As Kentuckians from Paducah to Pikeville cast their votes for state senator, legislators, county leaders and other representatives will they be voting for issues like the war on coal, the economy? Studies suggest that they may not be really voting on the issues at all, and that the current state of the Red and Blue political parties may not be what sways voters on this Election Day. It may be the current state of the Red and Blue athletic programs in the state that have the biggest impact.
Voting is one of the most important duties by the citizens in a democratic society, but when it comes to making the decision on who to vote for it may not be the important issues that sway voters the most. There have been many studies that have shown that the voters mental state at the time of an election may cause them to lean more towards a certain candidate. Information and events irrelevant to government performance, yet still consequential to an individual’s sense of well-being, affect the decisions that voters make in the polling booth.
What happens with the Cardinals and Cats in the state of Kentucky is deeply ingrained in its citizens. Positive or negative news from either of these major athletic departments can create a ripple effect that is felt by all. To put it simply we live and die by our sports here in the Bluegrass state. When we talk about Nations in Kentucky it’s usually the Big Blue Nation or Cardinal Nation that we are referring to. Currently the state of both programs appears to be in pretty good shape. Both teams had rough losses this past weekend on the gridiron, but both have two of the top basketball teams heading into the season and that has both fan bases feeling pretty good.
So what will this positive attitude towards the Cards and Cats mean in the Election today? The studies suggest that the persons general sense of well being will more times than not favor the incumbents reelection. So this could mean good news ahead tonight for Mitch McConnell and others who are seeking to hold their positions of power. The study I linked above and many others like it made the correlation between a particular win or loss by a football team or basketball team to a voters decision. Using that specific logic and taking into account that both the Cards and Cats had tough losses in football this past weekend it could mean good news for Alison Grimes and those who are seeking to replace the incumbents.
I’d like to think that when I go to my polling location later today and cast my vote that I will be voting based on my perception of how things are going in our economy and based on our states well being in general. Today I will let the serious issues that face our state sway my decision. When I head to the polls I will be voting Red or Blue but today that won’t mean what it usually does in this state. Get out today and exercise your right to vote, and don’t let a general sense of well being or other irrelevant factors sway your decision. This election means too much for that. Happy Election Day!