Have a Holiday Such as This, Even a Candidates' Day

   I'm not buying. No, I just don't know that having a high voter turnout turns the trick, if it is the measurement of a successful election. And, as it is the 4th of July and we are considering what a great country we live in, perhaps we should consider this and wonder if it could make us even better.
   See, even if you have a high voter turnout, if those who turn out know nothing about the issues or candidates, if they just randomly poke their pens on one candidate or the other, you have achieved little by having them come out to vote. (And, I would say it is still much a random vote if they just pick someone on no more basis than that it says "Republican" or "Democrat" next to their name, for that candidate might not endorse the stands you think he or she does.)   No, I think it is time to realize we need an upgrade in our elections. If we are to be a government of the people, we need to do better than this. True, some races we do spend close attention to, but many of them, we flounder at.
   So, what can be done?
   I propose a new holiday. Candidates' Day, we will call it, and it will be the day you get off work to study the issues and candidates. It will be the day you attend convention. You are free to skip the convention of course, but it will be there for you and you are off work, and it is what the holiday is all about, so be a good little citizen and run down to your convention.
   Here you will find everything under one roof, watch the candidates spar, catch videos and computer downloads, read literature and watch rallies, all in the name of learning about the issues and the candidates.
   I do want to point out, I have said it should be about the issues as much as about the candidates, themselves. Knowing the candidates doesn't mean as much if you don't study the issues, for you vote according to the candidates' stands, so it becomes important to know the issues in order to know if the candidate is taking the right stand. At our grand conventions, you will be able to hear debates on each of the magnificent issues of the day, even joining in the debates, if you wish.
   If you want to involve your electorate, involve it. Have a convention such as this.