Interesting question....

[49jim]

I am a part-time college instructor in a community college in upstate NY (Oswego Co.) This area is very republican. I retired after 31 years as an elementary teacher and principal in the area and have met all kinds of people. I've been teaching at the college (Early Childhood Education- my way of giving back to the profession) for five years and have always tried to keep my political views out of the classroom or at least let both sides be heard. This morning one student asked, "Who is this Colin guy and why is he important"? She said she never heard of him. I think she is about mid-twenties w/ 2 small children, 6 and 2. She wanted to know because the 11o'clock news last night on tv had about 6-8 of their first 30 minutes devoted to him....she wanted to see if there was going to be school for her kids because of a water problem in the community. So, along with several other students we explained to her who he was. This whole episode made me think that alot of people just don't pay attention to this stuff and are more concerned with their families to do so.(as they should be doing) I think there's more people in the country like her(not that she isn't a good person), that just don't for a variety of reasons pay attention to politics. That's why OB needs to be elected to help people like this rather than JMc/SP..... just a rant....thanks for listening...

[leftofcool]

1. Yes, which is why endorsements don't mean anything for

either side. The majority of the American people could care less who endorses who or who is campaigning for who. They don't care how much money each candidate raised or how they raised it or who debated who. What is important is feeding ones children, hanging on to the job, having enough money to see the doctor when needed, PTA meetings, ballet lessons, kids birthday parties, grandma and grandpa and every day life. The rest is bullshit.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. The really sad part..is that altho they do not pay attention, and sometimes do not even bother to

vote..they are always willing and able to complain about the way things are..taxes too high, gas too high, food too high, pay too low, too much crime, college costs too much, can't find a job...but when the time came for them to help fix the situation, they were too busy.
No excuse.
I think voting should be required..and if you do not vote, you get fined. Maybe that will force more people to pay attention to what is going on around them.

[leftofcool]

3. Fined for not voting? Should we also have the voting gestapo

out with guns to round up people to make sure they vote?

[BrklynLiberal]

4. Automatic machine guns...

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. What's the answer?

Why is Colin Powell important?