Another rant against uninformed voters

Why do we, as a country, condone and promote ignorant voting? Nothing annoys me more than the "Get Out the Vote" movements. Why do we want uninformed voters helping to make important decisions about our country? Why don't we have an "Educate the Vote" campaign? Instead of being so concerned with people voting, we should be promoting knowledge and understanding of the issues that face us. And if people were educated about the issues, they would have more of an incentive to vote. This uninformed voting only leads to these knee-jerk, empty decisions.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone who knows nothing about any of the issues, and who couldn't tell an Obama policy from a McCain policy, waxing on about how they plan to vote for one candidate or the other. Although, in California and in my peer group, it definitely is largely Obamaniacs. I have no doubt that the rest of the country has plenty of uninformed McCain supporters.

I just have trouble wrapping my head around the idea that we give free Starbucks to people as an incentive to vote. The people that should be voting are the people who would vote without free coffee, not the people who have to be reminded and prodded.

I'm tired of people expecting a pat on the back for voting when they know NOTHING about the issues. You should get a pat on the back when you LEARN about the issues.

And I am so sick of hearing about how much of a historic election this is. Get over it people. I guarantee that it would not be considered to be such a historic election if the black candidate were on the Republican ticket. And the fact that we are making such a big deal over the color of Obama's skin, just goes to show how far we still have to go, rather than how far we've come. As I see it, this is a step backward, judging a candidate by the color of his skin, rather than on the merits of his record. Heralding a guy, who's party promoted him prematurely because he's a slick speaker and an uber politically correct choice. Never mind that he practically has no experience, poor judgment and is the most leftist candidate of all time. But, I digress.

The point is, people need to start doing their homework. Especially, smart, educated people, who have the time and resources to do such. Put down the People magazine. Turn off American Idol. Educate yourselves! Don't vote based on what someone at the office water cooler says. Learn about the issues. Figure out where you stand and then the choice becomes clear. These candidates stand for such radically different ideals, that it is utterly incomprehensible to me that anyone could have trouble deciding between the two.

And for those of you who don't like either choice, join the club. But you have to work with what you're given and vote for the America that you would rather see. Get involved. Education is the key. Sitting back and B-M-W-ing does nothing. Do something! Make an effort. Educate yourselves and then educate others. Learn about local candidates. And stop voting based on who looks more presidential.

As a side and final note, a very wise friend recently said:

You just described 90% of Obama's voting base. They know absolutely nothing about the issues, and they don't care. It "feels good" to vote for him. Kelly, you could tell them that Obama is going to execute their families and they'd still vote for him. They don't care about facts. Period.

I have a theory---it's a product of our TV/Internet generations, with short-attention spans and a taste only for dessert---nobody eats vegetables anymore (i.e. reading, researching, discussion, analysis, etc.). They only want easy answers (like their favorite TV shows) and simple solutions (like their e-mail splurges and text messaging).
Our society is deteriorating from the inside out...in an similar way that the Roman Empire destroyed itself from inside. As the Romans took over more & more people, tribes, villages, towns, they gradually lost their sense of Nationalism and cohesion. It became more about "me" than "us." The sense for a cause greater than oneself was lost. That is exactly what's happening to us, and Obama is the messiah for those who want handouts, for those with no appreciation for hard-earned success, and for those who want to alleviate their white guilt.

Welcome to the new U.S.A. You can scream, or you can dig into your little corner of the universe and enjoy it as best you can. That's what I'm doing.

It is so true. People vote based on what benefits them, personally, rather than what is best for the country. This short-sighted, me-centric society is the heart of so many of our problems. Look beyond yourselves, people. Try extrapolating a bit. It won't hurt, I promise.