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cascadiance

(19,537 posts)
1. Because corporate money is trying to push top two primaries ahead of it every place...
Thu Sep 18, 2014, 11:38 AM
Sep 2014

... as the way to pick up frustrated voters with the more money they have to publicize this so-called "voter reform". Trying to help stop it here in Oregon (before it starts with prop 90 on our ballot in November) and has us join neighboring Washington and California in its misery.

The way that candidates ranked votes and have certain candidates dropped each round might be looked at a little more and tweaked, since sometimes candidates with arguably more support than others are dropped before them the way that math is done with current IRV algorithms. I think this could be tweaked though to correct for some of this. i think this weakness still is far less of a problem than the way that winner-take-all methodology we have in place now forces most to vote for the lesser of two evils at the top and allows special interest money to "buy the field" of the top two party candidates too.

Ladyhawke1

(12 posts)
2. NOT VOTING ANYMORE.
Thu Sep 18, 2014, 12:20 PM
Sep 2014

Let’s cut to the chase….

I am a lifelong Democrat….or I was. I will not be voting anymore. What civilized person can keep supporting people that do not support them? The evidence has been in for the last twenty years and even I denied it. Time after time voting for a Democrat and believing that things would change. Oh…don’t worry. When I say I won’t vote….I will not be voting for the other guy either. As for the Greens ….as the saying goes .. “They have a snowball’s chance in hell.”….at anything.

That is the problem… with posturing. Politicians talk, and promise and say that they stand for this and they stand for that and they will do this and do that and then when they are elected…….it is the same old horse shit!

Haven’t we learned that what counts is what a person does and not what he says? We need to be more demanding, alert and bring forth the best of the best. But then think about it what intelligent person would ever run for The President of the United States of America. Phifft!

The questions that need to be asked and investigated are many. What is this person’s record like? What has this person accomplished so far? Who are his/her supporters?

And, this must be said…if you are going to go to run for a public office to serve the people of this country then your private life needs to be an open book. What would your record as a candidate running for public office….what would your record look like?

Are you a wife beater, do you have a record of ever driving drunk…at least more than once , have you ever cheated on tests? Who are your friends? How much money do you have and where did it come from, and if you have a lot, what do you do you choose to do with it. Do you hide it offshore to avoid paying taxes? How do you live and do you clean your own toilets? Not a great list, but a start.

I am tired of electing the same old namby pamby gob-shites to represent me or rather US and then we are double-crossed and things go even more downhill. My life is supposed to be getting better not getting worse.

Please try to remember this folks. The United States Constitution was created to give things to the people of this country. It seems that our elected officials are working very hard to TAKE things from the American people. Help take off the blind folds of your fellow citizens.

Politicians think all they need is good hair, a big pearly smile, and a nice wardrobe to be elected and it seems like there a lot of dumbasses out there that use that same criteria for electing them every god damn time.

Signed,
Waiting for the Revolution.

uppityperson

(115,677 posts)
10. "The United States Constitution was created to give things to the people of this country."
Sun Sep 21, 2014, 05:56 PM
Sep 2014

yup. I want things, more things, like the constitution was created for.

Sunlei

(22,651 posts)
11. He's why the President placed "Our Government" civics & US Con. lessons on the front page.
Sun Sep 21, 2014, 06:06 PM
Sep 2014

Front page of the White House website. right side.

Our Government

The Executive Branch
The Legislative Branch
The Judicial Branch
The Constitution
Federal Agencies & Commissions
Elections & Voting
State & Local Government
Resources


http://www.whitehouse.gov/

dhpgetsit

(1,917 posts)
8. The Green Party is promoting IRV.
Sun Sep 21, 2014, 12:29 PM
Sep 2014

Get to know your Green Party candidates and promote them if you like them.

muriel_volestrangler

(101,295 posts)
12. It would help centrists, certainly
Mon Sep 22, 2014, 05:40 PM
Sep 2014

At the moment, US candidates far from the centre tend to lose in the primaries to someone a bit like them, but not as extreme; their supporters then support that person in the general. Centrist candidates may lose those primaries too, since they're too centrist for the Democratic or Republican parties.

IRV means centrist candidates can stand in the general, and, if they beat one of either the Democrat or the Republican in the first round, they stand a good chance of picking up their votes and then winning. Currently, they have to beat both a Democrat and a Republican in the first (and only) round.

Jamaal510

(10,893 posts)
13. IRV is OK, but
Tue Sep 23, 2014, 04:08 AM
Sep 2014

sometimes you might end up in a situation where a person with the most 2nd place votes wins (like what happened in Oakland's last mayoral election with Jean Quan). Personally, I would prefer a proportional representation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proportional_representation

brooklynite

(94,489 posts)
14. Proportional Representation doesn't work for executive positions...
Tue Sep 23, 2014, 07:07 AM
Sep 2014

(Mayor, Governor, President), unless you're giving up that choice in favor of appointment by the representatives you select proportionally.

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