Lazarus Austin is a junior majoring in history. He can be contacted at [email protected].As it will be for many college students who are now of legal age, the upcoming national election will be my first.
Such a vote will be an important first step in the political lives of most college students. They will have to decide where they stand on certain issues, what party they want to support and what candidate they want to choose.
Many college students will vote for who their parents vote for. Some will simply vote for one party over the other. Some will vote for a candidate based on personal appearance or first impressions. Unfortunately, many will not vote at all. One thing is for sure: They will most likely vote for either a Democrat or a Republican. If asked, many probably do not even understand their own party’s platform or the very essence of a party’s foundations.
Not only that, but some do not seek to understand their own candidates. Not all candidates adequately represent their party. Some are what could be called “republicrats” who claim one party but share many views with the other party.
This is all too common. Voters do not adequately research party platforms, candidates or issues. There is simply too much misinformation out there. Although many voters actually have slightly better reasons for voting, polls consistently show that Americans are fed up with the political system and our representatives. Yet, they continue to vote them in.
In the 2000 election, a lot of voters did not like either Bush or Gore. As a result, voters picked what they considered the lesser of two evils or just went with their party affiliation. So, in the end, they voted in someone they probably didn’t like. There is also considerable displeasure with diversity of choices in the election. It is either Republican or Democrat, or as I predict, Clinton or Giuliani.
So how do we fix this problem? How do we elect someone who more accurately reflects our views? How can we decide without choosing one extreme or the other? How can the public satisfy itself with the political process?
The answer is simple, yet few people really ever think of it, let alone actually practice it. Consider voting for a third party. Why not? If voters are unhappy with the candidates, they should find someone better.
If this is such a simple solution, why does it not happen? My first guess is that people have a hard enough time making an informed vote about the two major party candidates.
There is nothing wrong with making an informed vote, whether it is for a major party or a third party, but the problem is that voting for third parties doesn’t happen as often as it should. The lack of information in the public is astounding. For example, how many people can name the presidential candidates for either the Reform or Libertarian parties, the two largest third parties? What about their political views?
It’s time that we stop complaining about political leaders who make bad decisions, because it is we the people who vote them into office in the first place. It’s time to stop complaining about the options for the presidential election.
For those who are open-minded and objective, I urge you to at least consider third parties and independents. In the end, a Republican or Democrat may actually be the best candidate, but at least you will have the confidence that you made an informed decision.