The Center for Voting and Democracy (www.fairvote.com) keeps records of voter turnout for presidential elections from 1924 to 2000. In that span of nearly 80 years voter turnout exceeded 60% only four times (1952: 61.6%, 1960: 62.8%, 1964: 61.9% and 1968: 60.9%.) Twice during the same period the turnout was less than 50% (1924: 48.9% and 1996: 49.0%.)
Note that in the year 2000, the election was decided by the smallest of margins, yet nearly half the registered voters (49%) chose not to vote.
Why the apathy? Many voters feel they cannot and do not make a difference. I believe many of these voters are the middle class, middle America, middle of the road people who truly feel politically disenfranchised. Too much of politics has become
polarized. Labels like liberal and conservative are tossed out. It is almost implied you must be one or the other. Certainly the political parties are by in large controlled by their fringes elements. The Democrats by their liberal base and the Republicans by their conservative one.
I believe the problem lies in the fact that the majority of Americans do not subscribe to one or the other philosophy. In fact most Americans are a mixture of both. For instance, I am a hawk when it comes to foreign policy, military spending, balanced
budgets and crime. But talk to me about a woman's right to choose, gay rights or medical marijuana you will find me quite liberal. What about the moderates? Who do we turn to at voting time?
In most cases, much like in 2000, we are faced with a choice of two evils. It is the fallacy of the two party system. Occasionally, a politician is adept enough to court middle of the road Americans and when they do, are always successful. Clinton did it in 1992 and 1996 campaigning hard on the economy. Ronald Reagan saw eight years in the White House by getting the conservative "Reagan Democrats" to vote Republican.
So how can we make a difference? It is difficult. By our very make up we moderates are non-confrontational. Our anger is shown only briefly in elections and often forgotten by the next. We do not share the same passion as the true believers on the left or the right, but we should.
That passion is the key. We Centrists must move forward and reclaim our parties. The biggest complaint of the Clinton years is that there was really no difference between a moderate Republican and a moderate Democrat. I do not see this as a problem; I see it as the road to bi-partisan government.
Wouldn't that be something? A return to political civility, public service and government without spin?The news programs and cable channels would have a fit. We could do it, all of us, instantly.
All we have to do is vote.