49ers QB Colin Kaepernick has "made himself a political figure, and while that doesn’t mean he needs to have an opinion on every single issue, he can’t just bail on an entire election," according to Dan Wetzel of YAHOO SPORTS. Kaepernick did not vote in this year's presidential election, and when he "chooses to not participate in the most basic and essential act of an American it reflects extremely poorly on him, his intellectual curiosity and his credibility going forward on nearly any subject." Wetzel: "If he can’t be bothered to vote, then why should anyone listen to him?" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 11/10). ESPN’s Michael Wilbon said, “If you didn't know the difference in the platforms of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, then you’re not paying attention enough for me to pay attention to you when you want to protest." Wilbon: "He undermined all that he had done that some of us might agree with” ("PTI," ESPN, 11/10). In S.F., Ron Kroichick writes there is "no way to authentically lobby for change while refusing to exercise your most fundamental duty as a citizen." Kroichick: "That quickly, he lost credibility" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 11/11). In Boston, Steve Buckley writes under the header, "Shame On Colin Kaepernick For Not Voting." Buckley: "We are well past the two-minute warning of Colin Kaepernick’s 15 minutes of fame" (BOSTON HERALD, 11/11).
NOTHING LOST BY NOT VOTING: ESPN’s Dan Le Batard admitted he was a “little surprised” Kaepernick admitted to not voting, though he "probably shouldn’t have been given the way (Kaepernick's) been talking.” Le Batard: “He said neither one of those candidates represented him and that he was choosing between the lesser of two evils and that was still choosing evil. So he doesn’t lose credibility on this front given what his cause is, given that he didn’t think he’d be electing anyone into the White House who would be helping his cause.” ESPN’s Bomani Jones said, “There’s an interesting range of people who think he’s lost credibility, ranging from the President of the United States to the de facto president of this network, Stephen A. Smith. Now where I disagree with him on this notion is you shouldn’t have to do something to earn the right to have people not mess with you” (“Highly Questionable,” ESPN, 11/10).
