(All dialogue guaranteed at least 95% accurate)
Yesterday, I went shopping after work. There was a young lady cashiering at the discount store I visited. She came up to the manager and started complaining about a customer who'd talked to her for about 10 minutes about politics. (No, it wasn't me.) I commiserated with her, and told her to cheer up -- it'd be all over after Tuesday.
But once she got the idea of politics in her head, she started complaining. First, she wondered why we were voting this week, when Bush won't leave office for over a year. I told her that Bush will be out on January 20, 2009, and the real election is in November -- this is just to see who will be on the ballot then.
That's when she announced that she's supporting Hillary. "After all, I'm a girl, and she's a girl, so
that's good, right? And I really think we need a change."
I stopped biting my tongue at that point. This twit's vote counts as much as mine, and I couldn't let her ignorance go unchallenged. "Let me get this straight: We had the first President Bush for four years, then Bill Clinton for eight years, then Bush's son for eight years. You're saying you want Clinton's wife next, and you're for a change?"
That didn't sit well with her. "I dunno much about that. but I do know we weren't at war when Bill Clinton was president."
"Really? Ever heard of Somalia and the Balkans? How about the three major attacks by Al Qaeda that all took place during Clinton's term?"
"Well, I said I don't know much about that. But did you ever hear of a movie called 'Loose Change?'"
"Yeah, I saw it. I also saw one called 'Screw Loose Change,' that showed that at least 90 percent of 'Loose Change' is crap."
"I dunno about that. They said that all the important people were warned about the attacks. Nobody really important really died."
"Well, apart from the wife of the Solicitor General of the United States."
"That means nothing to me."
"When the US gets sued, the Solicitor General is the lawyer who defends it. His wife was on the plane that crashed at the Pentagon."
"But he wasn't."
"No, he wasn't."
"But there are still a lot of questions about 9/11 that haven't been answered."
"Actually, most of them have. It's just the nuts and idiots who can't handle the simple truth who won't listen."
"I don't really care about all that, anyway. I probably won't even vote."
Thank heavens.
I am NOT one of those people who thinks that the higher the voter turnout, the better. There are some people who just shouldn't vote, and they should not be encouraged to vote. And people like this stupid twit desperately need to stay out of the political process until they've educated themselves on at least the basic facts.
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Comments (40)
Ain't democracy grand? We n... (Below threshold)1. Posted by ptg | January 6, 2008 11:20 AM | Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
Ain't democracy grand? We need to let the trees vote, too. Who else supports some form of increased limit on suffrage here in the US? Would a literacy test still be considered racist after all these years and all that money spent on education?
1. Posted by ptg | January 6, 2008 11:20 AM |
Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 11:20
2. Posted by elisa | January 6, 2008 11:35 AM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Democracy is a complex and beautiful thing...Every citizen has the right to a voice in how their country is governed...but when we're lucky, they don't all take advantage of that.
Although the legal voting age was 18 when I reached that number, I sat out the first few elections I could have voted in. I consider voting by flipping a coin to be worse than not voting at all. I continue to abstain in any elections in which I don't know enough about the candidates or the issues to make an informed choice. (Which, I'm ashamed to say, is usually local elections).
I wish everyone would do the same, but at least those who don't care enough about politics to be informed are unlikely to make the effort to show up at the polls. If they've even bothered to register.
2. Posted by elisa | January 6, 2008 11:35 AM |
Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 11:35
3. Posted by Butch | January 6, 2008 11:39 AM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
what a dingbat
3. Posted by Butch | January 6, 2008 11:39 AM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 11:39
4. Posted by Jim | January 6, 2008 11:40 AM | Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
I sometimes think that some kind of test should be given to potential voters. I know that flies in the face of democracy but, DUDE!!
4. Posted by Jim | January 6, 2008 11:40 AM |
Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 11:40
5. Posted by Mitchell | January 6, 2008 11:40 AM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
You have infinitely more patience than I. I would have called her an idiot to her face, most likely.
Maybe Coulter is right about the franchise. Or, at least require some level of knowledge of civics, for crappin' out loud.
