Git out there and vote!

At this point, two days before the election, I think the only useful thing to say about some Americans' indifference to voting is: they're hurting themselves.

So if you're one of the folks who doesn't bother to vote, I ask you to sit down and think seriously for one minute about your own self interests. You know at least something about the two candidates for president. This year especially, I think you can't possibly believe that there isn't a dime's worth of difference between them. Pick the one who lines up best with your self interests, and git out there and vote.


And by the way, in 31 countries around the world darn near everyone votes, all the time. Like Australia, which adopted mandatory voting in 1924. Down under, about 95% of the eligible voters go to the polls every time. A few Aussies are sick or injured on election day, and a few don't mind paying the fine for not voting. First offense, roughly the cost of a traffic ticket, the amount of the fine goes up for repeat offenses.

Actually, I find that I'm profoundly ambivalent about finding a way to encourage or "force" everyone to vote. On the planet I'd like to live on, everyone of voting age would cheerfully want to vote to support his or her preferred candidates. On planet Earth right now, I look around and I think I see lots of non-voting folks whose judgment in the voting booth I wouldn't necessarily cheerfully endorse.

I'm not too sure that all of the folks who have steadfastly refused to vote are the kinds of people who will make voting decisions that are good for our republic, in the long run….

…I realize that last statement is a lot less proletarian and a lot less democratic than my customary point of view, still, just saying….

Undecided? Really?

Maybe your congressman is crazy...

another swipe at incumbents...