The most pressing issue in the coming election of 2008 is not the rivalry among Democrats and Republicans, nor is it the internal bickering between candidates of the same party.

Dwindling voter turnout and motivation are the most daunting issues our country is currently faced with, as it indicates the direst of problems, corrosive to our very way of life. If Americans continue to neglect the democratic system our country is founded upon, we seek to undermine the value of the freedoms and privileges that it permits us to enjoy.

I once saw some political graffiti etched on a wall that read, ‘If you act like idiots, they’ll treat you like idiots.’ If people invest too much blind faith into their leadership, and are not proactive themselves, politicians will often exploit this ignorance or make haphazard decisions without being challenged by public unrest.

This statement seems to hold some validity, as the previous election in which George Bush assumed presidency also had a record low voter turnout. According to the U.S. census Web site, only 89 million people (or 42 percent of eligible U.S. voters) voted in the 2002 election. Not coincidentally, Mr. Bush is also doomed to go down in history as the most unpopular president of all time, drawing equal proportions of disapproval from Democrats, Republicans and every Independent and obscure party in between.

It is for this reason that I find it even more ironic and despicable that people should be so critical of the Bush administration, when many times they did not participate in choosing a better suited candidate. The consequence of a lackadaisical public on Election Day has contributed to leaders who are less vigilant and less prone to having their actions questioned before they have been carried through.

Some of the American public that does decide to vote, vote for candidates based on whim. They employ such superficial criterion as the candidates’ demeanor, appearance and popularity to influence their decision. This compensates for their naivety regarding their prospective leader’s qualifications and his stance on real matters. This general apathy and failure on behalf of the public to adequately research ‘ or at least to follow their chosen candidates’ speeches ‘ allows for unfitting individuals to become the voice of the free world. Campaigns like ‘Rock the Vote,’ which were massively successful in inspiring younger generations to get out and actually vote, have become less prevalent in the coming election, something that makes the responsibility now lie solely within the individual.

I am urging those eligible to register to participate in the democratic process. We have no right to complain about the quality of our leadership if we continue to refrain from voting for better candidates.