5. Posted by Mitchell | January 6, 2008 11:40 AM |
Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 11:40
6. Posted by jpm100 | January 6, 2008 11:44 AM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
I don't blame the system, I blame the people. I blame the person herself, her teachers and her parents.
There's no voting system that will ever save us from idiots and corruption. It requires people with some common sense and integrity.
6. Posted by jpm100 | January 6, 2008 11:44 AM |
Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 11:44
7. Posted by Veeshir | January 6, 2008 11:57 AM | Score: 4 (8 votes cast)
Heinlein put it best, (paraphrasing from memory) Intelligent exercise of the franchise is time consuming and difficult. If you can't be bothered to take the time and make the effort, just find some well-meaning fool and vote the opposite.
That advice has helped me tremendously throughout my voting life.
7. Posted by Veeshir | January 6, 2008 11:57 AM |
Score: 4 (8 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 11:57
8. Posted by Rovin![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://wizbangblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| January 6, 2008 12:01 PM | Score: 7 (9 votes cast)
Jay,
Your post here has just described the mentality of 90% of the college students in this nation (that Obama managed to get to the polls in Iowa), who's lack of reasoning is the direct reflection of their professors.
8. Posted by Rovin![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://wizbangblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| January 6, 2008 12:01 PM |
Score: 7 (9 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 12:01
9. Posted by Veeshir | January 6, 2008 12:02 PM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Ooops, sorry, I got an error message and tried another window and didn't see the message so I hit "refresh", delete double comment here and, probably, on another thread.
Sorry.
9. Posted by Veeshir | January 6, 2008 12:02 PM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 12:02
10. Posted by The Sanity Inspector![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://wizbangblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| January 6, 2008 12:07 PM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
No need for alarm. Idiots in the aggregate tend to cancel each other out...most of the time...eventually.
10. Posted by The Sanity Inspector![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://wizbangblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| January 6, 2008 12:07 PM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 12:07
11. Posted by Proof | January 6, 2008 12:07 PM | Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
young lady cashiering at the discount store...because there weren't any openings for brain surgeons due to the bad Bush economy! :)
Jay Tea: You might have added this account to your stories about BB's...and BB sized things!
11. Posted by Proof | January 6, 2008 12:07 PM |
Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 12:07
12. Posted by Pretzel_Logic | January 6, 2008 12:24 PM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Ahhh public education at its finest-the teachers union must be so proud to read posts like this.
12. Posted by Pretzel_Logic | January 6, 2008 12:24 PM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 12:24
13. Posted by Justrand | January 6, 2008 12:34 PM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
We'll never get a "competency test" for voting...and it is a damn shame!
The sheeple are the fuel for the Democrat machine...and the Teacher's Unions ensure they STAY sheeple!!
13. Posted by Justrand | January 6, 2008 12:34 PM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 12:34
14. Posted by LaMedusa | January 6, 2008 12:36 PM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
"After all, I'm a girl, and she's a girl, so that's good, right? And I really think we need a change."
Wow, bummer. Hopefully, she'll have as much disdain for voting in November.
"I don't know much about that."
"I dunno about that."
"That means nothing to me."
"I don't really care about all that, anyway."
But we still need a change. The theme and the plot thickens. Hee hee.
14. Posted by LaMedusa | January 6, 2008 12:36 PM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 12:36
15. Posted by Eric | January 6, 2008 1:17 PM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
When I see or read things like this I think about a movie I saw recently called Idiocracy. Frankly, most of the movie is crap, but the first 10 minutes or so are actually thought provoking.
The premise of the movie is that with nothing left to challenge humanity and push it forward, humans begin to de-evolve as idiots outbreed intelligent people.
The terrible truth is that at the end of the day, this girl will have more kids than you will Jay. Which means her stupidity will be passed down to more generations.
For every Milton Friedman (1 child) there is a Britney Spears (2 kids and counting).
15. Posted by Eric | January 6, 2008 1:17 PM |
Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 13:17
16. Posted by Nell | January 6, 2008 1:59 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
I wish we have a very simple competency test, with questions like "Who is your State Senator?" or "What date is Independence Day?"
