Hacker News Reader

Comment by pbhjpbhj | Hacker News Reader

I wonder how many of those people could name a single policy of either party nevermind demonstrating that their choice is at all informed by anything other than what each person looks like or which pop stars support them.

View on HN

I think you would be very surprised. As a non-US citizen i know almost as much about US politics as my own country's. People around the world have an interest in US politics, it is nothing like asking someone about Japanese or German politics. My guess is that many countries have a proportion of informed people that is not massively far off the US.

If you watch Newsnight or read a broadsheet or similar then you'll probably be well informed; if not then your preference is probably based on your music taste or the media coverage of Romney's underwear style.

To be very surprised then the levels of knowledge would suggest we might get a properly informed vote here sometime.

I hope I'm being too cynical.

Can't tell about how much everyone reads, but for example all major newspapers in germany do prominently cover that election weeks ahead with lots of information and comparisons of the candidates. This election is watched a lot in europe. As another example - one of the cinemas in my town is reserved tonight for a election night where they show CNN International live from midnight up to 6am in the morning.

Same could be said of most Americans.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com