No one should be surprised by all the furor over suspected voter fraud in the swing states. Any time you see a “grass roots” movement to beat the streets and “help” unregistered voters get registered, the fraud hairs on the back of your neck should spring erect. Who do you think those “unregistered voters” are going to vote for? It shouldn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that such people are probably going to vote for whomever the grass roots people suggest they vote for. After all, if they had a clue, they wouldn’t need “help” getting registered.
Anybody who hasn’t registered by Election Day, on his own, has no business casting a ballot. Such people haven’t been paying attention and probably don’t care anyway. Their votes should not be allowed to cancel out the votes of people who are actually involved in the process and who really care about the issues. Any activism to encourage deadbeat voters may not be illegal, but it certainly violates the spirit of a free election and effectively disenfranchises those who really care and have been following events.
Does that sound undemocratic? To some it might. But democracy is defined as rule by the people, and successful democracy depends on the people knowing what’s going on. People who don’t know what’s going on, or don’t really care, should not take part in the democratic process; their apathy and/or ignorance could be disastrous if enough of them vote to have a meaningful effect on the outcome. We always see those “undecided” voters during the debates who, at the last possible minute, have decided to start paying attention and choose a candidate. The rest of us have been following events for years; most of us already know who/what/why/when/where, so why should these “undecideds” get to cast what might be the swing votes?
For example, if one were just now trying to pick a candidate, one might think Barack Obama is miles ahead of John McCain in every category that counts. But those who have been paying attention know that:
A year ago, Obama was saying that Iran was not a threat because it was a “tiny” nation (it’s three times bigger than Iraq).
A year ago Obama was saying he would get the troops out of Iraq on Day One.
A year ago Obama didn’t participate in dirty campaigning.
A year ago Obama was willing to bomb Pakistan and sit down with the rogue leader of Iran.
A year ago Obama wasn’t going to drill for oil, ever, anywhere (contrary to what he says now, he still isn’t).
A year ago Obama refused to wear an American flag on his lapel.
A year ago Obama did not salute the flag during the National Anthem.
A year ago Obama was going to get rid of all nukes, kill all funding for missile defense, and downsize the military.
A year ago Obama refused to “disown” his controversial preacher.
A year ago Obama did not really know infamous American terrorist Bill Ayers (“just someone in my neighborhood”).
A year ago Obama didn’t expect to get the nomination. Now he has it, has discovered that most of his views are unpopular with the American mainstream, and has been rapidly retuning his rhetoric.
The swing voters don’t know any of this, because they couldn’t be bothered about it a year ago. Now, all of a sudden, they are going to help us pick a president. I submit that not one of them is sufficiently informed to do so.
When grass roots organizations sign up unqualified voters just before an election, it’s bad for America.
–October 22, 2008
Private Thoughts 