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LA Times’ Jonah Goldberg: “Why not test people” to vote? (*updated)

Thursday, August 2nd, 2007

He suggested it Tuesday in the LA Times.

“Almost half of the American public doesn’t know that each state gets two senators,” Goldberg writes, and “two-thirds can’t explain the gist of what the Food and Drug Administration does.” So, he asks: “why not test people” to vote?

I wonder if Goldberg thought of, or knows the answer to this important civic question: Do you know why we vote on Tuesday, a day smack in the middle of the work week? If not, does that mean he is “certifiably uninformed”?

Goldberg divides election reform supporters (“voter turnout freaks”) into three camps: those who are for “mere aggrandizement for the Democratic Party,” those who “argue that voting is of itself a sign of civic health,” and “more serious people.” I sent him an e-mail and invited him to talk about this interesting perspective in a video blog. Stay tuned to see if I hear back.

* Update:
The blogosphere responds to Goldberg’s piece.

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