Just How Stupid Are We? Facing the Truth About the American Voter

[Hissyspit]

Run time: 06:43 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqDi1Vi-2qo   Posted on YouTube: May 15, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: May 28, 2008 By DU Member: Hissyspit Views on DU: 2047

 
In this video historian Rick Shenkman discusses the subject of his new book: JUST HOW STUPID ARE WE? FACING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE AMERICAN VOTER (Basic Books, June 2008).

Mr. Shenkman is an associate professor of history at George Mason University and the editor of the History News Network.

[BlooInBloo]

1. Heh, We're a stupid, stupid country.

[AspenRose]

2. Summer reading list!

:thumbsup:

[MercutioATC]

3. Kinda misleading in places. There IS no difference between a female "Senator" and a "Congresswoman"

"Congress" comprises both the House and the Senate.


Also, he asks two women which branch of government declares wars and then tells them "Congress" does...


I agree that the average American voter is politically unaware but the interviewer seems to be, too.

[Hissyspit]

4. Gonna nitpick you.

Congresswoman and Representative is the traditional official reference to someone who is elected to the House. Senator is official for someone in the Senate.

Prof. repeatedly states the names of the three branches of government. When he is interviewing the women and answers 'Congress,' he seems to be trying to draw the name of the branch out of them, to see if, when he says 'Congress,' the women, will respond "oh, the legislative branch!" but they do not.

[MercutioATC]

5. The nomenclature can be confusing...

...but if somebody asked me who my "Congressman" was, I'd give them two names...my Senator and my Representative.

[gateley]

6. I answered the questions correctly BUT ONLY

because I learned from hanging out on DU.

I was that voter. I was one of the ones who thought the Iraq invasion was fine, and that the world was in agreement with us. The branches of government meant nothing to me -- they were all morphed into one entity in my mind.

It was only when I heard snips of the 9-11 Commission Report (and God knows where I heard them) that I began realizing that something was dirty. When I began learning more -- and again I don't know how -- about what this administration was doing, I decided to pay attention to our Dem candidates (before I'd waiting until those who were "into" politics would choose our nominee, then just vote on election day).

I look at these people on this video and think HOW could I have been so unaware -- didn't I care? And I think the answer was no -- I didn't because my life was going along swimmingly and I assumed everything was okay.

With the problems our country is facing now, maybe more people will begin to pay attention and get involved. And the sad part is, it's almost too late.

[Jemmons]

7. Its really never too late and most turnarounds and most awakenings

do take some sort of crisis, so you can actually look at the present crisis as a blessing. The US has plenty potential to be a real leader in the world, but off course it wont happen with everyone asleep in the mall.

[Juche]

10. Same here

I was 25 before I even voted, and didn't pay attention to politics until last year. At this point I'd consider myself pretty well informed on the issue, but I was 27 before I even started caring about it.

I supported the war at first too, that changed around 2004. I agree with Al Gore and Susan Jacoby that 'throwing the bums out' will not change anything unless we fix the cracks in the foundation of our democracy. Until we have an educated, passionate electorate anybody can just flim flam the country anytime they feel like it.

[nichomachus]

8. And those of us who aren't stupid

are told to pretend that we are -- so we don't hurt the feelings of stupid people. Someone said that here on DU two days ago.

[TexasBushwhacker]

9. Some are stupid, but most are just TRUSTING

When was the last time we were lied to by so many people in an administration, so many times, about so many things?

[robinlynne]

11. It may be true, but I find it much more offensive that we do not have real elections.

[Echo In Light]

12. Bump