Letter: Nonvoters cast their vote for Republican status quo

Editor,

I have been hearing on UNM campus and seeing in the Daily Lobo a lot of foolishness vis-a-vis voting or not voting in the upcoming election. The 2000 election showed that individual votes matter. In retrospect, it also showed that there is a huge difference between a Democrat and a Republican victory. If the Democrats had held power in government - either the presidency or in Congress - for the last six years, many things would be different. If the Democrats win this year, many things will change. If the Republicans win, this will not be the case. This is true regardless of the particular personal merits of the congressional candidates. People who are wringing their hands and taking a principled decision to not vote because the available candidates are unattractive are basically casting their nonvote for the status quo.

As a nation, Americans are more liberal or centrist than the increasingly right-wing Republican Party. This is especially true of college-aged voters. New Mexico is solidly Democrat by voter registration. That means that a nonvote will favor Republicans, the status quo.

In recent elections, the voter turnout among college students has been around 20 percent. It is possible, therefore, to conclude that college students, through their nonvotes, have put Republicans in power and have kept them there.

Generally, people argue that citizens should vote, that people have fought and died to bequeath us that right and that it dishonors them to neglect our obligation to vote. What is more apt, however, is that a nonvote is, essentially, a passive assent to the party in power, the status quo. The Republican party, in New Mexico and nationally, is a minority party in terms of popular affiliation. Such a party can only succeed by turning out its voters and suppressing the vote of others - in this case Democrats and unhappy independents. Negative campaigning demoralizes voters and suppresses the vote. This benefits incumbents, the status quo. This year all of us, college students and other citizens, should note that individual votes matter and the outcome - which party wins - will make a huge difference in the direction of the country in coming years. So you can vote Republican or Democrat with that in mind, or you can not vote and provide your little nudge to the Republican side.

Michael Thomas

UNM faculty