47: A Single Vote
November 5, 1988
Whit tells a story about the difference a single vote can make.
Review ★★★★☆
By David
This episode is another step on Connie’s journey towards Christ. Unfortunately, it’s in the wrong order. This episode was written and aired before Connie becomes a Christian and it clearly features a non-Christian Connie unsure of her beliefs about God. And yet, on the CD version of Album 3, this episode has been placed after the episode of her conversion. It also doesn’t match up with in other ways. For example, school is still in session in this episode, but in the previous episode on the album school has already been let out for the winter holidays. This is not a problem if you’re listening to a digital download, which has it in the correct order, but the CD for some reason gets the order horribly wrong. Of course, none of this affects the quality of the episode itself.
Whit’s storytelling is never dull. This time he tells his story in reverse, which acts to his advantage. A senator isn’t an ordinary person, so Connie dismisses the story’s significance at first. But then Whit moves down to a state representative and finally to a common farmer. After each part, Connie becomes a little more convinced that one vote really is worthwhile. The story is entertaining not just for its humorous characters but because it also brings the excitement that often surrounds events with historical ramifications. My only complaint about Whit’s three stories was that there were a lot of names to remember and it was a chore to keep track of who was who.
Horace Higginbotham sounds like a name that was fun to come up with. This one-off kid character who plays the politician, however, is not like the one-off characters who have come before him. He is the non-existent character. He has nothing to do in this episode and so his appearance isn’t necessary to drive the story forward. Unlike Davey Holcomb, Freddy Hart, and others, Horace is not central to his episode at all but is utterly forgettable. You’re likely to have forgotten about him by the time Whit has finished with his story. But to be honest I prefer it that way in this instance. I imagine it would be much more enjoyable to spend a full episode listening to Whit’s story than to have precious minutes eaten up by a few more scenes meant to get the audience acquainted with the character of Horace Higginbotham, someone we will never hear from again.
The importance of voting is enforced in this episode. It’s a simple message on the surface, until you realize that to vote correctly requires you to be an informed voter. Whit touched on this and said the men who voted in the story carefully considered their options to come to the right decision. Becoming a sufficiently informed voter can be a complicated task but it is a task each voter has the responsibility to pursue. Whit’s story is a good reminder about that and it acts as a first step for encouraging people to get more involved in their government. This episode gets 4 out of 5 stars.
By David
This episode is another step on Connie’s journey towards Christ. Unfortunately, it’s in the wrong order. This episode was written and aired before Connie becomes a Christian and it clearly features a non-Christian Connie unsure of her beliefs about God. And yet, on the CD version of Album 3, this episode has been placed after the episode of her conversion. It also doesn’t match up with in other ways. For example, school is still in session in this episode, but in the previous episode on the album school has already been let out for the winter holidays. This is not a problem if you’re listening to a digital download, which has it in the correct order, but the CD for some reason gets the order horribly wrong. Of course, none of this affects the quality of the episode itself.
Whit’s storytelling is never dull. This time he tells his story in reverse, which acts to his advantage. A senator isn’t an ordinary person, so Connie dismisses the story’s significance at first. But then Whit moves down to a state representative and finally to a common farmer. After each part, Connie becomes a little more convinced that one vote really is worthwhile. The story is entertaining not just for its humorous characters but because it also brings the excitement that often surrounds events with historical ramifications. My only complaint about Whit’s three stories was that there were a lot of names to remember and it was a chore to keep track of who was who.
Horace Higginbotham sounds like a name that was fun to come up with. This one-off kid character who plays the politician, however, is not like the one-off characters who have come before him. He is the non-existent character. He has nothing to do in this episode and so his appearance isn’t necessary to drive the story forward. Unlike Davey Holcomb, Freddy Hart, and others, Horace is not central to his episode at all but is utterly forgettable. You’re likely to have forgotten about him by the time Whit has finished with his story. But to be honest I prefer it that way in this instance. I imagine it would be much more enjoyable to spend a full episode listening to Whit’s story than to have precious minutes eaten up by a few more scenes meant to get the audience acquainted with the character of Horace Higginbotham, someone we will never hear from again.
The importance of voting is enforced in this episode. It’s a simple message on the surface, until you realize that to vote correctly requires you to be an informed voter. Whit touched on this and said the men who voted in the story carefully considered their options to come to the right decision. Becoming a sufficiently informed voter can be a complicated task but it is a task each voter has the responsibility to pursue. Whit’s story is a good reminder about that and it acts as a first step for encouraging people to get more involved in their government. This episode gets 4 out of 5 stars.
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