"Apparently at least one of the candidates didn't vote in the race." —Nick Wing It's just one of those things that is a sign of, well, something, but it is unclear just what. Nick Wing explains for Huffington Post: Christina Mercado won a South Texas school board race on Saturday in an election that featured more candidates than total votes cast, the San Antonio Express-News reported. With a final tally of one vote to zero, Mercado defeated Patty Cortez for the District 1 Lytle ISD school board position. The district is about 25 miles southwest of San Antonio, and serves about 1,730 students on four campuses, the Associated Press reported. Where does one go with this? That only one person voted in the election? And that person was most likely Christina Mercado herself? That Patty Cortez could not be bothered to vote for herself? There is something emblematic here about American politics, insofar as one's first reaction upon hearing the news that an election was won with—as opposed to by—one vote, we would not blame someone whose response would be to say, "Well, geez. Of course. This is America. Hello?" Well, okay. That was sort of the first thing to mind for me. And I ain't blamin' myself. ____________________ Notes: Wing, Nick. "Christina Mercado Wins Lytle School Board Race In Texas With Election's Only Vote". The Huffington Post. May 13, 2013. HuffingtonPost.com. May 13, 2013. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/13/christina-mercado-lytle-texas_n_3266312.html
I think this is due to a lack of interest within community politics. Folks having a tendency to be uninformed and uncaring because they believe their neighbors or other community members are picking up slack. I have to say, this shows a troubling tendency with Americans showing consent through ignorance.
Well, yeah, but .... Well, yeah, but while I hesitate to say this seems a unique occasion—I wouldn't want to know how wrong I can possibly be on that count—this does seem a peculiar circumstance compared to the usual ignorance and apathy among the vote-eligible section of society. I mean, I have a foggy memory from the last few years of a politician who lost by one vote ... and actually forgot to vote. But a one vote tally? If this has happened before in any town with more than two people in it, I'm not sure I really want to know.
You mean only one person had the time to go vote in an election for which the outcome would have almost 0 affect on the lives of even 1 living human being outside the elected? Go figure.
