What Makes an Informed Political Citizen?

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Clarissa

February 4, 2015

The Clinton result is hardly surprising, more interesting is that 77% of these 18-34 year

-olds cannot name either of their US senators. The finding provides fodder for the suggestion that millennials are relatively uninformed political citizens

.

Oh, come on. I couldn’t name my senator either. I suck at names. It sometimes takes me a moment to come up with my own name, so what? Do I look very uninformed about politics?

People are not good at memorizing stuff that can be found on Google within seconds, so what? How is that an indication of anything?

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10 responses to “What Makes an Informed Political Citizen?”

Shakti

February 4, 2015

I only can name one of my senators because he’s spectacularly dumb and obnoxious nationally. I used to be better when I signed petitions and made phone calls.

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1. Clarissa
  
  February 4, 2015
  “I only can name one of my senators because he’s spectacularly dumb and obnoxious nationally.”
  
  What a great way to become memorable. 🙂
  
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2. Jones
  
  February 4, 2015
  
  Yes, but chances are good that he didn’t actually congratulate Canada for its national igloo (which Mike Huckabee actually did on Rick Mercer’s show) …
  
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Jones

February 4, 2015

Actually, the Senators I’ve bought prefer that I don’t “name them” … 🙂

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1. Clarissa
  
  February 4, 2015
  “Actually, the Senators I’ve bought prefer that I don’t “name them””
  
  This is the best response ever. 🙂
  
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Jones

February 4, 2015

BTW, this is for Clarissa so she can feel especially amused …

Mike Huckabee congratulates Canada for its national igloo:

🙂

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1. Clarissa
  
  February 4, 2015
  
  Is this for real, though??
  
  Gosh, like I don’t have enough on my plate with being offended for Ukraine. Now I’ve got to be offended for Canada, as well?
  
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  1. Jones
    
    February 4, 2015
    
    [laugh] 🙂
    
    Oh, c’mon, c’mon, you’re not pictures out of doors,
    not bells in your parlours, not wildcats in your kitchens,
    not saints in your injuries nor devils being offended …
    
    Although I might have some second thoughts about your kitchens. 🙂
    
    Anyway, I don’t know if Mike Huckabee was in on the gag, but this actually aired on Rick Mercer’s show on CBC. I’m not usually a fan, but I did have to laugh at the bit where he got George W Bush to talk about “Jean Poutine” …
    
    You do realise that Rick Mercer’s “comedy” generally consists of getting people to say stuff that’s risible at best, right? 🙂
    
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    1. b g
      
      February 5, 2015
      
      Actually, now that they lost the Saturday hockey game, few Canadians watch the Peoples’s Network anymore. Personally, I hope to enjoy watching every last one of them fired in my lifetime…including Rick Mercier.
      
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leahladygrey

February 4, 2015

I used to be one of those perky kids who was involved in campaigning a lot who could rattle off every name from my senator to the local dog catcher, but as I get older and see people who are my age and continue to be involved with that scene, they transform gradually from perky do-gooders to extremely bitter, partisan hacks who are waiting for their party to win so they can get the reward of their unpaid labour in the form of a cushy government position. The local BC NDP is especially guilty of this.
I’m comfortable now not being hyper-informed, since it means I avoid that fate. If I need to write to my MP, I can just look up who they are using the internet and my postal code.

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