The Importance Of The Vote
I’ve only been alive for four presidents–soon to be five. I’ve only given a shit about 2 because, well, I was too young to care for most elections. Now, as a sentient adult with taxes, a job, a future and empathy for the planet, I care to be involved. I want the best person to do the best job. Yet, when I review both candidates, I don’t see that being achieved. I have my reasons, but that’s besides the point. I believe millions of Americans think this way. Millions are unhappy with the candidates in this election. Just like they were the last one and the one before that and the one before that. Think of any important task on the planet that needs to be done, and you’d want the best person for that job to do it. However, that’s not how our system works.
This puts us in a disenfranchising spot. The gravity of choosing the next head of the most powerful country in the world bears down on all of us. It’s critically important to humanity. We have the largest nuclear arsenal on the planet. We create the most greenhouse gas. We have been at war for 93% of America’s history. Who we choose to captain the ship affects the entire planet. This is why the ethos of “voting is important” exists. We see campaign after campaign and post after post of “your vote matters”, “rock the vote”, “vote, plz”, etc. It’s our civic duty, right?
But what is a “vote” exactly? How is it defined? Is it a subjective choice based on each citizen’s life experience, education and socio-economic status for the direction they want the country steered in? Or is it a leveraging tool used like a rook in a 2-player game we call the election? See, the latter option does not have the freedom of the first. It does not carry the same value because one is now only playing the game out of fear and in confinement. Anything short is considered “wasting” your vote. Only fools vote third party or write in because they’ll never win. For example, to counter Trump, people will vacate their ideal candidate to vote for Clinton. However, they may be very wary of her Saudi ties. They’re using their vote as a stone on a scale (to tip away, not for) and not as pure self-empowered choice.
Yes, your vote matters–if you play in the system we’ve set up. It matters if you are content with perpetuating the bi-partisan system that seems too big to turn around. If you want to play outside of that system and vote for someone not named Clinton or Trump, your vote matters much less, if at all. An ideal system wouldn’t support that. Think of the country as a company and you are the CEO hiring a new president. You can:
- Have only two candidates to choose from. Neither fit the job position, in your opinion. One’s shrill voice makes your spleen ache and the other’s hair is falling off his head because your fan is on. You see both as less-than-ideal options. You have to choose the lesser of two evils. Your outlook is bleak. It’s tough and not a good problem to have.
- Receive thousands, maybe millions of applicants. You extensively narrow them down to the best ones supporting differing policies and sensibilities. You end up with eight. They vary, but instill in you confidence of their ability. You have to choose one. You analyze, assess and decide. You feel confident anyone of them would do a great job. It’s tough, but it’s a good problem to have.
Which sounds more ideal to you? The vote matters much more significantly in the first because it’s diluted between only two people. However, it often doesn’t truly support the wishes of the people it affects. It’s the classic turd sandwich vs. douchebag scenario.
Zooming out from the election, we must look from the upper spheres inward to assess how practical our current system is. Perhaps, supporting a framework that provides more options is idyllic. It might be borderline absurd. Me voting doesn’t feel very important because I’m supporting a system I despise. I feel like I’m only propelling further something I find detrimental.
What will I do? I’m not sure. I may vote. I may not. If I vote, it will be “wasted” because it’s sure as hell not going to be for a babbling fool or a conniving war monger. Either way, I’ll still feel disillusioned about the future of the country. I’ll still feel like nothing has really changed. I still won’t feel like I did something important. The term “your vote matters” is fluff. No one’s ever said why. The Popular Vote, in the end, is subsidiary to the Electoral College’s. It acts more as a pleasing tool than a functional one.
I truly want to be convinced my vote is important.
— — — —
If you get this far without raging at me in Facebook comments, applaud yourself. The sensible will debate or inquire with substance. They will gather all of the given information before creating an argument or conclusion. The irrational will spar with ill-informed commentary. That’s a larger issue because irrational arguments ferment into irrational outlooks and concepts. IE: the debates.
Anyhoo, comment on Facebook or here. Let’s chat. Let’s discuss. Maybe you’ll have insight that changes my mind. Not that that’s your goal, but sometimes a slight shift of perspective can bring something into focus.
