Wednesday 2 January 2013

TOPIC: Low and No Information Voters

It was raining here, finally, last night.  Cold.   The rain was not heavy, but it was dense and steady.  So I went out to the main barn because of that leak that we had repaired.   It had dripped on to some of our work saddles, so it was well that we had lathered them from the last use.   The four horses we keep in were surprised to see the large door open, on squealing hinges, but they were reassured when they saw it was just the same old coot who had closed the door earlier in the evening.  It smelled horsey and warm, things were pleasant inside. 
     I checked the saddles and gazed at the place we had repaired, carefully squinting for a bit of a drip or a drop...but there was none.  Just at the moment that I was going to turn on the heel of my boot and head back to the parlour fireplace, there it was.   The saddle bags of the first saddle was draped over the seat of the saddle, as usual, but the flap was open, and a heavy, parchment-like sheet of expensive writing paper, folded very precisely, and sealed, this time with the best black sealing wax, and stamped with a familiar  "Z".
 
     "Why doesn't he come in?  This is so....strange," I thought to myself.  The letter was stuffed carefully into my shirt.  El Zorro still chose to write in India pen ink, and I did not want to lose any of the message.   Running up to the front gallery and into the main door, back into the warm parlour, I dried off my hands and extracted, then openned the missal from my masked rider friend.  It announced:
 
 
 
 
 
 00000OOOOO00000
 
ATENTO Y SINCERO AVISO !
Mensaje a la Gente Conservadora!
El Problema y las soluciones de los electores burros de baja intelligencia y/o procesamiento de informacion politico, cultural, y de importancia social.
 
 
 
( THE FOLLOWING IS A TRANSLATION FROM THE MESSAGE THAT WAS LEFT BY EL ZORRO)
 
 
Tema  -  Electores de Baja Informacion y capacidad intelectual:

Where to begin?

The problems that resulted in the second election of the misfit we now have
to call "President" have two sources.

The first source is the chronically dedicated to the Democratic Party. "My
parents were democrats and my grandparents were democrats so I am a
democrat." Some of them know what they are doing and think by so doing they
will be part of the club when the other side loses everything. There are
others who just follow because they are and always will be democrats. There
are also those who are ideologically aligned with the socialist, Marxist,
communist, fascist leaders of their party. Many of them get their relevant
information from the Daily Show, Bill Maher, the Colbert report, etc. and
think that is real news. That pretty much sums the first group.

The second source of the problem is the "Low Information Voter". This group
is one that before this past election had never been counted or accounted
for in such social undertakings as electing our leaders. They are people
who do not care about politics, government, taxes, healthcare, or any other
social necessities to keep the Republic operating to their benefit (or
deficit). They are the people who are busy with anything but what happens
in Washington or the state seats of government. They do not want
information or to be bothered with it. This group consists of, but is not
limited to, those who are most interested in reality TV, like to smoke dope,
working people who only want to pay their (tax) bill and be left alone,
college kids who are in school to avoid going to work. They don't see or
hear and until now could not be reached... but this time, this time Obama
did reach them. He is, looks, and acts "cool". He got their attention in the
first debate with Romney when Romney talked over their heads and Obama
seemed aloof. Obama appeared to be "out of it" acting as if he didn't even
want to be on the stage. All through the rest of the campaign he followed
through on that. He didn't take on the issues that are important to the
country. Obama appealed to the LIV's interests by appearing on late night
TV and the View, taking long vacations from being president, shooting hoops,
playing golf, and not boring the LIV with real issues. His appearances,
what he looks like and how he spends his "media time" got their attention.

There is a difference between low information voters and no information
voters in that the LIVs have some information that is either wrong or
limited. The NIVs are know-nothings about the system and pretty much just plain
don't care. Both of these groups are low information voters (a rectangle is
a square...). Together they make up a significant number, especially when
you consider the margin by which Obama won the election.

We cannot underestimate the opposition on this issue. They may have
stumbled onto this new source or how to reach them but now conservatives
have that to contend with among all the other entire usual prospective voter
base.

So, there is a problem that has to be dealt with. The conservative party
has the challenge of keeping and growing the base, convincing the swing
voters, and reaching the low information voters.

We have to get dirty and we have to start now, if not sooner. Our
candidates have to be better informed on the issues than the competition,
look "cool", and they have to act somewhat apathetic while at the same time not
alienating the traditional base. The candidate has to look like everyman.
Ron Paul probably had the attention of some of the LIVs because of his
physical appearance among some of his positions on social issues that would
appeal to the uninterested observer.

It is possible what is happening now is a turning point in the experiment in
freedom. It may be that there is no rolling the stone back up the hill.
This is not inevitable!

Low information voters were probably the margin that beat us. It could be
said "We got beat by stupid". That does not have to happen again. All who
care have to start now by talking to everybody they know and any others with
whom they may have the opportunity. It does not matter how much it
irritates them, information has to be pushed to them. They will not go get
it. The pop culture has to be made irrelevant to the extent it can be
because that is where and with what most of the ignorant voters and LIVs
spend their time.
GOBIERNO CONSTITUCIONAL y LIBERTAD!
Z