Who Should (and Shouldn't) Vote?

The Tibby-lama, morning DJ on Magic 102.1, went on a rant this week when he found out that someone dragged an old lady with Alzhiemer's from the nursing home to the polls for early voting. The patient's daughter was concerned since on any given day, the alleged voter doesn't even know her own name. Tibby's position was that it shouldn't be allowed.

Today in the Athens paper was an editorial from John Stossel about how the ignorant and uninformed should not vote. He was a little more reasoned in that he acknowledged how difficult it would be to put forth a litmus test. He suggested that the ignorant and uninformed opt to stay home. The problem with this argument is that in my experience, the ignorant and uninformed are the least likely to believe that they are either ignorant or uninformed.

I think about the old couple I ran into at the doctor's office that got all pissed off when I told them they were wrong about Obama being Muslim and Arab. Or the folks I know at the bottom of the economic ladder that won't vote for Obama because they worry about a tax increase. Or the lady I work with who insists she is neither Democrat nor Republican, but Christian. I venture that any of these would say that I'm the one that is ignorant and uninformed.

I do think it would be interesting if we had a Christian political party. Some would say that we already do--the Republicans. It's more accurate to say that the religious right has been used--raped even, and they're too ignorant and uninformed to even know. Guess that's what happens when you get all of your information from the Bible and/or Fox News.

Unfortunately, there's no good way to screen voters to make sure they are at least moderately informed on the issues. Any test is subject to political manipulation and abuse. That's why we no longer have the poll tests that were once used to keep African-Americans from voting.

I will say this, if the ignorant and uninformed put McCain-Palin in the Whitehouse, I'm going to be one very...

Crotchety Old Man