Mandatory Voting? Is the President Serious?

I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a joke or not, but President Barack Obama is talking about the idea of making voting mandatory in the US.

At an appearance in Cleveland, the president discussed  voting rights and campaign finance.. He said he felt the U.S. should be making it easier - not harder - to vote. He added that some countries, like Australia, have mandatory voting, and he felt that if all registered voters in the U.S. participated in elections, it would completely change the political map

If this were ever to become a real debate, I'd be against it. As a Democrat, I disagree with Obama just as much as I agree with him. This is one of those instances I disagree with him.

Voting shouldn't be like signing up for kindergarten or the census. Voting should be voluntary and here is why:

1) I want people voting who want to vote.
2) I don't want to see who or what someone forced to vote would choose.
3) I don't want longer lines at the polls made up of people who don't want to be out.
4) I don't want uninformed people just voting for the sake of voting.
5) If everyone voted than everyone could complain. The last thing I want is more whining.

What do you think of this story?