Let me begin by stipulating one indisputable
certainty. If you are eligible to vote
and you do not; YOU…are part of the problem!
Occasionally, I believe a post is so
time-sensitive; I follow it up with a discussion or expansion of the same
topic, from one week to the next. Voting
is that kind of compelling issue.
Without a doubt, I laid the framework for
defining this conversation in last week’s post.
And, just as with last week, this post is a directive, not simply a
narrative. The instruction is still
simple. The 2014 General Election Day is
Tuesday, November 4th. In
North Carolina, Early Voting began Thursday, October 23rd, and
extends until this Saturday, November 1st at 1:00 p.m. There are four (3½) days left to vote early. But remember, if for some reason, you miss
every opportunity to vote early, you may, and should still do so on Election
Day. So, dear readers, your mission, and
hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians have already accepted it, is, GO
VOTE! It’s just that simple.
Historically speaking, in midterm elections,
such as this one, voting levels drop off appreciably. This trend goes back at least as far as
1840. In looking at recent elections, in
2008, a Presidential Election year, 57.1% of the voting age population cast
ballots. That number was actually the
highest in four decades. However, just
two years later, in 2010, only 36.9% voted, a decrease of more than 20
percentage points. In 2012, the turnout
rebounded by nearly 17 percentage points to 53.7%. Obviously, these vacillating numbers resulted
in generating significant public policy implications.
In 2008, President Obama shocked the world and
became the nation’s first African American President. Just two years hence, in 2010, in the
aftermath of a low turnout election, Republicans displaced Democrats as the
Majority in the House of Representatives.
That change led to one Chamber of Congress alternating between
reluctance to negotiate with or support the President to acting straight up
intransigently, and openly working to deny any
policy initiative put forth by this President.
The inside baseball discussion related to this
election revolves around whether the GOP will be able to impose Double-Jeopardy
on President Obama by supplanting Democrats as a Majority in the U.S.
Senate. Numerous polls have suggested
that such an outcome is indeed the most likely one. I don’t have a Crystal Ball, and I am
certainly not taking bets on the outcome.
What I will say is, in a Country in which Democrats outnumber Republicans
in most states, the outcome will depend upon turnout.
In 2008, and again in 2012, Senator, and then
President Obama executed flawless Get Out The Vote (GOTV) campaigns. There can be no doubting the skill or
facility of the operation. Nonetheless,
in 2010, that apparatus remained largely on the sidelines, and Democrats
suffered a huge setback. Much has been
made of the President’s low poll numbers during much of his second term, up to
and including this very moment. Partly
as a result of his anemic polling, the President, arguably the Party’s biggest
asset, has been reduced to fundraising in “safe” states, and a few campaign
appearances in places where the contending Democrats have no doubts about
getting elected.
That begs the question, “Will the turnout
machinery work on auto-pilot?” After
today, we have roughly six days, four for voting, to find out. Here in North Carolina, Early Voting has been
attracting a brisk pace. Early
indications are Democrats are turning out at a higher rate that Republicans. Given that trend, it is likely to come down
to turnout on Election Day. To that end,
somewhat akin to the adage, “The job is not complete until the paperwork is
done.” This job will not be complete until everyone who is going to vote today
through Saturday, and on Tuesday, November 4th, has done so, and the
ballots are counted.
I voted last Thursday afternoon during the
first Day of Early Voting. I have
checked-in with countless friends to ensure they have, or that they at least
have doing so on their schedules and/or calendars. As for you, if you are registered and you have
not voted already, I implore you to vote too.
It doesn’t have to be today, but if you can, why not? And while you are at it, remind, encourage,
and do whatever you can to persuade as many others as you can to vote, as
well. In 2008, and again in 2012,
Americans responded as though it were a Presidential Election year…because it
was. This year is not, but if you vote
like it is, it could change everything!
We are facing a grave challenge today.
How will you respond?
There are many reasons to vote. A few of the ones I care about include, in no
particular order:
·
The Environment
·
Education
·
Healthcare
·
Reproductive Rights
·
Marriage Equality
·
Racial Equality
·
Human Rights
·
Prison Reform
·
Women’s Rights
·
Global Warming Awareness
·
Immigration Reform
·
Gun Law Reform
·
Student Loan Reform
·
Drug Law Reform
·
Worker’s Rights
·
Voting Rights
·
Fairer Sentencing
·
Increasing the Minimum Wage
·
Reduction of Police Brutality
·
Elimination of Gridlock in
Washington
I am herewith urging you to Rock The Vote. If anyone happens to ask you, why, or #TURNOUTFORWHAT? Refer them to the list above, or…urge them to
pick their own reason.
I’m done; holla back!
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Consult
the links below for more detailed
information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:
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