I mentioned this phenomenon in posts last spring, after doing door-to-door voter registration in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Some people just don't want to register; they don't want to vote. My strange observation: they are virtually ALL white.
On both occasions I was working public housing projects; one this spring, two today. They are all located in Terre Haute, and seem to have about even numbers of blacks and whites.
On no occasion, either in the spring, nor today, did a black person blow me off, though I did have one black today who said she didn't vote. I chalked it up to the fact that she seemed like she was dealt a 51 card deck, and thought no more about it. But time after time - certainly with a quarter or more of the whites I got a chance to speak with - I was told, "We don't vote." No amount of cajoling with such lines as "even this time?" would move them. I only had to be told "I SAID NO!!" once to get me to tread gently.
I talked with Eric back at the local Obama08 office, and he had noticed the same thing. He speculated that many of them are ex-cons, who either don't realize they can vote, or want nothing to do with the Man's system. I think it may have something to do with not wanting to sign anything or have ANY involvement with society. They are exercising a measure of control over their environment; an environment in which they have virtually no control.
So, has anyone else noticed this? And if so, what is your take on it? As far as the impact on the election is concerned, I see this as a good thing, but it is sad at the same time.