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Voting Sophisms
 November 3, 2008 With
Election Day looming, Americans are constantly being reminded about the
importance of voting. Politicians,
news media, celebrities, and talk show hosts alike wax poetic about this
hallowed institution we call democracy and how crucial it is for voters to
cast their ballot. Rock
the Vote! Vote for Change!
Respect My Vote! Vote
or Die! It’s as if the
ballot box possesses some mystical power to make us all happy, healthy,
wealthy, and wise. Except
when it doesn’t. Recent
polls suggest that an overwhelming majority of Americans think that the
country is “going in the wrong direction.”
Nearly
70% of Americans are dissatisfied with the job that the President is doing1,
and Congressional job approval is even worse.2
The economy is in the tank. Consumer
confidence is at an all-time
low. The national debt is
at an all-time
high. The government is
engaged in a series of unpopular wars and “strategic” military and
political interventions in many foreign countries--with no end in sight. So,
what happened? These are the
politicians that the voters chose to represent them.
This is the President that the people asked for.
This is the Congress that the citizenry demanded.
Is it possible that voters made a mistake?
Nah,
that can’t be it. Voters are
generally well-informed, educated, thoughtful creatures who base their
electoral decisions on objective reasoning and rational thought.
Except
when they don’t.
So,
perhaps voters simply had a lapse in judgment and unintentionally elected
a handful of politicians that broke their campaign promises and didn’t
have their best interests at stake. What
can be done about it? “Let’s
vote them all out,” say the disgruntled electorate.
“Fire every one of them. After
all, they work for us!” A
wonderfully idealistic sentiment, no doubt.
It should be easy enough, right?
After all, there are a lot of unhappy folks out there.
All that’s needed is to convince a majority of voters not to vote
for the incumbent when he or she is up for re-election.
Except
that it’s not that easy. Congressional
incumbents are re-elected about 95% of the time, thanks to
gerrymandering laws and certain privileges that entrenched politicians
have generously provided themselves.3
So, “voting the bastards out” is not a legitimate option.
“But
voting is important,” they say. “Voting
allows your voice to be heard. After
all, every vote counts!” Except
when it doesn’t. Expecting
your “voice to be heard” by voting is akin to screaming at the top of
your lungs in a gigantic sports arena filled to capacity with raucous fans
and expecting the players on the field to hear what you’re saying. Besides,
what makes the “voice” of one person or one group more important than
another’s? After all,
government is a zero-sum game. The
State cannot satisfy the wants or needs of one individual or group without
subjugating others as a result. Still,
Americans overwhelmingly favor a representative democracy that provides
equal representation under the law. According
to this political philosophy, the people in a defined geographic district
use the voting process to select a government official--a Congressional
representative--to speak for them and represent their best interests.
In
theory, it sounds like a good idea. The
problem is that most Americans don’t even know who their representative
is. A
Kaiser Foundation poll revealed that two-thirds of Americans could not
name their Congressional representative. Half
did not know whether their representative was a Republican or a Democrat.4
Furthermore,
many did not know basic facts regarding how the federal government works. Nearly
half didn’t know that the U.S. Supreme Court has the final
responsibility for deciding whether a law is constitutional. Three out of
four were unaware that
U.S.
senators are elected
to serve six-year terms. So,
most Americans don’t know who “represents” them in Congress, what
party they belong to, how they vote on important issues, or how the
political system works. If
this is true, how can their “representative” possibly embody their
best interests, or the interests of their community?
They can’t. It’s
that simple. So,
why even bother voting? “But,
if you don’t vote, then you have no right to complain,” they say.
Whenever
I hear this humorous non-sequitur, I’m reminded of a wonderful quote by
the late, great George Carlin from one of his stand-up routines.
In this one, he explains why
he doesn’t vote: “If
you vote, and you elect dishonest, incompetent people and they get into
office and screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have
done. You caused the problem.
You voted them in. You
have no right to complain.” By,
George, I think he’s got it! If
you exercise your “right” to vote, you should
be “responsible” for the outcome as well – even if the intent was
not malicious. Let’s
say, for example, voters elect a corrupt politician who absconds with
millions of dollars in public funds. Shouldn’t
the voters who pulled the lever for the dishonest official in question be
held responsible, perhaps even legally liable, for his actions?
After all, if they had not put him in a position of power, he could
not have committed the crimes. A
getaway driver in a bank heist would be arraigned for manslaughter if his
partners-in-crime shot and killed an innocent bystander while committing
the robbery, even though he did not pull the trigger.
The concept of voter responsibility and accountability is not much
different. So,
what do voters get by casting their vote in November?
They
get the privilege of electing “representatives” whom they know little
about, who know nothing about them, who will renege
on their campaign
promises, in order to increase the role of the State in our economic
and personal lives by waging endless wars overseas, expanding the welfare
state, implementing laws that will directly (often adversely) affect their
lives, and creating trillions more in debt that will be passed on to
future generations of Americans. Rock
the Vote? No, thanks.
I
say Toss the Vote. In the
trash. Stay away from the
ballot box. Voting is an
exercise in futility. It
accomplishes nothing, and typically does far more harm than good.
By
refusing to vote, you are refusing to legitimize the outcome of the
election and the criminal behavior of the political class.
As
Election Day becomes a distant memory and the newest members of the
political class impose their economic incompetence and legislative
ineptitude upon the citizenry, non-voters can take solace in the fact that
they did not sanction the behavior. 1.
President
Bush Job Approval. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_bush_job_approval-904.html#polls 2.
Congressional
Job Approval. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/congressional_job_approval-903.html#polls 3.
“What
High School Teachers Should Know about Congressional Elections.” http://www.congresslink.org/print_expert_congressionalelections.htm 4. “Who’s in Control? Many Don’t Know or Care.” http://www.drugsense.org/tfy/trust2.htm
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