September 05, 2010
I believe people should be forced to take a basic intelligence test before they are allowed to vote.
Stop! Stop right there! I know what some of you are thinking! You are ready to call that a racist comment. Am I correct? Or, should I say, are you Politically Correct?
Well, chill out. Take a deep breath and relax. I am not talking about Jim Crow laws. I mean EVERYBODY should be forced to participate in such an exam. This is not a racial thing. Believe me, I have met many stupid white people in my time. We should have to take the test whether we are white, African American, Hispanic, Asian, male, female, gay or straight, Martian or Earthling.
Why do I say this? Well, our recent 2008 presidential election serves as a perfect example: People watching the debates were insisting Obama won. When I asked why they thought he was the victor, I heard any number of the following:
“Obama looked calm and cool. McCain seemed agitated.”
“Obama is young. McCain is old.”
“McCain seemed to have a frown on his face.”
Putting the non-stop, chilling problems of Obama’s two year presidency aside for a moment, let us review what we knew about him before the election, or more correctly put, what anyone could have known if they were willing to use their eyes and ears:
Here were my exact words in a blog of the same title as above, written for Town Hall in the month of October, 2008:
Our country is about to elect as president, a man who supports infanticide, unconditional talks with dictators, two bills that would eliminate free speech and mandatory redistribution of wealth. (Those are his own words and they are open words describing Socialism.)
This man also objected to a bill that would have stopped banks from being bullied into giving out loans to people who cannot afford to pay them. And his own campaign has funded ACORN, responsible for one of the greatest mass voter frauds ever perpetrated upon our country. Finally, he promises to raise taxes in the middle of a bad recession, The last president to try that brilliant maneuver was Herbert Hoover. How did that work for everybody? Good one, Herb.
Oh, I almost forgot his racist pastor, his terrorist friend, and his Jew hating Palestinian associate whom he hopes liberal Democratic Jews will forget about when he brags about how Pro-Israel he is.
When asked by Rick Warren if evil existed, he could not say yes without immediately reminding us that the United States has also done evil things. He was praised for giving a “nuanced” answer.
When asked about Russia invading Georgia, he called upon “both sides to exercise restraint.” However, in this instance, we should cut him some slack. He was probably confused and thought Georgia was that state between South Carolina and Florida. Since in his mind, America is always responsible when attacked, he called upon restraint. Had he known Georgia was a foreign country, he might have defended her sooner.
And what are the positive qualities? What are his credentials? That he once collected funds for Bill Ayers, supporting a program that taught radical Marxism and revolutionary theory to college students? Or are his qualifications that he wrote his own autobiography? Maybe he deserves the job because he has been running for president for two years now and such hard work should be rewarded. True, he was a senator as well. What did he accomplish as a senator? He ran for president!
And we are going to put this man in office, why exactly? Because McCain looks old? Because McCain frowned? Because McCain can’t talk as smoothly?
I said it before and I’ll say it again: There should be a comprehensive written exam before people are allowed to vote.
When I was a young Democrat in college, I voted for George McGovern. I knew nothing about him, except that he was against the Vietnam War. I am not happy about that vote but it never mattered anyway. The man lost by a landslide. During the next election, when Carter ran against Ford, I was a little older (just a little) and a little wiser. Because of my wisdom I decided not to vote that year. Why? Because I had been too busy with college and social life to take an interest in politics. That was wrong of me. I should have taken an interest in politics, but I hadn’t. I could have voted anyway. I could have said, “It’s my right and privilege as an American and by golly, I’m going to vote!”
Instead, I was forced to look myself in the eye and admit that if I had (by choice) become too ignorant to understand one candidate from another, my vote would have been based upon “Eanie, Meanie, Minie, Moe.” Or worse, I would have voted for the Democratic candidate, only because I was a Democrat. I decided not to vote that year. I have never regretted the decision. I wish more people would do the same.
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