No cheering in the press box, or why I don't vote

I am not registered to vote, nor have I ever been. I don't bring it up very often, because it's just a hassle to explain to people, and they seldom understand.

But I'm willing to undertake that hassle today in a small show of respect for the Democratic process, and those who have died to protect it.

I have always struggled with this, and may eventually register as an independent and become a voter. I think this blog makes it clear that I'm jump roping the line that separates news reporter and columnist these days. But I haven't pulled the trigger, and let me tell you a story about why.
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CORRECTION: As some have noted, you don't have to declare a party affiliation when you register to vote in Georgia.
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On election day in November 2004, Pres. George Bush and Sen. John Kerry were locked in a tight battle. We had the televisions on in the newsroom that evening, and one of the networks called Pennsylvania for Kerry.

I'm not going to tell you who it was, but a now-former reporter gave up a cheer. I felt my stomach turn, and I never respected that reporter again. No second chances. Done.

That is never going to happen to me. I have often said that I honestly do not care who is elected president of the United States, or to any other position of power. That's true, to a point. I want someone good. And I want you, and the rest of the electorate, to be informed about who that might be.

And I want you to be able to trust me, and anything that appears under my name. I want you to know, without a doubt, that I will not lie to you. That I will not shade the facts in an attempt to influence you. That my role is not to decide. It is to help you decide by giving you an unvarnished portrayal of the truth as best I can find it, without a passion for anything but unraveling it.

Now, there are plenty of reporters who I respect that vote. In fact, I daresay that I am in the extreme minority, and most of the reporters that I trust and respect the most probably do vote.

That's their personal decision, and I'm not judging them for it, so long as they remain fair in their reporting. It is their right, and you can be fair without being objective.

But this is my personal decision. I like the way Keith Olbermann once put it:

I'm not political. I don't vote -- I don't believe journalists covering politics should (and I don't think the democracy would suffer if however many of us there are, recused ourselves). I have no more interest in the political outcome of an election than I did in the winner or loser of any ballgame I ever covered. I think transparency is vital; I think it's also, in these super-heated political times, unintentionally inescapable.

Now, can I study a candidate and tell you whether he or she is an idiot, or a liar, or just an honest person with good ideas? Yeah, I can. Can I study an issue and its potential solutions and know which solution is more likely to work? Yeah, I can. I've done my homework.

And that's part of what this blog is about: trying to bridge the gap in context, common sense and information left by straight reporting. I'm not sure I'm getting it done, but I am trying. And the goal remains: Giving you the information you need to make decisions, not telling you what decisions to make.

Also, I'm trying to be clever, largely out of ego, and because I'm a smart ass.

But if I ever cross the line, please let me know. You can reach me at tfain@macon.com.

And if you'd like to try to convince me that I simply must vote, feel free. But please know that it's not a decision made lightly. And if my grandmother can't convince me to change by bringing up my late grandfather's service in World War II, you probably won't do much better.