Year 2s Speak on Disenfranchisement and Disinterest in Politics

Lily Gordon, ‘17

May 2016

“Nihilism is the enemy of democracy,” said Ilan Abikzir ‘16. In light of one of the most important primaries and one of the most monumentally significant elections in history, this enemy could prove to be disastrous.

Last April, BHSEC Year 2s who were 18 or older had the opportunity to vote for the first time. Many first-time voters felt, like Finn Clarke, that voting “was actually really exciting. It might be cheesy but I felt like I was a real American.” Rebecca Weinberg similarly felt that “It was amazing! I was very proud to be a part of the political process and participate in democracy.” 

For other seniors, the primaries revealed an uncomfortable truth about the obstacle courses surrounding representative government. The sense of disenfranchisement and dissatisfaction in the political process was not only poignant here in New York, but has been a common rallying point on both ends of a rapidly polarizing and divisive political spectrum, where established moderatism seems to pale next to both Trump and Sanders’ counter-establishment rhetoric.

New York runs closed primaries, which means that only registered Democrats or Republicans can vote in them. Any member of any other party who wanted to switch affiliations had to do so as of last October in order to cast their ballot. As a result, members of parties besides Republican or Democrats were unable to vote. 

The Atlantic reported voters waiting for hours on long lines, a lack of helpful workers on site, and a barrage of technical difficulties. From outdated and broken ballot machines, to restrictive voter ID laws, the New York primaries concerned and outraged voters who felt their participation in representative democracy largely limited, if not completely snuffed out. 

Additionally, 125,000 Brooklyn Democratic voters were “purged” (or prevented from voting) in the primaries, many of whom were purged illegitimately due to clerical errors. New York’s voting policies came under scrutiny for the broader public due to the loss of of these voters, who had to use affidavits instead of the normal ballots if they wanted to vote.

Many voters who had been affected by Hurricane Sandy and who signed affidavits to vote in other polling locations realized too late that the affidavit had removed their party affiliation and they weren’t allowed to vote in the primaries. 

Additionally, Shyla Nelson, a spokesperson at The Young Turks said hundreds of voters’ affiliations were switched without their knowledge and thousands of registered voters were dropped from voter rolls between last November and April. 

At BHSEC, however, disenfranchisement found its face in young age and the novice unfamiliarity of potential first-time voters. Raymond Cheng ‘16 said that he can’t vote until after his 18th birthday in September. He lamented, “If, let’s say, Bernie were to lose, I wouldn’t have been able to cast my vote.” Kees Johnson, who was of age for the primaries, said, “I wasn't able to get registered in time for it,” but feels determined to vote in the general election. Lily Hee was also of age, but was unable to vote in the primaries because she is still waiting to become a citizen, but she hopes to vote in the general election if the paperwork fills out in time.

Finn Clarke ‘16 recalled a friend who was disappointed to find out he couldn’t vote in the primary because “you have to be 18 at the time of the election, which is dumb because he’ll vote in the general, but he couldn’t decide who he gets to vote for in the general.” Joey Schwartz ‘16, who was too young to vote in the primaries, but will be old enough in the general election, voiced his feelings of disenfranchisement as he considered other states’ voting rules, where anyone old enough in the general election are also allowed to vote in the primaries. He suggested that, with the superdelegate system, the primaries are arbitrary, and are determined by the parties themselves.

Rebecca Weinberg recalls how “Max Neuman literally punched me in the face when I reminded him (or bragged, depending on who's telling the story) on voting day that I was voting and he wasn't. You can ask Ms. Walk. Generally others were less resentful, though. No, not generally. Everyone else was less resentful.”

Reham Mahgoub ‘16, who was unable to vote in the primaries, said, “I am honestly furious [about being unable to vote]. I have been trying to get as many people who are of age to vote for the primaries because I am terrified of having Trump in office.” Reham, who, as a Muslim, has personally felt the biting attacks from Trump’s Islamophobic remarks, has sought different outlets, including her inquiry project, to voice her concerns and interests in politics. She said, “My mom tried to vote in the primaries and as she was signing up, everything was going against her. No one was cooperative, she did not have the assistance she needed and ended up not being able to register. I personally felt that the New York primary was rigged and many people who should have had a voice didn't.” 

Finn felt there wasn’t a huge division between voters and nonvoters among Year 2s, but rather “it felt like there was more of a division between people who did and didn't want to vote.” He explained, “some people just didn't care, which I find hard to understand because I've always been a little excited to be able to vote. Some people also just didn't feel like anyone was right, but I know a few people who could have registered and voted but didn't, and I think it was because they didn't really have a candidate they cared about.”

Ilan felt an incredible amount of frustration that he couldn’t vote in the primaries and said, “I really believe that if you don't vote, you should shut up about politics because you're not doing what you can to further your cause.” Although Ilan speaks fairly to the shocking amount of apathy in one of the most significant elections of our lifetimes, the blame for a failure to vote should be distributed away from just potential voters and onto the political process as a whole, where instruction is insufficient and logistics make voting unmanageable for many.

