"A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user."
Theodore Roosevelt
My idea of what he means is that a person can decide if his vote is best for the country or best for his wallet. Back during the Athenian Republic, the Athenians learned that they could vote themselves from the public coffer and would vote for people that would help them raid the public Coffers. Despite the damage that such things did to society. This caused the fall of the republic due to fiscal mismanagement. This is one of the reasons that our founders detested democracy, they considered it "Mob Rule" where the rule of man trumps the rule of law. Our founders knew that an educated populace was key for the survival of the republic. They believed that freedom always was 1 generation from extinction, when a populace forgot the lessons of the past and repeats the mistakes of the past. A honorable person would vote to put his country's interest before his own whereas a cur would vote with the intent of raiding somebody else's wallet for their benefit.
This idea was the brainchild of Daddy Bear. I am shamelessly riding the coattails.
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