There are a lot of hot button issues out there - health care, gay marriage, taxes - but one thing we can all agree on is that everyone should go out and vote a week from tomorrow, right? Wrong. I hate campaigns aimed at achieving high voter turnout.
Voting is seen as an inherently good thing in itself simply because it is a right of citizenship. But rights also come with responsibilities, and the responsibility of the electorate is to be intelligent and informed. Would you want to buy stock in a company whose board of directors was completely oblivious to market conditions and economic principals? Then why would you want to live in a country whose direction was determined by a mass of people with no actual knowledge of the issues at hand?
All voting citizens should at least have some knowledge of current candidates, the current issues, and some of the economic principals behind the issues. If you do have a working knowledge of these factors, then please do vote, and please encourage your informed friends to vote. Also, go above and beyond and help other people to become informed. We would be doing much better if voter registration drives were replaced by voter education drives. On the other hand, if you plan on voting but can't describe the platforms of any of the candidates or can't defend your position on any of the issues, please stay home. If you have any friends like that please tell them to stay home, too.
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