Opinion

Keep hate out of the voting booth

Utilize informed political forums, not hasty intolerance

By Ernest Scheyder

Posted on Oct. 21, 2004, at 12:00 a.m.

So it’s late October, and it’s an election year. It’s also baseball time, but we’ll save that topic for another time. Can politics be interesting? It depends who you ask. Personally, I find politics extremely exciting and fascinating. Take the two main presidential candidates, for example. You have a stubborn Texan against a knuckleheaded Massachusetts man, both vying for, arguably, the most powerful position in the world.

Ask a Bush supporter why they’re voting for Dubya and they’re likely to provide you with a list that’s as long as a Maine winter. They’ll probably talk about steady leadership, resolve and a plethora of other factors.

But ask a Kerry supporter why they’re voting for him, and you’ll get somewhat different responses. True, you’ll get the supporters that really do agree with the senator on policy and other issues. However, I’m finding more and more that people plan on voting for Kerry simply because they hate President Bush.

I can recall John Edwards’ rally on the University Mall last month. Covering the event for The Maine Campus, I approached a young woman after the event to ask her why she came.

“I hate Bush,” was her response. When questioned further, she gave me all the reasons why she felt Bush was wrong for the United States and none explaining how a Kerry-Edwards team would make things better. I can tell you this young lady’s response is not unique.

As a registered Independent, I often talk to both sides of the political coin to hear different points of view. And as a reporter, I attempt to cut through all the glamour to discover the core issues. So far, Kerry supporters have mainly told me why they think Bush sucks; why he is an asshole, an idiot, an illiterate barf, an uncultured swine and someone who just can’t pronounce the word “nuclear.” That is not to say Bush fans don’t attack Kerry either, but they just don’t staple anti-Masshole venom machines on their foreheads.

Ponder this: Two weeks ago while driving back from fall break, I encountered a huge assortment of anti-Bush bumper stickers on Interstate 95. You know of what I speak: ‘W: Let’s not elect him in ’04 either,’ ‘Bush: Not my president,’ and my personal favorite: ‘Is our children learning?’ And yet I didn’t encounter one anti-Kerry sticker, and I haven’t yet. The anti-Bush rhetoric abounds, and you may think it’s deserved, but that’s no reason to vote one way or the other.

Let me just say, I respect both men running for president. But I find it asinine to vote for someone simply because you hate his opponent. It would be like rooting for the Yankees simply because you’re still mad about the Babe Ruth trade. If you’re going to support someone and here’s hoping you will pick someone get to know their views and their ideas; Then use this knowledge to talk to your undecided peers. I’m not going to tell you to root for the Red Sox simply because I hate Derek Jeter, though I do. I’m going to tell you to root for the Sox because you need to have faith, you need to believe, because Terry Francona is an awesome manager, and Curt Schilling’s birthday is celebrated as a holiday in my family.

Basically, if you support Kerry, go out there and talk about Kerry. If the man is earning your vote, you should have the zeal to be an advocate for him. If you find you don’t have that zeal for him, don’t vote for him. And if you can’t be a positive campaigner, shut up. Nothing drives an undecided voter more insane than getting a constant barrage of negative talk. If I hear what a whack job Bush is one more time, I’m going to go door-to-door with pro-Bush paraphernalia and become a card-carrying member of the “W stands for Women” campaign.

So there it is: politics with a common sense twist. The election is in just under two weeks. What will you do with the time remaining? My advice is get out there, pick a candidate, and voice your support. And as John Kerry put it, root for that amazing guy on the Red Sox: “Manny Ortiz.”

Ernest Scheyder is a junior English major.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 21st, 2004, 12:00 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.