In that case, the true question is if there are more thoughtful people than boobs voting, then Mr. Furrow’s opting to vote stands some chance of mitigating the effects of Boobus Americanus trying to have their way. But if the number of boobs in this country outnumbers the thoughtful and informed Americans inclined to vote, then what thoughtful and informed people want is rather immaterial. I would think I’d be generous to opine that the evidence easily suggests that the boobs outnumber anyone of substance in this country roughly ten to one, although I think one hundred to one is almost as generous. [‘Substance’ being defined in this case as those who have sufficient conscience to moderate their opinions to the extent of the evidence that supports it, or those willing to become, or eager to be, informed about matters they claim are important to them regarding the country they live in]

I think I should support these claims, although people with a different opinion about voting seem to rely on that faith in the people they curry favor with rather than face any facts about their voting brethren.

This past spring the Pew Research Center published results that throw a great deal of light upon the nature of our ‘informed public’ that our voting system depends on. They reported (thru Washington Post-ABC) that 66% of people polled thought that Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales’ firing of the eight U.S. attorneys was “politically motivated” (the cause celebre of that month). Yet 31% of these same people didn’t know who the vice president was, less than half of them knew who Nancy Pelosi was, only 29% knew who “Scooter” Libby was, and only 15% could name who the Senate majority leader was, Harry Reid– no one could name the state he was from.

So what are we to think about people who cite polls for their views, or against the views of others? Should we be impressed about what Americans ‘think’ about anything?

In another poll 45% thought the phrase “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” was in the Constitution. In an American Bar Association study a full third of the people didn’t know what the Bill of Rights was. It is no too much of a stretch to think that the 70% of people in favor of getting rid of the electoral college are related to the others polled and not worth listening to.

I also hope we don’t take too seriously what the people get when they vote. I’m inclined to think they have little idea what they are doing, and will have little memory four years from now when they’ll be asked again to vote for “change”— despite thinking they are voting for that every time they vote. As Mencken wrote: “No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.”