Sam Smith of Progressive Review on the "swing voter"

[MMT]

Another factor has entered the picture. While American politics has always centered on the 5- 10% of voters who were indecisive or indifferent, the power of this strange bloc - a kind of aristocracy of the apathetic - has gained new importance as reality in politics is increasingly replaced by media-generated myth.

This election has much more in common with 'American Idol' than it does with its electoral predecessors, a point dramatically illustrated by the number of voters who think it's their responsibility to find an electable candidate rather than one with whom they actually agree. This is a deadly trap, ultimately fatal to what remains of democracy, because it reduces the citizen to the status of a sitcom producer rather than an active political participant. If we are all trying to guess what each other thinks, we will all drown in our suppositions about each other.

www.prorev.com (left sidebar)

[THUNDER HANDS]

1. that's true

Which is why I'm glad Kerry is the candidate of my heart. Which, kinda goes against the grain of why most people are voting for him.

I really believe in Kerry with all my heart.

But if I had to choose a candidate with just my head, speaking in cold political terms, I'd choose Edwards in a heartbeat.

[mlawson]

2. '...fatal to what remains of democracy...'

If we ignore this "American idol" aspect, which is a fact life now, we take a horrible chance of allowing bush to get a legit term of his own. THAT would really be fatal to what remains of democracy.

Oh, we have nine months left to the election; we can EDUCATE these silly voters. Yeah, right. Ask President Adlai Stevenson. Or President Mondale.