Question: why the percentage of voters showed a significant increase in election of 2008 in compare with 2000?
When people of a country come up with this belief that their voting is not useful and the result is predicted beforehand, they prefer not to vote. They conclude that their voting have no impact on the outcome of election, so they decide to remain indifferent, moreover, participation in election is a time consuming task as they have to find data about the candidates. If we consider the circumstances of voting system in the year of 2000 when people themselves should take time and trouble to register before election, the matter is more understandable. According to this rational non-voting theory, this situation is same for both supporters of loser and supporters of winner.
In the election of 2000 the republican George W. Bush won the election with 50,460,110 popular vote and 271 Electoral College votes against Democrat Albert Gore Jr. who had 51,003,926 votes from people and 266 votes of Electoral College. In fact, Gore had the public voting but Bush had 5 more electoral college, therefore on the base of Supreme Court’s verdict, Bush was named as president. A quick look at their programs shows why the rate of voting was so close.
What the republican candidate emphasized during his campaign was personal values and morality. In this period, the division between two parties was deep and Bush strategy was to show that he wants to make this gap closer.
Gore’s support for gun control led to his lesser voting in Virginia, the state that has the average of more gun owners. Moreover, he was one of the supporters of Tobacco agreement and this approach made tobacco-producing states against him.
Bush was in favor of tax cut to relief voters, on the other hand, Gore planned to execute more spending programs. Perhaps the impact of these plans on people was that they conclude both of these would lead to shortage of budget in the end. Examining the slogans of the candidates will show what was important in this period. Gore’s slogan was Prosperity and progress; and prosperity for American family.
Bush on the other hand promised the people to follow four promises: compassionate conservatism, leave no child behind, real plans for real people and reform with results. Therefore, the image of Bush was a candidate interested in issues like health care and education. In three debates between Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush, Bush showed a more confident pose while Gore seemed more aggressive.
On the other hand, Gore also was a strong rival for republicans. His emphasize on issues showed a picture in people’s minds that he is in their side, appealing to such public programs like prescription drug benefit program to cover seniors. In spite of Bush, he promised to keep social security as public and not mingle it with private sector as Bush wanted to do. He also suggested to increases spending in education, defense, other health programs and the environment.
Overall, the indifference of people toward election may be from the circumstances of this period when everything is in even state. In addition, the candidates are not so at odd positions, so voters who have what they wants, do not mind who will be the next president. In 2008 the new phenomena was the candidacy of an African- American who looked well educated and charismatic, moreover he had a good ability of rhetoric. His color was a controversial matter, as America has had a slavery history.
At this time Romania also immediately organized this routine event. Alegeri Prezidentiale held in 2019 will be the determination of the fate of Romanian people in the next 10 years.