Britney Spears, Ashton Kutcher and Nemo. Don't be too surprised if these names pop up as write-ins on the 2004 presidential ballot.
Instead of seeking answers and asking the right questions, a grassroots movement called the "Anyone But Bush Association," or ABBA, has been gaining momentum and pushing toward the election of, well, no one in particular. These Bush-haters are looking for one result without looking at the consequences of their ignorant outcry.
There are some who defend ABBA supporters, insisting that they must have some standards. It just isn't possible that someone truly could advocate for just ANYONE other than our current president.
But the propaganda put forth by this group says just that: They would like anyone sitting in the Oval Office come January 2005 other than George Walker Bush, Laura and the twins. They do not wish to share what their grievances are (Do they hate him because he is Republican, pushed a war with Iraq or parts his hair on the left?) nor do they look for answers to their concerns. They simply want anyone who will listen or who comes within 3 yards of their vehicle's bumper to know that they hate Bush.
There has to be a more constructive means to get to the result ABBA wants. Talk about the economy - most Americans do not understand how or why it fluctuates, and it unarguably has been in a slump. Talk about the war in Iraq, because we enjoy quick fixes and this war is not fitting well into our 15-minute attention spans. Talk about the Bush administration's failure to find Osama B. Talk about something. The material is there, and with the spin-doctors these people employ, I am sure they can find plenty Bush faults that have not even crossed my mind.
The American public allegedly hates negative advertising, and the sad feeling that washes over them when they see one candidate make fun of another's ugly children. But voters continue to do nothing to raise the standard.
Americans may be the largest collection of uninformed people on the planet today. Few know about the current events taking place in Arizona, let alone nationally or internationally. (Just watch "Jay Walking" on The Tonight Show if you don't believe me.)
Get smart, Americans. And demand more. If we all knew a little more about the world around us - and let me make the distinction that I do not mean REVOLVING around us - then perhaps candidates would not be able to pull the wool over our eyes so easily. Maybe we could look to presidential hopefuls to discuss platforms and ideas, rather than buzz phrases and blind hate.
Matt Snowden is a finance senior. Reach him at matthew.snowden@asu.edu.
