On 2016-06-27 10:39 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 6/27/2016 8:05 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
>> On 2016-06-26 10:20 PM, Janet wrote:
>>
>>> I agree, and I wish we had compulsory voting. However, as all can see
>>> here in rfc, even people who habitually do vote, can still be
>>> appallingly ignorant about their country and the issues they supposedly
>>> "care about"
>>
>> I would not be opposed to some sort of testing process in order to be
>> allowed to vote because some people are simply to stupid or misinformed
>> to be allowed to make important decisions. A prime example is a woman I
>> was talking with before our last federal election. She was whining
>> about how the Conservatives cared only about the rich and gave an
>> example of the tax free savings accounts. She claimed that regular
>> people cannot take advantage of it because you have to have $200,000 to
>> start one. That was complete nonsense. There been a limit on the amount
>> that could deposited annually, and that had started at $5000 and was
>> later increased to $5500. People like that should not be allowed to vote.
>>
>>
>
> How about the issues? Do you think people should have a clue about
> them? I've heard of votes going one way or the other for things like
> hair-do, like the way he looks, dresses better, and other important
> things of the day.


Heaven forbid voters should actually be informed about the facts and the
issues. There is way too much rhetoric flying around where there should
be reason. The media does not help. Just look at the way some news
sources have slanted their news and spiced it up with rhetoric.
According to a poll taken last year, 40% of Americans (polled) believe
that US forces found WMDs in Iraq. It had taken Bush the Lesser years
to get up and admit that they had not found any, and it was 8 years ago
that he did that. Earlier polls had broken down the respondents by news
source. Those who got their news primarily from PBS and NPR were the
least likely to believe they had and those who got their news from Fox
were most likely to had said they had. Granted, it could be a chicken
and egg question. They could have been swayed by Fox's factoid
reporting, or they could have been inclined to watch FOX because it
reinforces their misguided opinions.