How Will Voter and Candidate Burnout Impact the 2016 Election?
The term ‘burnout’ is widely used in modern society, as it used to describe everything from the tiredness that afflicts sports stars to the stress created by the pressures of everyday life. Usually this type of burnout can be assuaged through activities such as regular physical exercise, which can boost productivity and alleviate mental anxiety.
Burnout has many different guises, however, as the electorate in the U.S can probably testify. After months of prolonged campaigning, endless commercials and political soundbites, there are concerns that voters on both sides of the political divide are beginning to waver and become disengaged with the democratic process.
Why is this Election different to previous installments?
This is not a new phenomenon, as issue of voter burnout first emerged during an intense and protracted battle between President Bush and then-Democratic candidate John Kerry in 2004. Signs of fatigue, frustration and in some instance antipathy became apparent six months prior to the election, amid a flurry of campaign adverts and an excess of highly-publicized debates.
Image: — Town News
As the airwaves became saturated with soundbites and election promises, voters found it increasingly difficult to distinguish one candidate from the other and gradually lost the motivation to participate.
The current election has taken on an entirely new dimension in this regard, however, thanks to a myriad of diverse factors. Firstly, we have a selection of disparate and controversial candidates, including entrepreneur Donald Trump and the incredibly conservative Ted Cruz. Trump has already caused uproar (even within portions of the Republican Party) with his views on immigration, while Cruz would undoubtedly be the country’s most conservative leader since Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Not only have these candidates embarked on highly controversial and at times distasteful campaigns, but they have also used a myriad of social media channels to engage in personal attacks on one another. Trump’s Twitter page provides a relevant case in point, as it represents little more than a slew of conscious thoughts that betray his true feelings about his rivals and their policies. While Trump may be relatively uninhibited thanks to his lack of political experience, his outbursts are hardly designed to offer insight to voters.
Image: — The Odyssey Online
How is this impact on Voters and the election as a whole?
Herein lies the problem, as these thoughts and opinions lack substance (much like the channels that they are shared through. This serves as a distraction to some voters, while those who are more knowledgeable find such childish sparring frustrating and extremely off-putting.
Voters who are engaged tend to seek out knowledge and enlightenment on the core issues before making a decision, and the lack of such insight leads to a long-term lack of engagement.
When you consider this alongside racial controversies and the lack of clarity that underpins the policies of candidates such as Cruz (and particularly Trump), the U.S. is risking a low voter-turnout and a debilitating sense of political apathy. In the worst case scenario, this could lead to a false result and the election of a candidate that does not reflect the needs or demands of the nation as a whole.
