The U.S. presidential election which was held yesterday (although the vote tally, law-suites, and results dispute will go on for weeks) makes me wonder about the democratic process.

For me, the key question will be is the population as a whole capable of selecting a leader in a way that shows experience, knowledge, and good judgment.  The results so far really make me think not.

Popularity Contest

These days the process of becoming elected by the general population is an expensive proposition which by its very nature limits who can be a viable candidate.

We have gone from the elected office being a noble role reserved for those that demonstrate worthiness by their actions to what is now largely a popularity contest.

Actors and reality TV stars have a better chance of being recognized and thus elected by the general population than seasoned politicians who actually can do some good for the public.

Emotions Versus Logic

Voting is a privilege that allows us to take a moment for ourselves and choose the option which best suits us.  That is,  a choice we feel good about and believe will be to our benefit.

Choosing does not require us to do rigorous analysis or think it through logically, rather it is usually easiest just to focus on what makes us happy.

Unfortunately, this methodology is prone to bad choices.  As a collective group many of us truly desire the best for everyone but when voting it is all about us and the candidates’ list, who do we like?

This concept of democratically elected officials to provide guidance to the whole population has a lot of merits but when it comes down to just the selection process it can really suck.