Fox News John Stossel: Young People ‘Are Dumb Or Don’t Pay Attention, And They Shouldn’t Vote’

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Last night on Fox's Your World with Neil Cavuto, fellow Fox host John Stossel waxed scientific on the counter-intuitive nature of human intuition. Noting that "we're alive because our ancestors had the instinct to avoid the tigers and know when to harvest things," Stossel says that "in a modern economy," our instincts "are not good." His chief example of this theory? "Our instincts say that everybody should vote, but some people are dumb or don't pay attention, and they shouldn't vote," he said. A naturally concerned Cavuto asked him who exactly qualified as "dumb," to which Stossell replied, essentially, "kids." Thus, he prescribed that we end the Get Out The Vote campaign because kids don't pay attention so they don't deserve to vote:

STOSSEL: I'm not saying we should have a test or something. But this endless cheerleading — let's go to the rock concerts and register the kids. And the kids aren't paying attention. And it's important in a democracy, it's important to vote. And these are important issues.

The people who participate ought to be the ones who pay attention…I'm just saying we shouldn't have these "Get Out The Vote" campaigns and make these statements: "Everyone has to vote. It's your patriotic duty!" Well if you're not paying attention, I think it's your patriotic duty not to vote.

Stossel apparently likes to time his antipathy for democratic participation with the election cycle. In 2008, he

that "some people" — specifically young Americans — should just stay home. In 2010, he believed young people should just "

stay in the mall

." After all, "Brain surgery, we don't want everyone doing brain surgery. And voting is difficult and important too."

Of course, young voters were

very informed

on salient issues that matter to them in 2008. And, according to

seven separate polls

, Fox News viewers — whose average age is

in the mid-60s

— appear perpetually misinformed. So unless he's advocating for his own audience stay away from the polls, perhaps it's Stossel who should just stay away from democracy entirely.

http://thinkprogress...-shouldnt-vote/

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

The people who participate ought to be the ones who pay attention…I'm just saying we shouldn't have these "Get Out The Vote" campaigns and make these statements: "Everyone has to vote. It's your patriotic duty!" Well if you're not paying attention, I think it's your patriotic duty not to vote.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

http://thinkprogress...-shouldnt-vote/

Don't worry! If you don't vote, the Democrats will vote for you!

http://integratednews.com/1134/election-fraud-fix-sought-amid-dem-primary-scandal.html

[Obama 2012 1,714]

so Steven, what exactly is he saying that's wrong?

[ready4ONE 5,400]

so Steven, what exactly is he saying that's wrong?

Aren't you offended Stossel doesn't want you to vote?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

so Steven, what exactly is he saying that's wrong?

Well, if Stossel says that uninformed people should not vote, then that would disqualify all his viewers from voting. After all, they are less informed than those that don't pay attention. Is Stossel suggesting that the Fox News audience be made ineligible to vote? If not, then what he's saying is wrong on the grounds that he would like people better informed than his viewers to stay away from the polls. That wouldn't make any sense.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

That wouldn't make any sense.

Fallacious arguments rarely do.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Fallacious arguments rarely do.

Tell that to Mr. Stossel and the rest of the Fox politburo.

Edited January 14, 2012 by Mr. Big Dog

[SMR 368]

I'm not for stopping anybody from voting, but I also agree that we worry too much about who's not voting. If somebody doesn't take the effort too vote, I doubt they took the effort to figure out whom to vote for. Why do we want to just put a ballot in his or her hands anyways?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

We do not live in an ideal world.

[xebec 195]

Two goobers post a poll of 612 respondents in a single state, as if this had any statistical heft. Wow. Impressive. Oh, btw goobers....please refrain from voting

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Two goobers post a poll of 612 respondents in a single state, as if this had any statistical heft. Wow. Impressive. Oh, btw goobers....please refrain from voting

Another conservative married to an FSU chick. It is almost like a trend or something.

You would think our wives, being from the former Eutopian Socialist Mecca of the Soviet Union would convert us to Socialized medicine wanting zombies. Right? Why aren't WE the ones wanting government to do everything, just like in the Rodina?

[Danno 1,228]

There really should be a basic test to be deemed vote-worthy.

With a small fee of course, if I must pay for a permit to exercise my right to carry a gun, buy a gun, hold a political protest or any other interaction with the Gov.... why not for voting?

Lets weed out the chaff at the ballot box.

[ScottnIzabela 25]

alive dead or illegal the demoncrat communist party will take care of it for you

Don't worry! If you don't vote, the Democrats will vote for you!

http://integratednew...ry-scandal.html

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

alive dead or illegal the demoncrat communist party will take care of it for you

They are psychic: They vote the way you would have voted, had you only had the time, or the heartbeat, to do so.