My Frustration with the Average American Voter

[louis c]

How can we win the debate on values, when the Average American doesn't even know the fundamental facts that we need to base our argument on? If this Democracy fails, it will be as a result of voter ignorance.


Link to incorrect knowledge of Obama tax cuts:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/12/only-12-of-americans-thin_n_460559.html

Link to incorrect knowledge of which President signed TARP:
http://pewresearch.org/databank/dailynumber/?NumberID=1057

[RandomThoughts]

1. So make an 30 second TV spot.

How much are you learning from what you are told?

34% know when Tarp, the banking bailout was passed.

Then have a short information on where the money was sent, who was involved, and when it happened.

And tag line it with the right to be an informed citizen and links to resources.


And run it on fox news :)


And if it is not allowed, make another spot with the people that would not let you show the information and go viral.

[mwb970]

2. We live in a nation of nitwits.

I have never seen the level of ignorance we have in America today. It's kind of ironic, given the "Information Revolution" and the unprecedented access to the truth we have today, that so many people calling themselves "Americans" prefer the explicitly un-American, racist right-wing lies that are spewed out by the likes of fox "news".

This occurs at the same time that many people calling themselves "Christians" have adopted the most vile, extreme, un-American forms of far right conservatism, to the detriment of themselves, their families, and our country.

The two things that most distinguish humans from animals are our ability to think and reason, and our empathy for each other. I am not seeing either of these qualities in the lunatic rantings we are subjected to every single day from the right.

Hence, a question. What are these people?

:shrug:

[AnArmyVeteran]

10. Dimwits, halfwits and nitwits. USA, a melting pot of stupidity...

The American people are the most ignorant people on earth. We have more resources at our fingertips than at any other time in our history, but huge segments of the population choose to be ignorant. They don't read, do research or even try to understand what is going on. They mindlessly sit in front of their right wing radios and Faux News televisions and absorb the puss oozing out of their talk show hosts' mouths. How can we ever progress as a nation when we are a country of idiots, imbeciles and dolts?

[alc]

3. independents scored well in the TARP related link

I register D but say independent in polls. I consider myself independent because they have to earn my vote, not expect it. I vote in primaries to show what direction I want but will vote 3rd party or leave blank in general elections. I think we need more people thinking instead of following either major party.

I often see independents criticized for not knowing enough to make a decision. It's a small poll, but maybe independents aren't clueless.

[Poboy]

4. "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization,

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." --Thomas Jefferson to Charles Yancey

---

"The most effectual means of preventing to illuminate, as far as practicable, the minds of the people at large, and more especially to give them knowledge of those facts which history exhibits, that possessed thereby of the experience of other ages and countries, they may be enabled to know ambition under all its shapes, and prompt to exert their natural powers to defeat its purposes." --Thomas Jefferson: Diffusion of Knowledge Bill, 1779. FE 2:221, Papers 2:526


Thomas Jefferson on Politics & Government
http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff1350.htm

[Bluenorthwest]

5. You blame the listeners, I blame the speakers

That is, the Administration has a very large section which is supposed to be accomplishing a clear and complete communication of the accomplishments and goals of the President. If voters are 'ignorant' the question is why have those whose job it is to educate them failed to do so? Take Robbie Gibbs, who takes 172,000 a year to basically whine and complain that they do not hear enough praise, he lashes out, when it is his job to inform, to freaking motivate that praise he seems to crave with facts, and some passion.
Lashing out at those who have not been informed by those who are in fact paid huge sums by the taxpayers to inform them is stupid. Yep, stupid. Americans have responsibilities, and jobs, and are currently under a great deal of pressure. You are declaring that they should also be doing the job of the White House, so that Gibbs can be free to demand compliments, or something.
This is what ticked me off about Gibbs on a basic level. It is his JOB to inform people, to get the message out, to communicate with media talkers. And if the press is doing a bad job, it is up to Gibbs to step up and tell the People what's what. If there are media talkers who are going over the top, as he claims, he needs to call them out by name and by quotation, and counter those quotes with facts. Making arch insinuations about what 'some say' and whining that you should get more cheers is stupid. The cheers come from doing your job.
What is the point of paying so many so much money if they are simply going to sit on the news, the facts, the information, and whine that others do not know it? It is their job to make sure the people know it, that is how they serve the President.
They need to learn how to get the message out. At times, that might mean that folks like Gibbs have to work, and not wallow in the need to prove personal status again and again. He needs to stand up, aware of his warrant from the President, and speak with authority and clarity and power.
Or, he could go home.

[louis c]

7. I understand you, but disagree

I do agree that the White house has fumbled the ball on informing the public.

However, I also believe that every thinking American has an obligation to be informed. I'm not talking about understanding the theory of relativity here. I'm saying that they should at least remember that the economic melt-down happened in September 2008, only two years ago. This isn't ancient history. This is like yesterday. Americans don't have to be "educated". All they have to do is remember the greatest single economic event since the Great Depression, and who was President then. In 1929, uneducated immigrants who barley spoke English remembered for two generations who caused the economic meltdown that lead to the Great Depression and which policies were responsible. That was in an age when communication was only by newspapers and radio. Come on, don't let the contemporary American public off the hook that easily.

[EstimatedProphet]

6. This is the exact goal of the Repub party all along

For the last 30 years, their efforts haven't been to present their ideas; their efforts have been to destroy reasonable discussion. That way, there's no longer any measure of reasonable ideas. The result is that whatever they say is equally as valid as whatever anyone else says - regardless of how completely stupid and abusive it is.

[louis c]

8. With this kind of Awareness, I fear all is lost.

I'm a pretty fair debater, if I do say so myself. but no one can win a debate if the person you're trying to convince is ignorant of the most basic facts.

By the way, how many Americans know who is the number one nation in manufacturing goods?

link to Answer:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/af2219cc-7c86-11df-8b74-00144feabdc0.html

[Odin2005]

9. don't blame the little guya, blame the people brainwashing them.

The MSM, the fundy preachers, etc.