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Apathy plagues election results
Published Wednesday, June 4, 2008
By 5 p.m. Tuesday only approximately 160 voters had trickled into Frazier Primary School in Ward 2.
At 3 p.m. nearly 700 had voted at the Elk’s Lodge in Ward 3.
Head counting at the polls is often a favorite sport of political junkies — a title I don’t bestow on myself.
But this time around, I was a bit curious about the numbers.
The local political circle is one I cover from the outside. I’m not from Natchez, so I have no personal allegiances to anyone in town. I decide how I’ll vote based on interviews our staff conducts with the candidates in local elections about the issues.
But, it’s part of my job to know what’s happening in local politics, and when incumbent Mayor Phillip West lost in the primary my interest was peaked.
Anytime an incumbent is ousted, the community wants change. That’s a no-brainer. But West carried a trait no other candidate has — he is black.
And — like it or not — black candidates draw support from black voters, all issues aside. White candidates typically draw support from white voters in the same way. It’s a fact of life that we may not see change in our lifetimes.
Sure, some people vote for candidates based strictly on the issues, not skin color, but I’m talking about the majority here.
So, with West out of the race, the obvious question became “Will the black community get out and vote?”
By 5 p.m. in the primary election between West and Jake Middleton, approximately 400 people had voted at Frazier Primary School, according to the estimations of poll workers Tuesday. The number of voters in the predominantly black ward was more than 200 less than in the previous race.
Many black voters did not get out and vote in Tuesday’s election.
In a few months our country might elect its first-ever black president.
And Barack Obama could carry the state of Mississippi, a rare feat for a Democrat.
Political analysts speculate that Mississippi’s high number of black residents could swing the state toward Obama.
Our state has one of the country’s highest percentages of black residents. According to 2006 U.S. Census data the black population is 37.1 percent of the state.
In politics, those numbers matter. Tuesday’s election results prove that.
But it’s sad really. Numbers on the exact racial breakdown of the Natchez results aren’t yet available, but logic says that if the numbers were low in Ward 2, then the overall total of black voters was low as well.
And that means the election of Jake Middleton as mayor doesn’t really represent the choice of the population of the City of Natchez. It represents the choice of the people who voted, and the apathy of the others.
I talked with a few of the voters exiting the Ward 2 precinct Tuesday, all of whom were black. Their summation of those who didn’t turn out to vote was simple — “stupid.”
“You’ve got to vote. Every vote counts,” one voter said, saying he was baffled others weren’t coming out to vote.
He’s right. Even if your man loses, the race goes on.
White voters were among the guilty Tuesday. Anyone of voting age who fails to participate should be scolded. Apathy is disrespect to the men and women who have created our government, fought for it and kept it stable.
Black or white, Tuesday’s election results will affect your life.
I only wish more of you seemed to care.
Julie Finley is the managing editor of The Natchez Democrat. She can be reached at 601-445-3551 or julie.finley@natchezdemocrat.com.
Comments
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 12:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm with you this time Julie.
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 12:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Unfortunately, some white politicians don't want to be associated with the black vote, so they don't do what is necessary to involve the black community.
How many mayors go out into the community after being elected and just visit with the people to see what they want? I've never had one come to my house just to sit and talk and see what I thought.
Posted by ntzmom (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 3:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
For some reason, I am really suprised at the low voter turn out.
Posted by natsanus (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 9:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ND you are right on this one. The editorial told the true story. I have voted in every election since Jimmy Carter was elected president. I feel it is my duty as an American to vote. If you don't get aggressively involved in politics the least you can do is take a few minutes and go to the polls and vote. Politic affect all of our lives. Not voting provides no support. Voting provides support win or lose.
Posted by Peace007 (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Julie, that was their way of saying none of the above, and that they didn't feel like either candidate was going to represent them.
Posted by natchezsouthside (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 11:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
they could have done a write in if they didn't like the candidate. why should a candidate, or mayor pay any attention at campaign time to people who don't bother to get out and vote. Campaigns cost money. You spend the resources on those who WILL vote. Not on those who couldn't get off their butts.
So good of all those Civil Rights workers of the 1960s to give their blood sweat tears and lives for folks to stay home. A disgrace.
Posted by mike8427 (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 12:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Excellent point south side - The black community went through so much to fight for the right to vote, and look at this election's turnout
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 5:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You can lead a horse to H2O, but you can't make it drink!
Posted by Peace007 (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 7:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Perhaps they should have none of the above on the ballots. They don't on purpose. If the majority voted for none of the above, the election would have to start over again from scratch. I can guarantee you that it wasn't just blacks that didn't go vote.
Posted by oldsaw (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 8 p.m. (Suggest removal)
natchezsouthside, a write in would have thrown out their vote. A write in is only allowed if there was a death of a candidate that appeared on the ballot.
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
EnK...once again you're wrong...both Chick and Jake were very active in trying to connect to the black vote...if you haven't been visited, maybe you need to contact the campaign...they tend to welcome those opportunities.
Posted by dangyankee (anonymous) on June 5, 2008 at 2:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My interest was piqued by this statement: "Sure, some people vote for candidates based strictly on the issues, not skin color, but I’m talking about the majority here."
You're saying that the majority of people vote for candidates based on skin color. If that is true, maybe it is a blessing that the majority of voters stayed home on Tuesday. Would you prefer that an election be decided by people who judge candidates based on the "content of their character," that is, positions on issues, etc., or on the "color of their skin?"
Posted by niderbip (anonymous) on June 5, 2008 at 5:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i got news for you.....Obama ain't really black.
Posted by adamstanton (anonymous) on June 5, 2008 at 7:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The name Jimmy Carter makes me shiver thinking of hostages, long gas lines. interest at 20% man thats a scary name in politics.
Posted by natchezsouthside (anonymous) on June 5, 2008 at 9 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, because Jimmy carter was personally responsible for all those things. All by his little ol' self. In fact he persnally cut off the oil supply to this country boosting gas prices.
Such power!
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on June 5, 2008 at 6:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Since the Democrat is the number one source of news in Natchez, I wonder if folks from the Democrat are willing to share in some of the blame for the local apathy?
Posted by Idefinitelymight (Tom Scarborough) on June 5, 2008 at 7:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't care.
Posted by justine (anonymous) on June 5, 2008 at 10:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Right on, GrandDad. Who would give a care with the way Julie and gang sliced and diced the election coverage.
Posted by Yeahuhuh (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 6:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes Julie you hit on something.
Those of us who most tout democracy and spreading it throughout the world at gunpoint must come to terms with designing a democracy in which a majority doesn't even vote.
Yes, due to a vartiety of factors far less than half of the population controls our government. And they intend to keep it that way.
And anyone who ever tries to get elected by discouraging the other side from voting or registering, jamming their phones, legislation that makes people stay at home or requires things that make voting more difficult -- these folks are worse for America than Ossama Benladin. Ironic that some of them so love to wave the flag.
Posted by kpage (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 8:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Twas a messy campaign, was it not Yeahuhuh? You said it right in your last paragraph. I think they acted like a bunch of selfish kids fighting over a popsicle. "Yur mama eats raw meat"..."oh yeah?...well yur daddy IS raw meat".
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 2:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
?
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