The Republican nominee for Secretary of State, Damon Dunn, has apparently only voted once. Should this be considered a worthwhile campaign issue? It strikes as one of those things that seems really important when a candidate you oppose is discovered to be a non-voter but that you kind of shrug off when it’s someone that’s speaking to your views.
One of the big issues in Delosa is not the non-voting population, but rather the Democratic primary voter in the Republican primary. Delosa is mostly a Republican state, but not that long ago it was a conservative Democratic one. People who were not married to the other party currently vote in the GOP primary but used to vote in the Democratic one. So just about every election during the Republican primary, some candidate in some race is running ads saying that his opponent last voted in the Democratic Primary. It’s usually not too damning unless they say something like “I’m a lifelong Republican.” Sometimes, in fact, they do. One guy running for Insurance Commissioner actually sued his rival for running a clip of him saying in a commercial that he’s a lifelong Republican (followed by proof that he voted in the Democratic primary) by alleging copyright infringement. This, of course, resulted in the clip being shown every time the story came up on the local news. The lawsuit was dropped.
Anyhow, back to the main subject of politicians that vote… it seems to be one of those things that should matter but that is so far behind ideology that it’s hard to muster up a whole bunch of care. Maybe if I’m voting in a competitive primary with lots of candidates that are reasonably close (or far) from my ideology I might consider it relevant… but even then, unless it’s part of a larger pattern of Don’t Like I am likely to throw my vote behind whichever candidate is most likely to win in the general election. So it’s kind of hard to imagine a scenario in which it would actually affect my vote.
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10 Responses to Politicians Who Don’t Vote
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Voting history was a big issue a couple of years ago when Caroline Kennedy was on the short list for appointment to a Senate vacancy in New York. Despite having come from an intensely political background, her voting record was spotty to the point of being almost nonexistent. Of course, it didn’t help that whenever she spoke, she sounded like a babbling idiot 🙂
I remember that, now that you mention it. I think Mitt Romney got dinged on that, too. Seems a vulnerability for anyone that hasn’t been a politician or hasn’t been one for very long. When you’re a politician, it takes care of itself because you do it for the photo op.
Nothing says “carpetbagger” more than a political hopeful who has never bothered to vote.
Should this be considered a worthwhile campaign issue?
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.
I wouldn’t vote for someone who had a poor voting record. Hell, I don’t even talk to anyone with a poor voting record. It is a sign of mental retardation.
Far more important is whether a candidate has siamese twins in her past.
http://www.bradenton.com/2010/09/27/2606494/election-2010-governors-race-shell.html
To those for whom this is a big deal, if someone doesn’t vote but participates in the political process in more important ways, such as holding fundraisers for preferred candidates and whatnot, does that make it any better?
In other words, is it the fact that they don’t care about politics until suddenly they want to hold office (as appears to be the case with Damon Dunn) or that no matter what they do in terms of fundraising and donations they don’t get your respect by virtue of the fact that they don’t do the *one thing* they are demanding of you (such as Mitt Romney or Caroline Kennedy)?
The issue with Caroline Kennedy wasn’t just that she had a spotty voting record, it also was the fact that she was seeking a Senate appointment despite having no political experience. In fact she hadn’t done much of anything. And then, of course, there was the unavoidable fact that she sounded really, really stupid every time she opened her mouth.
To those for whom this is a big deal, if someone doesn’t vote but participates in the political process in more important ways, such as holding fundraisers for preferred candidates and whatnot, does that make it any better?
I don’t agree with the premise of the question. The MOST important way one participates in the political process is by voting. After all, the winner is the one with the most votes, not the one who raises the most money. Also, is there an example of a political fund raiser who doesn’t vote? The only example I can think of is someone who isn’t eligible to vote.
Finally, the polls are open for 14* hours for general and primary elections, there is vote-by-mail without needing a reason*, and one can vote early by visiting the county clerk*. If you STILL can’t find the time to vote, you are a stone-cold loser.
*In NJ (where people smell, according to David Paterson), YMMV.
A gubernatorial candidate several years back in Delosa that fit this criteria, though I can’t go into details. So it happens, I think. I do remember kind of resenting the fact that he couldn’t take the time to vote.
Is voting more important than fundraising? Ideally, we should hope so. Practically, I am not sure.
Is voting more important than fundraising? Ideally, we should hope so. Practically, I am not sure.
Generally speaking, these aren’t mutually exclusive. One can very easily do both. Therefore, excusing a poor voting record by citing fund raising doesn’t hold water with me.