The view from my off-campus house is currently obstructed by a "John Kerry for President" sign of a scale more appropriate to a highway billboard. My housemate, who long ago sold her soul to the Kerry campaign, insists it remain up through Tuesday. While I find it to be quite the eyesore, she assures me the payoff from this kind of visibility will be enormous.
So what is the purpose of a giant street sign, or even a bumper sticker or a button on a backpack? While I would hope these advertisements remind voters to attend a political event, talk to a friend or pick up a newspaper, I feel that most of these promotions have much simpler motives in mind. Election strategy involves bandwagon tactics. If a person sees Clark signs lining Wheelock Street or is confronted by a classroom of Dean buttons, he may be inclined to follow his perception of the popular opinion. This inclination is even stronger when it is not the popular opinion but a proximal opinion. There is a huge tendency to vote with your friends and family, and for reasons beyond shared values and opinions.
It is not only bandwagon voting, but also arbitrary voting that prevails. For instance, my best friend's candidate of choice is Sen. John Edwards. It is not her choice, but her reasoning that is disarming. The justification is appearance -- he's young and handsome -- and geography, they're both from North Carolina. While I am slightly appalled at this logic, it's not keeping me up at night: I know she'll never make it to the polls.
This aversion to voting disheartens me. In a perfect world, we would see 100 percent voter turnout in every election. But these voters would also be educated on the issues supported by each candidate and thoughtful of their own positions. I do not condone voter apathy, but neither do I support voter ignorance. And while I am frustrated that my friend will not vote this feeling is surpassed by my relief. In this imperfect world, we have to compromise, and apathy is the lesser of two evils. I firmly believe that every vote counts, and it is because of this conviction that I caution against voting rashly. Casting an arbitrary or prejudiced vote is illogical and frankly, unpatriotic. A republic is a government elected to represents the beliefs of its people. While I disagree with the opinions of many other U.S. citizens, on Election Day I will be content to see a candidate win who legitimately represents the plurality of viewpoints.
Let's not mourn the apathy that prevents people from checking off a ballot, but the apathy that prevents people from knowing who's even on that ballot. Voting is a right, but it should be a limited right. I find it odd that a country worried enough to disenfranchise its youth will still allow any and every incompetent adult to elect its leader.
Gore Vidal offers an excellent summary of my concerns: "Half of the American people have never read a newspaper. Half never voted for president. One hopes it is the same half." Unfortunately, I fear there is not such a perfect parallel. The right to vote should be restricted to those able to make an informed and intelligent decision. Then, even with low turnout, at least we would have accurate and educated responses.
If you're going to be a participant in the upcoming elections, know that the process does not begin or end at the polls. Get a newspaper, turn on the TV, and think about what is important to you in the leader of your nation. Both the voter and non-voter are accountable for the political fate of our country. If you skip the polls on election day, we don't expect you to complain about the victor. But if you do vote, you will be blamed or praised for your choice, regardless of why you made it.
In last Friday's paper, The Dartmouth Editorial Board charged all non-voters with "missing out on an opportunity to shape the nation's future" ("Verbum Ultimum," Jan. 23) I wholeheartedly agree with this assessment, but I also caution you with the power you wield.
If you haven't resolved your own opinions, or don't know which candidate shares them, then be a good American and stay home on Tuesday. Leave our nation's future to those better capable of shaping it.
