tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462221128079277864.post8288416884492127738..comments2023-11-01T03:03:41.734+11:00Comments on The Outer Life: Good News for the Sleeping GiantLucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08985569265800851409noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462221128079277864.post-52714270010657010662007-10-20T17:15:00.000+10:002007-10-20T17:15:00.000+10:00I'm sort of collecting these stories. The Chaser g...I'm sort of collecting these stories. The Chaser guys in their 2004 election coverage did this segment "This Person Votes" where they would interview someone abd extract their terrifyingly stupid rationale for voting the way they did. I wish I could find it on YouTube.<BR/><BR/>My friend sent me an email complaining about his (again, highly educated) colleague: "She's just announced that she is gunning for Johnny to win the election because 'Rudd has dishonest, weaselly eyes', and John is 'just. like an honest old man'". And Tom reported that he saw a guy on TV saying he was going to vote Labor because his AWA gave him a payrise. That pretty much summed it up for me: not only is it a shallow reason to vote, but Labor are the ones trying to <I>repeal</I> WorkChoices. So it really shouldn't surprise us whenever we hear that people find preferential voting complicated.Lucyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08985569265800851409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6462221128079277864.post-55316939237155624732007-10-20T09:10:00.000+10:002007-10-20T09:10:00.000+10:00You are dead right about civics education. Even hi...You are dead right about civics education. <BR/><BR/>Even highly educated people that I encounter have little idea about the way Australia is governed.<BR/><BR/>"With $35 billion to spare why did they need to put up bus fares?"<BR/>(-25 year old male with at least 5 years university education.)<BR/><BR/>Don't even bother to ask them about the Constitution, or the difference between an act and a regulation, or the separation of powers.<BR/><BR/>"I don't know what Unions a for, but they must be bad, because I keep hearing that." (-24 year old female receptionist)<BR/><BR/>"I'm not going to vote for Howard, I'm going to vote for that other guy."(-same receptionist)<BR/><BR/>No doubt she will be disappointed when she can't find Howard's (or that other guy's) name on the ballot paper.Diego Luegohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356052340100552800noreply@blogger.com