Re: Part 5: Can Anything Be Done to Increase Voter Participation?

jimstevens wrote:
Can Anything Be Done to Increase Voter Participation?
By Thomas E. Patterson
http://hnn.us/articles/1161.html
Patterson is the Bradlee Professor of Government & the Press at
Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. The article
is derived from his recently published book, The Vanishing Voter
(Knopf, 2002).


Interesting series, but dated. Patterson ignores the impact that a breath of fresh air, a positive campaign, and a candidate with true leadership talent can bring to politics. His observations have not, however, been lost on the Obama campaign which has multiplied voter turnout, especially among the younger voters. People are totally fed up with the negative campaigns of the last quarter century and want a change. And these young voters, as Patterson points out, are likely to continue to vote Democratic.

Anyone who goes negative in this campaign will lose. It remains to be seen whether or not the candidates will be willing or able to influence the more notorious 527 organizations, the big loophole in McCain-Feingold.
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