booth. We will mark our ballots with only our internal voice to guide us, a solitary action that taken together will speak volumes. The talking heads will furrow their brows while issuing motives to our choices and claiming to know what will result because of those choices. In all probability, they will be wrong on both counts.
Now, as the carousel of talking heads look to the election they cite polls saying Congress’ approval rating has plunged to its lowest level in more than a decade (32 percent). At the same time, they cite polls showing 60 percent of those surveyed said they approve of the performance of their own Congressional member, while citing yet another poll revealing 71 percent agreed that Congress accomplished little or nothing this year. Only the election will make any sense of these numbers.
When winning seems to be the only thing that matters, candidates seem offended by the notions of democracy - that candidates should compete fairly, on the basis of issues; and voters should pick the best ideas and the best people from all comers.
Election campaigns are ugly but it is better to leave the beast ugly than put lipstick on it. During elections, politicians are like zoo attractions; about half are an endangered species that people tend to stare at - without the customary enthusiasm.
We are the greatest democratic nation in the world, but democracy is no good if nobody votes. Enough said. |
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