They're having an election. Who cares?

Political reporter Pat Crowley had a story in today's Kentucky edition of The Enquirer that I found profoundly depressing. I say that even though articles about low voter turnout have become cliches in America. Predictions now are that turnout in the May 22 KY primary could be in single digits in some precincts.

Pat's story quoted a number of people who said something like this: "Why, between the kids and my job, I'm just too busy to pay much attention, and it doesn't do any good to vote anyway."

Let's dissect this logic for why most Americans don't fulfill their most fundamental obligations as citizens.

First, consider "I'm too busy."

I haven't met a single person who says they're too busy who doesn't find time to watch DVDs, read books and magazines, play Sudoku, go to online chat rooms or do myriad other discretionary things even though, jeepers, every single hour of the day is just filled up.

And you can't blame the media for this one. The race is getting plenty of coverage. And anyone with access to a computer can click a mouse and learn all they want to know about the candidates for KY governor in a matter of minutes.

Then there's this: "It doesn't matter."

The next governor could profoundly affect all of these subjects that apparently don't matter:
Decent, quality schools
Affordable, accessible health care for ourselves, our kids & our parents
Whether we have good jobs in our community
How we regulate things like gambling and abortion in this state
Whether we have a clean environment and affordable energy
How much we pay in taxes

A governor has a lot more to do with what happens in the place where we live than any President of the United States. People in Africa stand in line all day in the baking sun to vote. Given a chance for democracy, thousands of Iraqis voted despite threats to their personal safety.

We'd wonder why the rest of the world thinks we're hypocritical, but we're too busy.