I can’t quite get over our last election. Just 7.45% of those eligible to vote in Daviess County cast a ballot – and with reason. Throughout the local ballot on nearly all counts, competition (read that choice) was scant. Without heatlhy competition, interest withers. That goes for business, a town’s lifeblood, as well as in a democracy.
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Our recent election sure contrasts with election results in Daviess County more than a century ago. This newspaper termed the 1900 county election “a mighty dry one — if the expense statements filed by the various candidates with the county clerk, as required by law, constitute an accurate revelation.”
The front page article focused on the cost of seeking the suffrages of the people. So, let me quote on:
“There are no beer bills, very few cigar items, and according to the statements, the ubiquitous campaign leech with friends to get in line and ‘thirst to slake,’ received the marble heart at every turn and had to drink ice water all during the campaign. It was a great strain on the town pump. No wonder the well at the power house had to be enlarged.”
Well, if the water from the pump outside the courthouse wasn’t refreshing then, at least the spending report certainly seems refreshing when compared to today’s price tags.
Two candidates — one for county coroner and one for judge (commissioner) — certified that they did not spend a cent for campaign purposes (the opposing candidate for judge “splurged” by spending $32 on his campaign)! But what’s really interesting is that the local account contains a report on the Missouri governor. Law at that time dictated that a candidate for governor must file his statement of expenses with the records of the county where he lives as well as with the Missouri Secretary of State.
Guess how much Gov. Dockery, a citizen of Gallatin, spent on his election. Try $3,679.50. The largest itemized expense was postage ($1,270) to the Gallatin postmaster. Nearly as big was a $1,000 contribution to the Democratic State Central Committee. Then came printing at this office, formerly known as the Gallatin Democrat printing office, totaling $378. Among other expenses was $124 for campaign buttons (I wonder, what would one of those buttons bring at an auction today?). All other incidentals tallied up to the remainder.
Since the governor’s campaign expenses were so nominal by today’s standards, I suspect that campaign expenses on the national level were also much smaller, even accounting for the differences in dollar values. Certainly, there was no TV advertising bills to pay.
I don’t believe that television is improving our electoral process. I suspect most adults get more political information from late-night talk show comedians than from print and electronic media.
That means comedians have more influence over our national elections than do the folks who spend their lives studying and analyzing national policy issues. This serves a not-so-subtle message that the whole process can be treated as a joke, that you’re only kidding yourself if you take it seriously.
Politics above the county level has changed dramatically since 1900. Today appearance is everything and content is irrelevant; truth no longer drives decisions. Disgust trickles down.
With little or no contests on the local ballot, interest waned. But that 7.45% turnout is as low as any in memory. It’s a symptom of the serious illness called apathy. These, and many more reasons, are why the average Joe hates to talk about politics and withdraws from participating in public affairs.
And we shall reap what we sow.