Popularity and the Popular Vote

Originally Posted: October 29th, 2007

This was another rant... I've since decided that the whole idea of "voting one's conscience" is a deeply flawed saying and concept. People shouldn't vote intuitively, as such a notion suggests; we should vote only after having developed an educated understanding of the different candidates positions, policies and platforms.

Recently, I've been struck by a particular phenomenon. What might it be? Stephen Colbert's "Presidential Campaign". There are many things I could say about it; some of my opinions are more liberal, others are more conservative. In this note, I'll avoid bi-partisanship, and simply say this:

It's great - it's awesome - that 1.1 MILLION people, have joined the Facebook group supporting Stephen Colbert's candidacy for President (in South Carolina and South Carolina only...); but HOW MANY of these people are going to VOTE THEIR CONSCIENCE; or actually even VOTE?

Of the 1,100,000 people that have joined the group, only 2,630 have registered as new voters. (Approximately 0.24% of the people in the group.) Now, quite obviously, this is a Facebook rant - I'm not doing a rigorous statistical study here - but think about that number in relative terms. 0.24% is a NEGLIGIBLE increase, even by any stretch of the imagination. In a country that saw the highest voter turnout in 36 years (since 1968) in 2004 of about 57% of the eligible voting population, an increase of 2,360 people is statistically insignificant. (I'll maintain that it's a noble endeavor - but it amounts to less than 0.001% of the eligible voting population.)

And goodness only knows how many of those "new voters" actually even VOTE. So what's my point? My point is that instead of joining some pointless Facebook group, you should GO OUT AND VOTE next November. I don't care if you're a joker, stoner, punkass, intellectual, hippy, anarchist, racist, clown, know-it-all, dumbass; liberal, conservative, libertarian, green, asshole, communist, nazi, reform, falconist - whatever - just GO OUT AND VOTE NEXT NOVEMBER. As much as I love Stephen Colbert, joining that group is absolutely pointless unless you actually intend to make your voice heard in the next election.

I understand how many people have become cynical and jaded, but seriously; while you yourself might only constitute one two hundred and forty millionth of the entire voting population of the United States of America, every vote does count. But you have to actually VOTE to become part of that aggregate. Unlike whether the Rockies or the Red Sox won tonight, you actually have a say in who determines the direction and therefore the fate of your country (and the rest of the freaking free world).

The fact that more people have joined a group supporting a fictional candidate than any other real candidate is fun, but at the same time, somewhat disturbing. In effect, it's a measure of the number of people that are interested in political issues, but are either 1) too concerned about what other people think of their true beliefs to voice them, or 2) have become too jaded to act upon them. So by all means, join "1,000,000 Strong for Stephen T. Colbert" - but also, please, DO vote in November 2008; and vote your conscience. Take a stand for the things you believe in, whatever they might be.