Voters have a duty to inform themselves.

[Moebym]

There have been many columns written on how Democrats failed to connect or Republicans are more efficient at spreading lies.

And I have to ask: Can we please not pretend that voters, even less "tuned-in to politics" ones, have no agency over their choices and need to be led as if blindfolded and unable to hear?

If they're capable of researching cars, schools, neighborhood crime rates, and insurance plans when it's important to them, they're capable of researching candidates and issues. But too many don't bother, and in this election, we're all paying the price for this.

It literally would have taken them seconds to Google "tariffs" and discover that consumers pay the costs, not China. It literally would have taken them a few minutes to research Harris' and Trump's respective plans and read the main takeaways - you get the idea.

You wouldn't just move somewhere and hope your children's school is a good one. You wouldn't simply believe the claims of a used car salesman about a lemon. So why would you leave the greatest decision of your lives to a whim or a gut feeling?

You don't have to be particularly tuned-in to politics. You don't have to be particularly well-educated. You just have to treat this decision as you would any other important one, and do some homework. That's it.

[Henry203]

1. Seventy five percent of Americans

did not attend college. One of the most imporatnt lessons in college is research,analysis, compling amd writing a termpaper. These people have not read a book since 11th grade and they pobably cheated to get there. We are a nation of stupid people.

[Elessar Zappa]

3. Going to college doesn't make one smart and

not going doesn’t make one stupid. I’ve met plenty of college educated idiots.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. this is classist and weird

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. .

You wouldn't just move somewhere and hope your children's school is a good one. You wouldn't simply believe the claims of a used car salesman about a lemon. So why would you leave the greatest decision of your lives to a whim or a gut feeling?

People do this all the time, mostly out of necessity.

You just have to treat this decision as you would any other important one, and do some homework. That's it.

The thing is, they don't. If someone chooses to vote, all they have to do is ensure their vote is legal, and then mark it any way they see fit. It's valid to wish that they'd do certain things before voting, or think that they should, but that path leads to poll taxes or other such tests.

[Phoenix61]

5. It used to be part of the social contract.

IMHO, that was Biden’s mistake. He assumed it was still in play. That doing things that were good for the people got you re-elected. It worked his entire political life. He missed the memo it’s sound bites and clicks that win elections now.

[travelingthrulife]

6. They think they do the research. My sister tells me over and over that 'she does

her research' and she listens to every word Trump says and thinks he's a nice man who is a just a bit bombastic because he's from New York.
Unfortunately she is doing her research solely within the confines of some dark rathole of hate. Her social media algorithms guided her there. She is no longer tethered to reality.