Staff Editorial: A responsibility to be informed voters

Election season is once again upon us.

Monday's Iowa caucus marked the beginning of a long road for Democratic challengers. Last night's State of the Union Address marked, among other things, the beginning of President Bush's re-election campaign. In the months leading up to the election, voters will have the opportunity to experience caucuses, conventions, debates, speeches and countless other events and encounters aimed at allowing voters to be as informed as possible come election day.

Unfortunately though, according to a recent report by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at Penn, far too many voters are entering this process without the proper information.

In one of the most striking figures in the report, only 17 percent of participants thought they knew enough about candidates to make an informed choice. Conversely, 81 percent felt that they did not know enough.

This represents a disturbing trend: that voters judge candidates more and more by less and less. These primaries will decide who will be the eventual nominee for the highest office in the land; it is not enough to evaluate these candidates simply on media soundbites and first impressions.

We implore any members of the Penn community who live in primary states to involve themselves in the process as best they can and educate themselves about the issues and the candidates. A proactive approach to government is the most effective way to ensure that your key issues are protected and fought for.

Rampant uninformed actions in this sphere have the potential to be incredibly damaging. It is in our own best interests to constantly and aggressively evaluate these leaders based on a variety of news sources offering in-depth analysis, not knee-jerk reactions. As the election season rolls along, this is a responsibility that we all will bear.

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