In discussing last night’s release of the new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, which reported concerns and doubts among Barack Obama‘s qualifications and leadership chops, one MSNBC guest commenter said that “most Americans are just starting to get to know” Obama and that Obama “really hasn’t made the sale yet.” When the subject turned to a possible bump from the Middle Eastern/ European tour, another said “most Americans don’t even know [Obama] is over there now.”
Are Americans living in concrete bunkers located 150 feet underground? I’m constantly shaking my head about the fact that news commentators never acknowledge — aren’t permitted to acknowledge — how deliberately clueless “most” Americans seem to be about political matters. The primary campaign has been going for nearly a year and your typical low-information dolt is still saying “I don’t know who Barack Obama is.”
Said it before, said it again — get rid of the deadweight/dumbass element by making prospective voters take a simple 25-question quiz (in the vein of a driver’s license test) before being allowed to vote. Nothing too difficult or strenuous. Just basic stuff about world events and the price of rice. If they flunk it, they’d be given a chance to take the test again within, let’s say, 7 days. If they flunk that, no vote until the next election cycle.
A democracy can’t function effectively within a society grappling with significant levels of voter ignorance. Voters have to be educated and aware and interested in the process, or the system won’t work.
If I had the power, I would disenfranchise the deadweight classes so fast their heads would spin. At the same time those two American Teen guys would be out of the picture and relegated to the sidelines until they decide to make an effort.