With Election Day tomorrow, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, papers and television and the web are gearing up for a heated battle between Bush and Kerry. This year the expected voter turnout is near 70%. In the 1996 election voter turnout was at an all-time low for a Presidential election; somewhere near 50%. In the ‘ideal’ world, according to many of the papers, the voter turnout would be 100%. But why is this ideal?
MTV and the candidates and virtually every political outlet in the country is urging citizens to “Rock the Vote” or some other similar nonsense. Why? Why is it so important that I vote? Indeed why is it important that ANY of us vote? Of course, SOME of us need to vote, otherwise no one would win an election that tied at 0. But do ALL of us need to vote? Probably not. And it’s probably best that some of us don’t. And some us should refrain.
George Bush has told me I need to vote. John Kerry has told me I need to vote. But do they really want me voting for the other guy? Of course not. They get to mask their “non-partisan public service announcement” in political propaganda. They only tell me to vote so that the next clause “FOR ME” doesn’t sound out of place and pushy. Voting should be an well-reasoned, intelligent, decision. Almost by definition that excludes most of MTV’s viewership. But even MTV, indeed every ‘news’ outlet has a clause equivalent to “FOR ME” that they follow up the “get out and vote” statement with. Just look at the media and look at who they endorse. Dave Matthews, Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Rolling Stone, MTV, CNN, AFL/CIO all want you to “Get Out and Vote” – FOR KERRY. While the NRA, Religious Right, Fox News and Chicago Tribune also want you to “Get Out and Vote” – FOR BUSH.
I know I’m ALLOWED to vote. I don’t need MTV, the NRA, or certainly not the candidates, to tell me, in a non-partisan condescendingly friendly voice, to “get out and vote.” Instead, provide me with a REASON to vote. Why should I vote for John Kerry over George Bush? Or vice versa. Tell me, exactly, what Kerry will do differently from George Bush; and be honest about it.
One of John Kerry’s recent ads suggests that we are ‘too dependent’ on Middle East oil. But, duh. That isn’t going to CHANGE under John Kerry. First of all, it’s not, physically possible. Something like 70% of all the oil in the world is concentrated in the Middle East. The reserves in the US are not sufficient to sustain our economy for more than 1 month, let alone for years into the future. Where else are we going to get our oil if not from the Middle East? I hear Kerry and the Democrats telling me that the war is bad because it over oil, and that’s not disputed; of course it’s over oil – they have it, we need it, and they want to bleed us dry for it. But is Kerry’s solution ‘find alternatives to the internal combustion engine’? No, the auto-lobby won’t let him put that one on the platform. So, what, exactly is Kerry’s plan for the Middle East? To date I haven’t heard one.
As for domestic issues, Kerry spouts the typical liberal bullshit but I actually agree with him on some regards. We do need a balanced budget. But that’s not possible with an on-going war. We simply can’t produce the money fast enough to cover war costs AND domestic programs. So, the alternative is ‘stop the war.’ But given that it’s started, what’s the best way to do that? I haven’t heard any suggestions from Kerry’s side. We also need universal health care and better schools. Both of those programs cost money. Where is the money going to come from? I’d put down my last dollar to bet that the insurance industry is no fan of universal health care, so their lobby will make sure that stays off the agenda. Meanwhile, real reform of the education system will require pissing off teaches, because, quite frankly too many of them don’t know what they’re doing. But will Kerry alienate one of his most solid backers in the teacher’s union?! Doubtful.
Meanwhile, President Bush has been a walking disaster. His presidency has gotten us into a stupid war and his cabinet has pulled the blanket off of government chicanery and exposed his staff for the frauds they are. To his credit, the economy isn’t really his fault, but he’s getting the blame for it anyway. The only program that he’s had even minor success with might just prevent his re-election – The No Child Left Behind Act is bringing up the bottom of the education system, but at the expense of the top of the education system and by imposing national standards on a local problem.
So, we, the people, are left with a choice between bad and worse – I’ll leave it to the reader to decide who is who. Will it matter who is in office? That’s a question that goes to the heart of your faith in the political system as it exists today. Some argue that as the leader of the most influential nation in the world, that of course it makes a difference. The President influences policy and sets the basic tone for the country. But does he really do anything? The Secretary of State is usually in charge of foreign affairs, and by all accounts Colin Powell hasn’t been a complete disaster. As for domestic matters, given the gridlock in Congress, nothing remarkable, let alone revolutionary, will ever get done there.
And besides, very little that the President personally does will affect my life in any way in the next four years. Kerry might cut taxes for the middle class, so that’s a good thing, but it’s also a very Republican thing for Kerry to do and probably won’t get done because money for his ‘programs’ has to come from somewhere. Kerry’s also promised to roll back tax cuts for the richest Americans; but by all accounts they are temporary anyway and will naturally get rolled back as the economy comes out of its recession. Besides, the tax cuts were one of the few more inspired moments of the Bush presidency that actually instigated capital spending and kept the markets afloat through a very mild recession. Otherwise, universal health care and a balanced budget are not going to happen in the next four years. So, I’m left with a decision that I don’t really care about. Do I vote for the guy who will say anything to get elected or the guy who did a pretty bad job (though not terrible job, given the circumstances) in his first term. Well, it doesn’t really matter to me, one’s as bad as the other so I’ll let the American people decide and I’ll stay at home and play the new Grand Theft Auto.
