Dear American Readers: Please Get It Right This Time

One last political post before election day, after which I’m going to refrain from such posts until after the polls have closed.

Larry Lessig: Close the Deal!

An excerpt from Larry Lessig’s latest blog post:

In 2004, I got on a plane Tuesday to fly to London. When I got on the plane, I watched every pundit, as well as Kerry’s daughter, speak about how all the polls were with Kerry. The “exit polls” indicated a clear Kerry victory. But then when I landed, I sat it utter disbelief in the United lounge at Heathrow, watching the Ohio numbers go against us, and therefore, delivering 4 more years to Bush.

We Democrats have trouble closing the deal. We have trouble continuing the push to the very last moment. We have repeatedly been blindsided by the fact that the other side votes regardless of the expected result, while we’re more contingent — making the effort if it seems necessary, relaxing when it doesn’t.

Please, don’t let this happen again. Please, if you’re an Obama supporter, do absolutely everything you can in the next 24 hours to make sure every single possible Obama vote turns out to vote. Volunteer for a phone bank, or use my.barackobama.com to phone bank from home. And beyond this, do the sort of things that too few of us ever have the courage to do: Express to your friends, and anyone you know, why you want them to support your candidate. Send an email with a personal story, or an argument important to you, to as many people as you can. Apologize for the intrusion, but intrude nonetheless. (How weird is it that engaging people about democratic issues in a democracy is generally viewed as inappropriate). And don’t let up until 8pm Pacific time.

Kathy Shaidle: Givers vs. Takers

Toronto-based conservative blogger (and my sometime blog sparring partner) Kathy Shaidle writes in her article, Presidential election pits givers vs. takers:

A parasite votes based upon “how it makes them feel” or because of peer pressure or skin color or what they think they can get out of it or on account of some shallow, twisted sense of “symbolism.”

A patriot wants what’s best for his country. Meaning: what will strengthen the country rather than weaken it; for what is right rather than what is popular; for future greatness rather than immediate, personal gain.

Now consider the data in this chart:

And thus she throws her hat in for the Democrats! Well done, Kathy! It must have taken a lot of soul-searching and deep consideration to go against your first instincts and instead go with the rational candidate. I salute you with a filet mignon on a flaming sword!

The “Idiocracy” Argument

Consider the bottom of the McCain-Palin ticket and the unintended consequences:

(In case you haven’t seen Idiocracy, the graph in the image above is from that movie.)

So Get Out There and Rock the Vote!