Apathy On The Prairie

SENECA, Ill. (CNN, Oct. 22) -- It's harvest time again in cornfields across America, a sure sign the political season is coming to an end.

Talk to the man behind the wheel of a combine, and he'll tell you farmers and politicians have a lot in common. They both plant seeds, cover a lot of land, try to weather all the storms, and hope for a big harvest.

With the political harvest now two weeks away, Philip Nelson plans to cast his vote for Bob Dole.

"A lot of farmers would favor the free-enterprise, the free-market mentality that Senator Dole proposes in his platform versus the proposals Clinton and Gore have proposed," Nelson said.

From his farm in Seneca, Ill., Nelson keeps a very close watch on campaign developments. That's because farm legislation and trade policies could affect his profits. And the bigger his farm gets the more interest he takes in politics.

But his neighbors in town have grown apathetic. Joyce Hegland, who hasn't been excited about a presidential candidate in quite some time, said, "I liked Eisenhower."

And don't expect to see Cliff Hall at the voting booth on November 5th. The candidates are too negative and, besides, he says, politics is all a sham.

Candidates offer "a lot of promises," Hall says, "But I don't see how any of them can deliver. You know, cut taxes and give us everything."

Actually, Americans have been talking this way for three and a half decades. Turnout has been declining steadily since 1960, when 63 percent of those eligible voted.

Curtis Gans, of the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate, says, "The voter turnout will be down despite motor voter and mitigated by motor voter so it won't fall as low as it was in 1988. In 1988 we had 50.1 percent, the lowest voter turnout since 1924. We had a substantial bump up in 1992 to 55 percent driven by recession, 'read my lips' and Ross [Perot]."

And this year? "I don't know -- 52 or 53 percent," says Gans. "But it could be lower.

Many people here don't think their votes matter. They're disenchanted with politics, tired of scandals and say this year's crop of candidates offers nothing new. No new ideas, says Nancy Bruington, who didn't watch any of the debates. "From what I understand, they don't say really too much in them anyway, so I probably haven't missed too much without watching them."

Others complain they're tired of career politicians and believe everything, from speeches to conventions is too scripted.

Of course those who don't vote will be the first ones to complain about the outcome. Lower turnout traditionally favors incumbent presidents.

Apathy On The Prairie

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