The Pro Bowl Problem

During Sunday’s NFL Pro Bowl, color commentator Daryl Johnston said over 84 million football fans cast ballots for the event via text messaging and online polls. Aside from quantifying America’s obsession with football, the votes prove one thing: the state of disarray of American politics. By contrast, just over 101 million people voted for the presidency in 2000. In 2004, the largest turnout for an election in United States history, still only 121 million people voted. The 2006 general election did not even attract as many votes as the Pro Bowl, with only 80 million cast.

Academic cynics will use this data to point out U.S. citizens’ neglect of civic duties, while others still will claim that football obsession is just another part of American consumerism and fascination with celebrities. But few will actually admit the real story behind 84 million people casting their votes to send their favorite players to Honolulu: the NFL has it figured out; Washington and Denver do not.

For NFL fans, the process was as easy as sitting in their favorite easy chair, and sometime between their fourth beer and a lame Cialis commercial, they had to pick up a phone and text in their favorite candidates.

In contrast, the government requires voters to register, somehow claiming the American electorate is more literate by forcing this process. Then, citizens are required to vote on only one day of each year, either through a mail-in ballot or going to their local precinct polling location. What motivation do already-proven lazy Americans have to move, especially when their vote, economically speaking, will not make a difference?

At least for the Pro Bowl fans had several choices: even the lowliest defensive ends all the way to Jared Allen were on the ballot. There were no preliminary elections to decide if Derek Anderson was even a viable candidate compared with Tom Brady.

But with the caucuses now over, Americans are left deciding among two men and a woman who is fit to run the nation. Soon, that number will shrink to two choices, and anyone who is not a diehard Hillary Clinton or John McCain fan is left with uneasy visions of two Americas: one of socialism or one of a security state.

No wonder no one votes anymore. In 2004, it would take even the most optimistic voter to find 3 million candidates willing to vote for his or her choice and “make a difference.” And currently, there is little difference between the candidates if any at all. Hillary is to McCain as Brady is to Manning: same results, different teams.

If academics and politicians really want U.S. citizens to become more active in the electoral process, they should start by revamping the system. Because when more Americans vote for a third-string cornerback than a U.S. senator, clearly, Washington has a problem.