To inform their political opinions, many seniors took to watching debates and consuming newspapers. The combinations of predispositions imposed by family members to like certain candidates, as well as a determined amount of open-mindedness, allowed the seniors to examine different policy proposals. 

Defining a political “cause” as Ilan put it, however, varied across different seniors, some of whom gravitated closer to Sanders’ idealized “political revolution” rhetoric, others who readily adopted or compromised with Clinton’s moderatism. Rebecca joked that she, “in keeping with american traditions, was voting for a candidate that I somewhat loathe.” Finn felt that, despite his idealism there was a certain amount of resignation that what he hoped would happen might not. Lily Hee ‘16 related the notion of path dependency (the idea that it is easier to stay on the same trend rather than cultivate a new one), which she learned in her humanities elective at BHSEC, to the election, where philosophies of change battle between continued gradual incrementalism or drastic revolution (a topic discussed in Professor Matthews’ Year 1 seminars). 

Rebecca explained that, although she characterized Bernie as a “mensch,” she felt that “despite Hillary Clinton's undeniable ickiness, I had a lot of reasons for choosing her. I think that she has more experience that qualifies her to be the president, like foreign policy and dealing with diverse populations. Bernie has only been able to appeal to pretty liberal white voters. I also think that some of Bernie's plans, while they sound good, would not be viable. I would prefer to have a candidate in office that is less far to the left because I think compromising, when there is a House majority of Republicans, is pretty essential.”

One senior, who asked to be kept anonymous, said that “Bernie says what a lot of people want to hear: the system is rigged, free college, et cetera. These are plans without support. They’re unrealistic and he can’t deliver. Hillary is pragmatic with clear plans on all of these things. Bernie’s campaign is misleading itself and others.” This senior particularly liked Hillary’s Ban the Box policy (a movement to get employers to remove a question concerning criminal records from applications), her proposal for dealing with college loans (making college affordable, not free), her criminal justice reform, her catering to minority groups, and her avoidance of making promises that she couldn’t keep. Although she heads toward the median of the Democratic party, he argues, she also has been positively influenced by some of Bernie’s proposals.

Ilan disliked that Hillary’s older positions, such as being anti-gay marriage, until it was politically unsafe to be so, “but I  think it's wonderful to see a presidential hopeful who understands the demands of her party and adapts in safe, helpful ways to make herself a better candidate. Yes, I like that she's shifting more towards bernie's ideals on some issues, and no, I don't think that demonstrates pure pandering for votes.”

Joey felt that Hillary “has come around to a lot of liberal issues. She’s a moderate, but she’s shifted toward Bernie’s rhetoric. People know what Bernie sounds for. But with hillary it’s confusing. She says ‘We’re going to fight against inequality,’ but the electorate, they don't’ see it. On the other hand, Donald is not genuine at all, but a lot of people feel that he is. Hillary lacks a solid image. People think she’s not trustful, probably stemming from the 1990s, partially because she’s a woman, and also there’s just something off about how she conducts herself. When people vote, they are voting for your character.” 

Joey feels that “we’ve never really had an extremely liberal Dem in office.” He argued that Obama is center left and his attempts to compromise often meant that not enough got done.

Ilan explains that, although “I am a big Bernie advocate, I've lately been drifting more towards Hillary.” Ilan was raised French with socialist values and explained, “in our family, it’s absolutely unbelievable to us that healthcare and free public education aren't just an immediate right. I mean, I have friends going to college for the price of gas to get there (like 100 or 200 euros a year.)”

On a more symbolic and representative note, Ilan felt that “i really care about the diversity of our government because it's bullsh*t to be entirely white and male. I also hate the idea that a black person equals diversity. Equal representation means every race and ethnic origin being represented.” He added “I think it's extremely important for the face of this country to be something other than a white man, and i think Hillary (much like Angela Merkel in Germany, by the way) would make an excellent change to the norm. However, I have more trust in Bernie (based on his many years in office, and who he's chosen to lead his campaign) to do everything in his power to appoint non-white, non-cis male people to positions of power.”

Joey says he’s going to vote for Hillary in the general, although he wouldn’t have voted for her in the primaries. He smirked, “I wanted to vote for bernie because I wanted to vote for a Jew (I’m sort of joking, sort of serious). I really believe in his policies.” For Joey, the vast disparities highlighted in the nation’s economic situation, the disappearing middle class, globalization, and the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis still being felt today has compelled him to demand a candidate “who is willing to stick up for the small guy. What are they called? The little guy. We need someone to stand up for the little guy.” Joey recognizes that “Unfortunately Bernie was not able to make his campaign appeal to People of Color, although there were many reasons why he appealed to millennials and blue color white people.”

Year 2s seem conflicted about compromise in the general election. Ilan said, “I've just become more realistic about the fact that Bernie isn't going to get the nomination, and I'm hoping that he'll lose gracefully and direct his supporters to Hillary, but I'm scared that he might think to run as an Independent or Working Families party candidate. In that case, Democrats would be split between voting for Hillary and Bernie, so neither would get enough votes to defeat Trump.”

