This week's questions. Answers from me, Chez and Ben here.
1) I live in Australia and voting is mandatory here. In fact, my wife and I just had to vote this last weekend in council elections. It's not like they'll arrest you or anything -- they'll just fine you. Do you think mandatory voting in the United States could lead to viable third (or even fourth) parties in the future and what do you think it would take to institute mandatory voting? Do you think it would go down with difficulty among the populace? Do you think anybody would even TRY to introduce the concept?
-- Thomas2) I'm a staunch supporter of Barack Obama and I've already cast my vote for him. My husband is a staunch Romney supporter and not only does he intend to vote for him but I get the impression he looks down on me condescendingly, as if I'm a well-meaning little kid who just doesn't understand how the world works, all because I'm not Republican and won't vote Romney. Any thoughts on how to handle my situation?
-- SB3) Given the accessibility of information in our current times, in light of how disparate the two candidates, and yet with the election/polling this close, is it safe to say that Americans are as willfully ignorant as we have ever been in our history?
-- Jason