Current Discussion Question

Contributors:

James A. Barry
Visiting Associate Professor
New Century College

Frank Blechman
Clinical Faculty
MS Program Coordinator
Institute for Conflict Analysis & Resolution

Joel Clark
Public and International Affairs

Joel Garreau
Senior Fellow & George Cook Distinguished Fellow
The School of Public Policy

Margaret R. Yocom
Associate Professor
Department of English

Teresa Michals
Director
The Mason Topics Program

Printable Text of Article

Discussion Question
for Spring 2001

Folklore: Teaching the Election

Introduction

So, did you get this E-mail a few days before the election?

Subject: Voter Alert!
Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2000 11:25:33 -0500
From: Adrian Cronauer
To: acronauer@burchlaw.com

Due to an anticipated voter turnout much larger than originally expected, the polling facilities may not be able to handle the load all at once. Therefore, Republicans are requested to vote on Tuesday, November 7, and Democrats and Independents on Wednesday, November 8.

Please pass this message along and help us to make sure that nobody gets left out.

2000 Presidential Election Commission

Adrian Cronauer
Communications Law
Burch & Cronauer PC
202\293-7150

Actually, I received the one that told Democrats to vote on Tuesday, but all the jokes I encountered before November 7th made for good discussion in my folklore courses. I could have talked about traditional food practices and election day. For example, early New Englanders made "Election Day Cake"; and, these days, voters rushing into polling places are slowed by sales of baked goods in the North East and Midwest, and barbecue in North Carolina. But I went with this year's crop of controversial jokes to interest students not only in folklore, but also in voting.

"Voter Alert"