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January 10, 2008
How stupid are voters?
I'll bet that Clinton got at least 3 percent more votes than Obama simply because she was listed close to the top [of the ballot].-- JON A. KROSNICK, Professor, Stanford University
Oh, yeah. I wanted Obama to win, too, but do you really think voters got to the polls and said "well, I don't see my candidate's name here in the first few, so I'll just pick one of these here at the top"?
There were 21 names on the Democratic primary ballot, which is a substantial number; but the whole premise of voting, and perhaps especially in a primary, is to go vote for a candidate. No matter where that candidate's name is — on the front, on the back, in the margin, wherever — you find that name and you mark it.
I would be sympathetic to those who just pick a random name in Tennessee's judiciary elections. Sure, I can see that.
But in a presidential primary, or pretty much any other election, you'd better just stay home if the order in which candidates are listed is going to affect the outcome. Leave the voting for those of us who can read.
Elections | By joe lance | 09:24 PM