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Around election time, young adults are bombarded with slogans such as “Rock the Vote,” “Choose or Lose,” and my personal favorite “Vote or Die.”
According to entertainment mogul Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and the rest of the MTV crowd, electoral participation is not only awesome, but if young people don’t vote, they risk losing rights, privileges or even their lives. However, most young people find their trip to the polls to be neither rocking nor particularly life saving. Rock the Vote, however, will not give up.
Since Rock the Vote was founded by co-chief of Virgin Records, Jeff Ayeroff in 1990, the organization has achieved several feats. In 1992, policy experts Madonna and Aerosmith starred in Rock the Vote’s first public service announcements. In 1994, 17-year-old Laetitia Thompson asked President Clinton what type of underwear he wore in a town-hall style forum organized by MTV and Rock the Vote. A decade later, Rock the Vote spent a year trying to scare the youth into voting with a mock draft and the slogan “Vote or Die.”
For all that, Rock the Vote is $700,000 in debt and on the verge of collapse, according to Charles Duhigg of the LA Times. The vote, however, was never rocked. Only 2 million more voters ages 18-29 showed up at the polls in 2004 than did in 1992. In fact, 1992 was the only year that youth voter turnout was significantly higher, but that is more attributed to young people identifying with Bill Clinton, a rock star of a politician.
This raised the point, even if Rock the Vote were highly effective, it would not be good for the political system. Rock the Vote, apparently, targets the type of young people who are politically influenced by rappers and actors. However, contrary to popular belief, these types of young people are few and far between. Youth are smart enough to know that MTV may be where to go for “Yo Momma” jokes and pimped out rides, but not for news and politics. The premise that young people take P. Diddy seriously is insulting. In fact, if there are young people that would cast their ballot based on thirty second MTV News segments, they should not cast a ballot at all. Not even MTV can make the tax system cool. It is a voter’s responsibility to take elections seriously and inform themselves sensibly.
It is clearly time for Rock the Vote to stop embarrassing and insulting young people and accept a youth voter turnout of 50 percent.
In fact, it is time to take the civic duty label off of voting. Voting is not a mandatory duty for a reason. Voting is a right that should be reserved for informed citizens. The goal should not be to get more Americans to become voters, but to get more people to become informed voters. Uninformed voters should simply not participate in elections and Hollywood should refrain from claiming these people are un-American for choosing not to do so. In fact, if uninformed voters stayed home on Election Day, America would benefit considerably.
The impact of fewer uninformed voters would be reflected in the effectiveness of campaign money. Most campaigns are designed to attract the uninformed voter because informed voters know the candidates’ positions and decide whether the candidate is vote-worthy weeks in advance. Uninformed voters are more susceptible to being swayed by television and radio ads, attack campaigns and the candidate’s personality in general. If uninformed voters did not vote, campaigning, as we know it, would be ineffective and candidates would be forced to develop new strategies. This shift of importance from charisma to ideals would increase the value of debates, press conferences, question and answer forums, and, possibly, innovative ways of getting the candidates views out to the informed voters.
Fewer uninformed voters would also decrease the role of special interest groups. Currently, candidates are forced to take money from interest groups because of the cost of running television and radio campaigns, those strategies targeting uninformed citizens. If less costly forums like debates were more effective, candidates would have no choice but to abandon high-cost personality campaigns. Candidates would no longer need so much money from interest groups and, therefore, their role in politics would be greatly reduced.
It is time for Rock the Vote and the rest of the Vote or Die bandwagon to stop pimping the electoral system. Young people, vote if you want to, but only if you know what you are voting for.
Darren McVey is an opinion columnist for The Cardinal. E-mail him at opinion@louisvillecardinal.com.
