Baaad Idea

Calif. lawmakers propose voting age of 14:
A proposed amendment to California's constitution would give 16-year-olds a half-vote and 14-year-olds a quarter-vote in state elections.

State Sen. John Vasconcellos, among four lawmakers to propose the idea on Monday, said the Internet, cellular phones, multichannel television and a diverse society makes today's teens better informed than their predecessors.

As much as I doubt the wisdom of the vast majority of adults, giving teenagers the vote could only make things worse and would without a doubt result in new lows for American politics. For very regular readers of this weblog (and irregular human beings), I am sure the specter of politicians attempting to a certain "N. Outlandishman" fills you with a feeling that can be best described as limitless terror. On the upside, given the low voter participation rates among the 18-25 demographic, it pretty safe to assume their younger counterparts would be even less likely to take advantage of their rights. After all, voting is for old people.