The winner of the latest Tweet of the Week poll is @StephenMillerFC, a parody account that is usually devoted to mocking President Trump’s sepulchral adviser Stephen Miller:
“Unlike 40% of eligible American voters, at least Vladimir Putin participated in our 2016 election.”
Before posting this in my list of 10 finalists I checked the joke for accuracy — not something I usually do, as exaggeration is often an element of humor. But here it seemed important.
And in fact, the latest estimate from the United States Elections Project is that 39.8 percent of Americans eligible to vote (regardless of their registration status) sat out the 2016 election.
It’s not shocking. In 2012, 41.4 percent of eligible voters sat it out. In 2008, 37.8 percent. In 2004, 39.3 percent. In 2000, 44.7 percent.
But it’s dismaying. Two out of 5 Americans can’t be bothered to help set the course of our nation. Two out of 5 Americans are willing to let the other three speak for them at the polls. Two out of 5 Americans can’t be bothered to exercise the right that so many have died for.
Talk about disrespect. Talk about taking a knee.
Go to chicagotribune.com/zorn to read the other finalists and find out how to get an email alert when each week’s poll goes live.
