The Vanishing Male Voter

The Howard Stern piece simply illustrates that 50% of an electorate votes for whom it believes it can trust and leaves the decision making up to the leader. This is the only explanation for much of the Republican support as well.The election then turns on the tiny discriminating margin of independent minded people who use reason rather than intuition. Given a 50/50 choice reason then still wins out at the margin.

Many voters, like most family members don't base their support on policies but with whom they identify with. Their intuition (can't call it reason) is that people whom they identify with will probably identify with them.

The rationale for the democratic process, blame the Greeks, is that in trying to garner and maintain support the candidate is far more likely to do things that satisfy his constituency than otherwise. The electorate don't need to be highly intelligent, that's what leaders are for.

mshores415: That may be the way it works in your "house", but CERTAINLY not in mine. It appears you are a female or whatever! Maybe if you had taken the time and found a "REAL MAN" you wouldn't be of such a deviated mindset. Good luck with the rest of your so-called life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You have to look at the system we are in. Since we operate on first-past-the-post elections here in the U.S., politicians are large-scale interest aggregators. These people cannot be in politics at all if they do not try to win 50% + 1 of the vote. That's how our system is set up.

Granted, I would like it if we had proportional representation and two-round presidential elections, because it allows politicians to test the waters of how strong various interests are.

Then again, for that to happen, we'd have to really push for REAL REFORM in public campaign financing. If people's interests continue to be aggregated unequally by the amount of money they can pour into an election, then certain monied interests will always be disproportionally represented by politicians.

I don't think either major party is interested in reforming our system, and I'm honestly not sure it could happen without a massive groundswell of scientifically analyzed political support for systems of representation which more accurately aggregate the various interests of our nation.

Unfortunately our system is set up so they presidents and many of our other elected leaders are interest aggregators. It would help if we had proportional representation so people could vote for those who more closely support their actual views. As it is now, our politicians are out there for political survival and try to find the interests of 50% + 1 of the population, as that is how our system is set up.

Unfortunate AGAIN is that our interests do not get aggregated equally. Because we have no well-structured public campaign finance system, people's interests tend to be aggregated by who has more money. We need to reform our system and stop pointing fingers at those who operate within the system as well as they can.

Worthitall, the Libertarian party here meets monthly, I attend every couple months just to keep informed. I agree with a lot of their ideas, I even send them money now and then just because I think this country needs a strong 3rd party. The 2 party good ol boy system is killing us. But I think in some areas they get a bit over the edge, open borders, basically no government oversight of business, legalization of drugs. Unfortunately, in today's world, we can't rely on human sensibilities, decency and common sense to regulate peoples actions. They have a good base though, I think if they moderate a bit on some of their issues they'd stand a stronger chance of getting some candidates into higher office. It would be great to see.

chazz, how do you propose to get rid of them if you don't vote them out of office? Guess why they are that way, because they can be. Wouldn't it make more sense to get involved in whatever party suits you better, hey, there's a few 3rd party's out there too, get involved in the process of selecting better candidates, working to support them, and getting these lying losers out of office. I'm sure there's a local party office near you, they have delegate conventions, they work the primaries, you can even effect laws and bills by working with your legislative delegation (you even know you have one). It's exactly the attitude you demonstrate that has allowed our current bunch of crooks to get in office. The got elected and stay there because there is an organization behind them making it all possible. It takes an equally powerful organization to drive them out. If everyone thinks like you it becomes extremely difficult to make a change. People need to act, get involved, if we're ever going to make changes. People have to be involved before politicians can be responsive to them, you think your senator knows what you want if all you do is vegetate in your Lazy Boy and complain? Have you written to him lately, not some lazy e-mail, written a real letter, it gets more attention when they see you've taken the time and effort, , have you gone to a town meeting, talked to him(or her)? How about contacting the outreach director of representatives you do support and offered to help? If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem, it's that simple.