The Silent Majority

Lefties like to remind everyone that they are in the 48% of the country that didn't vote for Mr Bush. Those on the right point to the mandate that 51% of the vote in an election that saw record turnout gives them. What neither side likes pointing out is that 48% is a lie as was the 51%. The 48% was actually 29% of the qualified voters and that the 51% was really 31% because only 60% showed up. But telling people you won the election by 31 to 29 (out of 100) doesn't have the same ring. Perhaps only lost by 2% sounds better, but not when you only got 29%.

40% of the voters didn't like either candidate very much or didn't really feel it affected them one way or another. Now if anyone points at polling data showing demographical splits of the missing 40% and who they might be likely to vote for ... don't. They didn't vote. It wasn't because they couldn't. It was because they couldn't be bothered, didn't care, or didn't like either candidate. They are the majority, apathetic (pathetic?) though they may be.