Voter abstention may not be the issue during this United States election. Unlike Kerry/Bush, McCain/Obama present a clearer polarisation to the electorate. There are evidently fewer converged political ideologies to disengage ‘powerless’ voters, brought to light through a myriad of infotainment virals in the past months.
Will the issue be how hundreds of thousands of people in crucial states may be blocked from their right to vote? The brilliant investigative journalist Greg Palast believes so. (see part 1 of his documentary above)
The Internet with its interactive capacity is delivering on the promise of remaking a public sphere in which universal participation in debate and decision making is at hand. The public is no longer the faceless mass whose aggregated opinions have been ‘polled’ by MORI, ICM or Gallup for the mutual convenience of media and politicians. Just see Delib’s work on helping to open the National Dialogue to witness the value and prolificacy of opinions tracked in various forms of social media. Of course, citizens cannot form rational opinions on which to base electoral decisions if the extent of information is minimal. As a liberal pluralist would argue, public opinion is worthless if not derived from a multitude of sources (see the depths that the Opinion Tracker reaches). There’s perhaps at least another Web something zero to go but there’s been clear indication in this election that citizens are becoming less passive receivers and more active and influential participants in the dialogue of democracy.
The Internet is staying true to Marshall McLuhan’s assertion that “Instant information creates involvement in depth”. The ability for social media to provide top to bottom and bottom to top political conversation over social media sites lays down the architecture for political participation, particularly with politicians and parties having a strong presence on such sites and continually delivering new content through these channels.
We’ll be hoping it’s time the voting system delivers on its democratic promise otherwise those who have helped shape a plethora of public spheres and have no faith in the democratic system will create ideologically wider ones too.
