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Sep
13
Election 2008: The Rookie Voter Handbook
2008 at 7am Posted by Rebecca Joines Schinsky
I try not to talk politics her at the Book Lady’s Blog, but I’m pretty into it. I love election season, when my husband and I have our one good fight every four years (more on my “mixed marriage” to come soon), and I get all hot and bothered by the idea that we as Americans, with our different ideals and beliefs, all have in common our right to express our ideas and to vote for the person who will (hopefully) work to make the changes we wish to see in our world.
It’s not a perfect system, by any means, and it’s never fun when your candidate loses, but it’s an exciting thing to be a part of, once you get past all the hooplah. I was fortunate to have parents and teachers who taught me about the constitution, about the voting process, and about how important and exciting it is to participate in the democratic process. But I know that not everyone has access to those kinds of resources, and that’s why I’m excited about this book:
Yesterday afternoon, a local businessman and parent named Jamie Turner came by to talk with me about his new book, The Rookie Voter Handbook. Jamie’s son, who is preparing to vote in his first election, recently asked Jamie to explain why people want to get elected. Jamie set out to turn his response into a handbook for his son, and the result of that effort is a fantastic, nonpartisan introduction to voting and the democratic process that Jamie and his son have decided to share with the rest of us.
The Rookie Voter Handbook begins by explaining the voting process and the types of issues, both local and national, that Americans vote on. It then provides outlines of several hot issues—including abortion, capital punishment, taxation, social security, foreign policy, gun control, and the separation of church and state, amongst others—and presents arguments from both sides of the aisle in order to help first-time voters figure out where they stand and how their opinions translate into the voting process.
Following this introduction to voting and electoral issues is a chapter that encourages young voters to educate themselves and to learn to understand the political speak and media spin they’ll doubtless encounter on their way to the voting booth. Throughout the book, Turner’s writing is clear and understandable without being preachy or condescending, and he succeeds in keeping his personal views out of the way—I’ve read the whole thing, and I really have no idea who he’ll be voting for in November.
An additional feature that I really like is that Turner has included the complete texts of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in the appendix of The Rookie Voter Handbook. This serves as a resource and a way to demystify these important documents for the next generation of voters, and I think it was very smart to include them in the book.
The Rookie Voter Handbook would be a great gift for new voters, but it could also be a useful tool for experienced voters who want to clarify our ideas and explore our role in the democratic process in greater depth or for parents who need a little help talking with their kids about politics. To that end, Turner has provided free, downloadable decision guides on his website, where you can also purchase the book (it’s available here from Amazon).
At only 109 pages, The Rookie Voter Handbook is a quick, easy, engaging read, and I’d highly recommend it for new voters, old voters, parents of new voters, teachers, and anyone else interested in learning to make “a good, educated vote.”
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That sounds like a very informative book.