The Deception of the Thrush

Hmm...Perhaps we know too much.

From the polls, that is. I just got an email to all the new grad students, urging us to sign up as Pennsylvania voters, if we haven't already (I have). The justification was that we are in a super-duper swing state, nearly as coveted as Ohio and Florida. If you're in one of those no-swing states, they suggested, your vote is essentially worthless. We've all heard this before. But maybe we've heard it too many times before. What if too many Democrats decide that their Blue state is steadily marching towards its Democratic victory, and they decide not to vote? We may have a surprise reversal of trends, with the state turning Red, because the self-assured party was also the most apathetic party.

And in general, we don't need to be doing anything, directly or indirectly, to worsen that perception that voting is a futile act. Too many people, the young and the economically disadvantaged, especially, use this exact perception as their justification for not voting. So whether you're in a state that's "guaranteed" to choose your favorite candidate or in a state that's guaranteed to reject him, try to maintain a bit of idealism, even if it feels a little phony at times, and pretend that democracy still works.