text: At the same time, political consultants focus the bulk of their energies on a two-prong strategy for driving the base voters one way or the other both making sure that your party's base is energized and that the other party's base is depressed. The obvious fallout is that the issues that dominate are the ones that excite or infuriate the bases abortion, same-sex marriage, guns, immigration and the language used to whip up the bases is harsh and extreme. All this does even more to turn off voters in the middle.Other countries like Australia have ameliorated this dynamic by implementing mandatory attendance at the polls Down Under, if one does not show up, even to cast a ballot for "none of the above," a fine of roughly $15 is imposed. The result has been turnout of 90 percent or more. High turnout is nice in and of itself. But Australian politicians of all stripes say that the main impact has been to turn the campaign, the issues and the discourse away from the extremes and toward the persuadable voters in the middle.