Augustana poli-sci prof Emily Wanless tells KELO to chill out with its talk of voter fatigue a whole year before the election:
Wanless doesn’t think discouragement or fatigue will set in with South Dakota voters mainly for one reason.
“They actually are surprisingly more aware then we give them credit for,” Wanless said [Don Jorgensen, “Voter Fatigue?” KELO-TV, 2015.11.06].
But Dr. Wanless utters this slightly inaccurate and far too late comment about shady circulators:
Wanless says some of the petitions that are out being circulated now are purposely trying to confuse voters.
“So when someone sticks a measure or petition in front of your face for a signature, ‘Would you mind signing this, oh yeah sure I’d love to,’ it’s very misleading if you don’t read that disclaimer and description at the top of the petition,” Wanless said [Jorgensen, 2015.11.06].
I’m not sure what possessed Jorgensen to finally catch up with the shady-circulator story, weeks after his former desk mate chased deceptive circulators around Sioux Falls and at a point where most circulators have left the field and submitted their petitions. Jorgensen and his fellow journalists should have been providing this reminder every week, if not in every newscast, with features explaining each ballot measure to the public.
But let’s correct Dr. Wanless’s error: there were not “some” petitions with circulators “purposely trying to confuse voters.” There was one: the fake 18% rate cap petition sponsored by the smilingest liar in North Sioux City, Lisa Furlong. Every other petition out there, even the crime victims’ bill of rights submitted by Jason Glodt, is what it’s sponsors say it is. Only the fake 18% rate cap petition has a proven record of circulators saying things about their petition that blatantly and deliberately misinform the voters.
Tomorrow is ballot measure petition deadline. We then get an eight-week respite (thanks in part to thousands of South Dakotans who helped me suspend Senate Bill 69/Referred Law 19 and stop petitioners from bothering you during Christmas) before candidates hit the streets with their nominating petitions January 1.
Huh?
Which part of 18% voter participation does some nutwad Lutheran professor not get?
https://chiesman.wordpress.com/2015/03/05/voter-fatigue-voter-disgust-the-lack-of-participation-in-our-local-democracy/
This blog used to be something. Now it’s the spin machine for the sheeple.
It is only slightly disturbing to find out that Mr. Nesiba from Augustana is flaming Lutheran.
Democracy in South Dakota is an illusion until you pull real voters into places to vote. That ain’t happening.
Lar, Mr. H is the petition guru in South Dakota. Everybody knows to go to Mr. H when the question is about these fake laws and referred laws and initiated laws. That’s why they advertise him being the the debates and things. I think it won’t be long before Mr. H is on KEVN giving a nightly update on politics. Or maybe KEVN will be here on Mr. H’s blog, giving a nightly update. I’m just sayin…this ain’t Santa Fe, young man.
Who really knows about voter fatigue, it is only speculation until the election results are in and counted.
What is important is that we continue to inform voters, like Cory does, about the IM’s are important to our base and turn out the vote.
If we don’t have a PAC to support our IM’s, we should have.
Don’t waste time speculating, use your time to get things done.
Chiesman blog post concludes by saying that the remedy for voter disengagement is “empowerment, information, and education.” I will continue to do my best to offer those three things. If any voter fatigue happens, it will be from my talking their ears off about ballot measures.
There can be voter fatigue, but it usually comes from a very different direction. The fatigue comes from hearing the constant bombardment, especially on TV, of the largely dishonest 30-second candidate spots in the three weeks preceding an election.
I have to wonder why TV journalists never ask about how those TV ads make voters feel. I suppose if they did that story, they would get an earful that management wouldn’t allow to be aired.
I don’t know about you, but my “voter fatigue” comes from the damn ads, and I bet I’m not alone. Most folks can’t wait for election day, not so they can cast a vote, but so the damn ads will stop airing.
The next election will be a Presidential election, which means there will be double or triple the spots. I’m already dreading it. It makes me want to get rid of the TV.
rachel’s take on this from north/south carolinas-poly sci prof and new enthusiastic suzie pranger-type! a few election cycles will be what it takes!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exXVxHgnsAg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exXVxHgnsAg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exXVxHgnsAg
this should be a pastwed youtube link for rachel maddow show 11.05.15
So Donald, if we had a bunch of money, could we counterprogram the fatiguing, deceptive ads with a blitz of straightforward, honest ads that would genuinely inform the voters?
The payday loan industry does have a bunch of money, expect them to saturate the airwaves with deceptive ads designed to convince voters to vote for the 18% fake cap.
If all of these proposals were introduced in the South Dakota legislature, it would take them at least two years to debate them. Followed by moving them to the table for further deliberation.