Rebecca believes that “compromise is more of a practicality, in order to get things done. I also think that the parties have gotten completely separated, with Republicans being crazy far right, and Democrats getting farther left (although clearly not as far and crazy as the Republicans.) I would prefer to see more centrism and collaboration. I love how bernie has pushed Hillary on issues and has added some of his very valid ideas to the conversation.”

It should be noted that, among Bernie supporters, there are some more extreme voices out there, such as the death threats issued by Bernie supporters against Democratic Convention chairwoman Roberta Lange and her family. This sort of behavior, more closely associated with Trump supporters, should be recognized as more widespread.

Although Bernie promises to stick it out in the race until “every ballot is cast” and still believes he would do better than Hillary against Trump, he promises to fight against Trump regardless of the outcome. Some of his more adamant supporters, whose distaste for Hillary has cultivated a “Bernie or Bust” attitude, has many worried that they’ll opt for write-ins or abstain from voting in the general election.

Rebecca argued, "Bernie or Bust" people do not understand how representational democracy works. There is no candidate that agrees with you on everything. Also, that makes me so mad because then DONALD TRUMP COULD BE PRESIDENT.” Ilan similarly noted that “Bernie or Bust people are infatuated by a certain candidate to the point where they let their love for the candidate blind their rationality.” Joey feels apprehensive about the Bernie or Bust philosophy. “If that segment does not vote for hillary, It’s gonna be Nader all over again. It’ll be handing trump the win. They need to swallow their pride. Bernie should probably step down. He had some fantastic surprises and I’m happy he got this far. It’s interesting that we don’t see Hillary pressuring him to drop out. Bernie thinks he can beat Trump. I don’t think he’ll damage Hillary by staying in the race.”

As to how candidates are appealing to voters, partly they use trivial scandals and stories to cultivate notions of likeability. Rebecca believes the public focuses on details like Ted Cruz calling a basketball hoop a “ring” or Hillary’s hot sauce in her bag or multiple attempts at using a metrocard  because “people, although we care about the issues, often prefer gossip and little petty things because talking about the issues can get depressing or boring.” Ilan believes “the trivial aspects of a candidate's likeability are created by people who don't understand a candidate's political platform yet feel that they need to play a role in the conversation in accordance to the prevailing notions around them. I understand that every presidential hopeful needs to sorta get on their knees and do some grimy begging if they want to get elected, but I also think that it's important to strive to look past the comical aspects of the candidates and really comprehend their platform.” For instance, Ilan said, “I don't dislike donald trump because of his hair or his orange spray tans, i dislike him as a candidate because I've spent a lot of time watching his interviews and speeches and reading his press releases and I simply disagree with his plans as a president.” Trump, however, has used his entertainment value to create an endless stream of scandals, manipulating the public’s short attention span and love for gossip. One cannot read a newspaper or walk down the street without his name cropping up, and his vast presence in the media probably acted to support Trump’s rise to popularity. Perhaps it’s true what they say: there’s no such thing as bad press.

Regardless of the outcome of this election, the counter-establishment candidates of this election have pushed the bounds on the way that the American public considers politics. “We're maturing to this new standard of living because we've seen that someone with such idealistic visions for the country can be taken seriously by the American people,” explains Ilan, “ and, though i agree it won't happen in this election, when the time comes to elect our next president, we'll know that we deserve better than ‘politics as usual’”

Not only was this election the first that many seniors got to vote, but it is also an incredibly historic election because “we have two candidates outside mainstream more so than in recent memory. Obama was a newcomer, but definitely is nowhere the kind of candidate that Bernie or trump is. The Democratic party wants to continue Obama’s policies. In 2008, it was anything but Bush and much more geared toward establishment types.” In comparison, the dissatisfaction with establishment politics has resulted in insurgent and counter-establishment candidates like Sanders and Trump. As a result, the “establishment of the Republican party is freaking out. They’re aligning with Donald because they're spineless, which is unfortunate.”

Hillary is “now fighting campaign on both sides and is geared toward the general election. In order for her to win, she has to appeal to the Democratic base and capture the blue collar class that Trump has caught on to, and appeal to anti trump Republicans.” Joey feels wary of her choice to put her husband Bill Clinton in front of economics because of its danger to alienate some of the voters.

Joey acknowledges that “She’s really flawed, but the prospects of electing someone like Trump is really scary.” Hillary might be the “‘Same old, same old’ politics” and some of the same policies like campaign finance might not resolve, but there will be an expansion of Obamacare, and we’ll get supreme court pick.”  Joey argued that “Hillary has really severe image problems, and a lot of are baked in half-truths. Like Benghazi was engineered by House Republicans.” 

In the future, Joey foresees Trump talking about her husband and some “below the belt insults and one of the ugliest general elections.”

The difficulties and outrage of the voting process in New York has many worried about the general election. From the electorate’s apathy in the face of potential political apocalypse, to the technical snafus of an outdated and marginalizing voting process, it seems inevitable that seniors will find new challenges in the months to come.