That way, the threat of having to "study", would keep out the worst of the airhead votes.
16. Posted by Nell | January 6, 2008 1:59 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 13:59
17. Posted by Dave W | January 6, 2008 2:16 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
How do you think most democrats get elected? People like her. They just know democrats are "for the little guy" and that war is bad, helping people by giving them money from tax payers is good, so we vote democrats in! yay!!!
17. Posted by Dave W | January 6, 2008 2:16 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 14:16
18. Posted by Rory | January 6, 2008 2:21 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
oh....my.....gawd.
Someone hold a kegger on voting night pahllllease.
18. Posted by Rory | January 6, 2008 2:21 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 14:21
19. Posted by epador | January 6, 2008 2:32 PM | Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
And I presume she complained after you left about ANOTHER customer yapping at her for ten minutes about politics.
Hmmmm.
19. Posted by epador | January 6, 2008 2:32 PM |
Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 14:32
20. Posted by 914 | January 6, 2008 2:42 PM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Wow, a real emotional plea for Hillary to toss Her bra onto the white house lawn and cry!
"I am Woman I am invincible."
20. Posted by 914 | January 6, 2008 2:42 PM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 14:42
21. Posted by Michael | January 6, 2008 2:46 PM | Score: -1 (7 votes cast)
Jay - it is not all over after Tuesday. I think you think your little state decides everything...if so...you are very, very wrong.
21. Posted by Michael | January 6, 2008 2:46 PM |
Score: -1 (7 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 14:46
22. Posted by Rory | January 6, 2008 2:47 PM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Man J.T.
At least you tried right?
That takes guts.
914-LOL.
22. Posted by Rory | January 6, 2008 2:47 PM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 14:47
23. Posted by Bob | January 6, 2008 4:17 PM | Score: 1 (5 votes cast)
Two shots already at teachers. Teachers can only do so much with what shows up in the classroom.
Is it possible that some people are just incredibly so shallow as to not be able to grasp things no matter how the material is presented?
Don't blame the teachers; it's not always their fault.
23. Posted by Bob | January 6, 2008 4:17 PM |
Score: 1 (5 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 16:17
24. Posted by Peter F. | January 6, 2008 4:39 PM | Score: 7 (9 votes cast)
Jay Tea,
Are you sure you weren't actually talking to nogo postal?
24. Posted by Peter F. | January 6, 2008 4:39 PM |
Score: 7 (9 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 16:39
25. Posted by Knightbrigade | January 6, 2008 5:26 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Will sheeple EVER vote based on character, principles, or issues?
LMAO..... "I dunno about that."
25. Posted by Knightbrigade | January 6, 2008 5:26 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 17:26
26. Posted by matthew | January 6, 2008 5:59 PM | Score: -8 (12 votes cast)
For every genius like this girl, there's an NRA member whose vote depends solely on which candidate will maximize their chances of starring in Red Dawn 2: Real Life.
Picking out fringe idiots to try and make a point... doesn't. That's what Europeans do when they generalize about Americans, and they're wrong to do it, and it's annoying trying to explain to them that Britney Spears is one person, not 300 million. Lots of young, motivated voters, both conservative and liberal, Republican and Democratic, are very much educated on issues that matter to them. And, on the other hand, a lot of crotchety old people appear to have no idea what any candidate stands for, and allows their preferred media stream to do their thinking for them.
Broad brushes are for lazy people.
26. Posted by matthew | January 6, 2008 5:59 PM |
Score: -8 (12 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 17:59
27. Posted by SPQR | January 6, 2008 6:50 PM | Score: 9 (11 votes cast)
27. Posted by SPQR | January 6, 2008 6:50 PM |
Score: 9 (11 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 18:50
28. Posted by Jay Tea | January 6, 2008 7:10 PM | Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
matthew, I didn't "go looking for her." She found me. And I really, really tried to avoid the whole discussion.
J.
