Commentary: Voting for Revenge or for Love of Country or for Something Else?

COMMENTARY | "Don't boo; vote. Voting is the best revenge," incumbent President Barack Obama told a crowd in Springfield, Ohio, a YouTube clip reveals. Should voters see their ballots as a measure of revenge? Should they vote out of love for their country instead? Why do people vote in the first place?

Jennifer Psaki, a spokesperson for the Obama campaign, has been walking back the revenge statement, Politico notes. According to her, the revenge that President Obama refers to is aimed at the scare tactics and alleged lies contained in GOP candidate Mitt Romney's campaign ads. It did not take the Romney campaign long to spin the revenge remark into a campaign ad that calls on the electorate to vote for the "love of country."

Why Americans Vote

Psychology Today took a closer look at presidential elections and noted that voting is "a supremely irrational act." Unless a voter lives in a county or state where the race is extremely close, the ballot cast does not truly affect the outcome and determine who wins and loses. The American Psychological Association notes that voting could be little more than an expression of altruistic behavior or simply a habit.

Digging a bit deeper, the experts note that there is the concept of "voter's illusion," which denotes the belief that if a person votes, others in the person's sphere of influence will do so as well. Then there is the urge to belong to a group. In this scenario, only American citizens may vote. Therefore, casting a ballot identifies the voter as a member of the American people. Psychologists refer to this as the "expression of the self-concept."

Peer pressure is another strong motivator for people to head for the polling place. While it is true that anyone could lie about casting a ballot -- or about the candidate for whom they cast it -- the checks and balances put on by the social circles in which each American moves can be quite powerful.

Whom Americans Choose

Race is a strong indicator of voting behavior. CNN's 2008 exit polls show that 55 percent of white respondents voted for Republican candidate John McCain, while 95 percent of African American voters cast their ballots in favor of then-candidate Obama. Age and party affiliation also matter, as does income. Education is a lesser factor in determining whom a voter chooses.

In the final analysis, it is clear that while President Obama's call to vote for revenge is disruptive in an activity that Americans generally associate with civic duty, it is as good a reason as any to cast a ballot. So whether an American wants to stick it to the Romney campaign, vote out of civic duty and love for the country, has fallen victim to what psychologists call a voter's illusion or simply faces mounting peer pressure from within a circle of influence, the reasons for voting are as diverse as the people casting the ballots.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/commentary-voting-revenge-love-country-something-else-235200769.html

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