Voters

A political commentator was wondering recently why politics is shifting so far to the left these days. He said Obama is about as liberal as you can get, Hillary (like Bill) runs close to the middle with a social liberal bent, and McCain is the most left-leaning choice from the Republican field.

What is going on here?

Two words: Motor voter. There was a time when the pool of eligible voters consisted of responsible people who took the time to register to vote and had a legitimate interest in the affairs of this nation. They paid taxes and saw elections as a way to look out for their interests as homeowners and employees.

But for the last two decades the push has been on to register everyone to vote. Al Gore’s Citizenship USA campaign in 1995 was nothing more than an effort to sign up more Hispanic voters.

And there were neighborhood drives and MTV campaigns. When they couldn’t get voters by scouring the ghettos, they turned to the DMV. Now all you have to do is show up for a driver’s license and you are automatically a registered voter.

This change in the voter pool means there are all sorts of people who go to the polls to protect their entitlements rather than regulate taxation. More important than government solvency is the ability to deliver free stuff to the public; the credit card mentality extended to government.

If this little blog makes you feel uncomfortable, you ought to study the discussions our Founding Fathers had regarding voting rights. And it wouldn’t hurt to study the history of women’s suffrage. The right to vote is not a throw away privilege, but at a time when it has been de-valued it explains current political trends.

On a local note, I passed a billboard for John Noverini, a candidate for Circuit Judge. Neither his website homepage nor his billboard would give you any inkling of his party affiliation. Well, he WAS with the GOP and held high party positions over the years. Now he’s a Democrat. He saw a crowded field for the new circuit judge position. Maybe the GOP told him “no”. So he simply switched parties in hopes of getting on the ballot. And the ploy worked. Parties don’t mean a thing any more. But only an educated voter would know (or care) about John’s switch.

Now candidates are packaged like soap flakes or breakfast cereal. There isn’t really a platform to hold to. Pretty ads, celebrity endorsement, digs at the opponent…and lots and lots of cash get people elected. That’s no way to run a country.