Seth’s Blog: Voting, misunderstood:
If you don’t vote because you’re trying to teach politicians a lesson, you’re tragically misguided in your strategy. The very politicians you’re trying to send a message to don’t want you to vote. Since 1960, voting turnouts in mid-term elections are down significantly, and there’s one reason: because of TV advertising. Political TV advertising is designed to do only one thing: suppress the turnout of the opponent’s supporters. If the TV ads can turn you off enough not to vote (“they’re all bums”) then their strategy has succeeded.
This political season, I’ve allowed disappointment with The Current Administration and disgust over political ads to make me lapse back into a “Why Vote? It doesn’t matter!” mood.
I needed the above reminder from Seth Godin, who notes that this outcome — my deciding not to vote — is exactly the outcome certain organizations are working for.
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