ASHLYEE HICKMAN
Living Editor
Sanjaya Malakar still hangs on the to the top of the “American Idol” dynasty while Simon Cowell reminds America that it is a singing competition. In a show where a form of democracy reigns questions could arise as to the competence of the American people’s abilities to vote.
This is a world where a hairdo and beaming smile can give a first class ticket to “American Idol” stardom. Senator John McCain (R- Ariz.) donning the illustrious Sanjaya tresses or a faux-hawk to woo the younger generation or Senators Barack Obama (D- Ill.) and Hillary Clinton (D- N.Y.) putting on their dancing shoes to shimmy into the hearts of America may seem a bit drastic, but politicians are stepping out of their elements to reach the notoriously uninvolved 18 to 29- demographic.
Politicians are transcending the realm of pompous parades and kissing babies and appealing to the more contemporary audience.
Just log on to GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s MySpace profile to listen to the soulful sounds of Elvis Presley’s “A Little Less,” and to view his credentials.
In fact, all the front-running candidates have MySpace profiles equipped with their promotional videos, recent television appearances and zodiac signs.
Using the Internet as a campaign tool has already proven lucrative. Obama’s camp just announced it raised $6.9 million on the Internet alone.
Politicians are taking the MySpace, YouTube, and iPod generational epithets to heart, making themselves visible in each of the outlets.
Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards was the first to enter the YouTube market in 2006. McCain was the last to add his face to the tube in February.
To provide easy access and boost interest, YouTube now has a channel dedicated to the top candidates so people may view their messages to the public as well as media appearances.
Viewers may opt to the videos made by the public. One spoof that has received media attention was a 1984 Apple ad parody that featured Hillary Clinton as “Big Brother.”
Lest we forget the iPod: The machine that revolutionized the music industry is making its mark on politics as well. Enthusiasts of iTunes may subscribe to Barack Obama’s free podcast and listen to his discussions about the latest issues on the Senate floor.
This is the new kind of politics. The United States is faced with an unprecedented race. It just has to choose to take part in it.
Networks such as Fox and ABC have made voting trendy with their hit shows “American Idol” and “Dancing with the Stars,” yet some think the true talent is often overlooked. Some even say the same unfortunate trend is apparent in how its leadership is chosen.
“Look at our president,” sophomore Ginny Hanson said. “We’re obviously not competent enough.”
Whether Bush is in office, public dissent is inevitable and even beneficial. But some serious voters feel it takes away from the concept of democracy when people vote ignorantly or do not vote for the right reasons.
“It’s disheartening to see people win who may not be the most qualified win it makes people feel like their vote doesn’t count,” freshman Kristen Anderson said.
Anderson said she thinks one of the major aspects a lot of people vote on is name recognition instead of merit and other important qualifications.
Not everyone has a poor opinion on the U.S. citizens’ ability to vote, but they do have qualms with how high voting is on their priority list.
“ I think Americans are competent and capable of voting well, but I don’t think they take elections seriously enough,” senior Ryan Dapremont said. The question is not whether Americans can vote right, it is an issue of if they have the dedication for it, Dapremont said.
Making voting a priority and making an informed decision takes more time than many may want to sacrifice.
With media outlets muddling on each candidates, facts being skewed from each party and media conglomerates, such as Fox’s Rupert Murdoch, pushing their own political agendas, things are not always what they seem.
Getting a broad enough idea of the issues and candidates would include checking candidates’ voting records, sifting through the biases of the news media, listening to the candidates and keeping track of what they say to each audience. This how-to list may be considered exhausting just by reading it.
With the mantra “We provide more information about elected officials than they remember about themselves,” Project Vote Smart, an organization referred to as a Voter’s Self-Defense System, strives to make the feat easier.
But even with all the information available with a simple click of a button it has proved insufficient to the terrorist of young democracy: apathy.
Ryan Seacrest has boasted that season finales of the number one show in the country have harvested more votes than in some presidential elections.
According to USA Today, in the 2000 presidential election only 36 percent of the 18 to 29 year-olds voted, receiving an “F” on the report card of democracy.
Apathy serves as the agent that infects the voting initiative. The lack of concern has been apparent throughout history.
Though interest and participation has increased slightly, the 18-29 year-old demographic remains to be the lowest voting demographic.
“Typically you find that the older people are the more involved they get,” said Dr. Joel Fetzer, associate professor of political science.
Because every vote is supposed to count, some believe the U.S. can not afford to wait until young adults realize their civic duty to vote.
But the lack of voting is not all because of lack of interest.
Potential voters are no longer die hard, Republican red or Democratic blue, they’re more like a confused purple.
“A lot of people really can’t see the difference between both sides,” said Fetzer. “If we had serious third parties and a broad spectrum of opinion I think people would be more interested.”
Parties such as the Libertarian Party are petitioning for ballot access.
So far, the Libertarian, the self-proclaimed “party of principle,” was granted access to ballots in 26 states. The Green party celebrated the fact that at least 50 members of its party hold elected office positions in California.
Fetzer also noted the detachment voters have from the candidates.
“The people who run aren’t normal people,” he said. “They come from the same schools, they’re all lawyers. It’s very money driven.”
Fetzer added that some of the most influential leaders in the European world had everyday professions and added that if there was more diversity in the campaign people may be more interested.
This year’s race may be just the thing to perk the interest of voters with the possibility of having the first female or black president.
Non-profit organizations are harvesting the power of celebrity to encourage young voters. Rock the Vote teamed up with MTV’s Choose or Lose voting project during the 2004 election and featured Sean “Diddy” Combs.
DKNY launched a line of Rock the Vote t-shirts modeled by celebrities such as Kate Bosworth and Maroon 5 in popular magazines.
Yet, the increase of voting in the 2004 presidential election was slight.
“The only way we can conquer apathy is by actually voting,” said Dapremont.
“But I don’t want people to turn out in American Idol droves to vote just because a candidate looks good or has a good sound bite.”
04-05-2007