We like Pat Sajak, one of the few open conservatives in Hollywood. Remember that time he cried over the death of Wheel of Fortune’s gay stylist? That was very nice. He’s also very good at light banter and sounding sad when contestants can’t solve the bonus-round puzzle. But when it comes to ideas about how to improve democracy in America, Sajak is just terrible. Here is what he wrote at the National Review yesterday:
Yes … what?
As Sajak says, “many of us tend to vote in our own interests.” Since that is, in fact, pretty much the entire reason people vote, there would be nobody left to vote if you implemented this “conflict of interest” test. But even if Sajak is talking only about very direct benefits — not sure who would determine when that applies, but never mind that — why limit it to state or federal workers? Should gay people be allowed to vote on gay-marriage initiatives? Should people with glaucoma or cancer be permitted to vote on medical-marijuana laws? Should we let taxpayers vote on raising and lowering taxes?
We’d like to buy a vowel: “O.” For “Oh God, what an outrageously bad idea.”
Public Employees and Elections: A Conflict of Interest? [Corner/National Review]
