I did see an interview where Obama alluded to his Islamic faith, but I’m not sure it wasn’t a slip of the tongue.

The system is not perfect, but it gives everyone an opportunity. I am proud to have served in the 82d Airborne (Cameron’s predecessors dropping us out over trees, as I remember). I am saddened by the ignorance of many voters, but proud to have defended their right to vote at all.

Some “elitist” may have to come up with a solution, because it’s by me… I’m with Brett.

And what about Freepers and Townhallers who think Sarah Palin is an intellectual and qualified to be a heart beat away from the presidency?

What about people who still think that Obama is a Muslim?

What about people who believe in Creationism and that they will be raptured up shortly?

But The Common Man doesn’t buy it. Those who don’t pay attention to politics are less inclined to vote anyway and therefor less inclined to effect the election’s outcome (indeed, in interviews a disproportionate amount of Americans claim that they will vote, compared to how many do, a Bradley Effect on voting, if you will). And even if they do, The Common Man believes that its democracy determines that America gets the democracy it deserves, not necessarily what’s best for it. Indeed, if rational people make irrational choices that are not in their best interest, then they should have to bear the responsibility. Isn’t that what we were talking about with the economic crisis and mortgage bailout a few weeks back?

Anyway, voting rights have been extended to an appropriate degree. Eighteen seems like a reasonable place to begin, since that’s when our military allows you to join up and you are legally an adult. No tests and no property requirements (particularly if we believe that rational people act in their own self-interest most of the time).

To get a feel for the lack of political knowledge, letters to the editor in the three newspapers I read are a good barometer. Last year there was a change of federal government for the first time in 11 and a half years. A letter this week complained about a comment made by the “government” – the only problem with this is that the comment referred to was made by a member of the previous government, not the current one. This is just one of many examples I read each week.

But I’m a bit of a rare geek – I actually follow politics pretty closely and have done so for the past two and a bit decades that I’ve been voting. I figure if I’m compelled to vote, I better have a good idea of what’s going on.

One of the most important dates in Australian history is 1st January, 1901. This was when the six colonies became a federation, and the Commonwealth of Australia was born. If you asked the general person what this date meant, very few would know. Yet ask them about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and most would be able to tell one plenty about them.

Unfortunately politics and history are two pretty unglamorous subjects that are presented as such in school. Politics in my country is of the sound-bite variety – a lot is being talked about but nothing is really said.

The Athenians managed to bury this pitfall long before it became a problem, since their policy mandated that every citizen held some form of public office in his lifetime. This brought accountability into the fold – something that far too many American’s clearly lack.

Still this example oversimplifies the situation and unfortunately it is not realistic and hardly practical for there to be an expectation of every American holding office when we are already bureaucratically fat as it is.

Instead could we at least have a license to vote?

Hey Brett, I’m glad to hear your comments about the need for our leaders being elitist. I say it all the time that I want to be completely outclassed by the leader of the free world.