28. Posted by Jay Tea | January 6, 2008 7:10 PM |
Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 19:10
29. Posted by matthew | January 6, 2008 7:14 PM | Score: -5 (9 votes cast)
Some NRA members are concerned about their rights and the safety of their families/communities, and some are trigger happy rubes. (I'm related to some of the former, and some of the latter.) Some Obama supporters are passionate advocates for change, some are kids that like getting high before campaign rallies and trying to score with dreadlocked 19 year olds. My point, SPQR, was obviously that JT's implication that many young people are stupid and uninformed (10%? 25%? 66%?) applies equally to any caricature of types of Americans that we feel like conjuring up for argument's sake.
The education system isn't nearly as responsible for the epidemic of ignorance as the media and popular culture. Mind-numbing television programming (especially news-as-entertainment), advertising ("Eat this bacon double cheeseburger!" "Fat people are disgusting--ask your doctor about these diet pills!"), the reification of celebrities... nah, let's blame teachers!
It's nice that some commenters are comfortable making fascistic remarks about limiting democratic participation to those deemed worthy of it. "If you want that vote to count, you better tuck in that brown shirt."
29. Posted by matthew | January 6, 2008 7:14 PM |
Score: -5 (9 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 19:14
30. Posted by matthew | January 6, 2008 7:19 PM | Score: 0 (4 votes cast)
Jay Tea, I know exactly the sort you're speaking about. Unfortunately, in my experience, a lot of very bright kids are quiet, and a lot of ignorant kids like talking. A lot. So, perception of the youthful demographic (of which I suppose I am recently removed) doesn't reflect fair sampling. When I used to teach tutorials, it was always the quiet kid at the back that wrote the best essays, and the shitheads at the front who never shut up failed to convince everybody else of anything except the extent of their own shitheadedness.
30. Posted by matthew | January 6, 2008 7:19 PM |
Score: 0 (4 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 19:19
31. Posted by marc | January 6, 2008 7:24 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
SPQR - "Like people who paint NRA members as trigger happy rubes?"
tou·ché!
31. Posted by marc | January 6, 2008 7:24 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 19:24
32. Posted by Mitchell | January 6, 2008 7:47 PM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Eric, now you've made me depressed. I think you're right.
32. Posted by Mitchell | January 6, 2008 7:47 PM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 19:47
33. Posted by BlogDog | January 6, 2008 8:27 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
"Cashiering?" She was firing someone?
33. Posted by BlogDog | January 6, 2008 8:27 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on January 6, 2008 20:27
34. Posted by D-Hoggs | January 7, 2008 10:26 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
HA! Good pull BlogDog.
34. Posted by D-Hoggs | January 7, 2008 10:26 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on January 7, 2008 10:26
35. Posted by elisa | January 7, 2008 11:33 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
"a lot of very bright kids are quiet, and a lot of ignorant kids like talking. A lot."
Unfortunately it's not just the kids. And the media is complacent giving the most press to the loudest and most extreme.
35. Posted by elisa | January 7, 2008 11:33 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on January 7, 2008 11:33
36. Posted by Carl H. | January 7, 2008 1:15 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Last night on The Simpson's, Moe Sizlak proposed 'Who wants to abolish deomocracy forever? Show of hands'.
With little miss trooofer's vote counting the same as mine, I can see Moe's point.
36. Posted by Carl H. | January 7, 2008 1:15 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on January 7, 2008 13:15
37. Posted by _Mike_ | January 7, 2008 4:25 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
"After all, I'm a girl, and she's a girl, so that's good, right?"
I think a more proper reply would have been, "Great idea... vote based on genitalia".
37. Posted by _Mike_ | January 7, 2008 4:25 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on January 7, 2008 16:25
38. Posted by Assistant Village Idiot | January 7, 2008 6:53 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
This post brought up interesting thoughts for me, and I just commented on it at my own site: http://assistantvillageidiot.blogspot.com/2008/01/they-just-want-to-have-something-to-say.html
Precis: They just want to have something to say.
Political commentary from NewHampshiremen reaches its sell-by date on Wednesday, so get on the link before it goes bad,
38. Posted by Assistant Village Idiot | January 7, 2008 6:53 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on January 7, 2008 18:53
39. Posted by Traditionalist | January 8, 2008 1:52 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Last November, there was a fascinating discussion at