General Discussion

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts)

49. Exactly. Primaries are now being used as tools to maintain two party control it is obvious.

Tue Jun 10, 2014, 09:44 AM

Jun 2014

Almost all political parties outside America choose local delegates of their party to go to a central convention to cast votes, not some "official" State vote paid for by the taxpayer.

Taxpayers paying for political party nominations is crazy.

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Primaries have about 10% turnout. Yet America claims the mantle of "democracy"? [View all] Fred Sanders Jun 2014 OP

The USA is pretty rare in having primaries at all muriel_volestrangler Jun 2014 #1

Voting is not really public input, it is public manipulation in a two party state. Fred Sanders Jun 2014 #2

In that case, then the turnout for a primary is irrelevant for you muriel_volestrangler Jun 2014 #4

Well, when you put it that way ... Igel Jun 2014 #6

Yes, voting is so important, but....... dem in texas Jun 2014 #3

We just had 50-60% turnout in a primary election in my WV county tabasco Jun 2014 #5

Iowa primary turnout, a hot bed of politics...... Fred Sanders Jun 2014 #8

OK, there's Iowa. tabasco Jun 2014 #12

"West Virginia primary turnout less than 20 percent" Chathamization Jun 2014 #24

My registrar was giddy we hit the 20s nadinbrzezinski Jun 2014 #30

The sine qua non of Democracy is the *right* to participate in politics. Donald Ian Rankin Jun 2014 #7

Actually it is a serious problem since it indicates a non working democracy nadinbrzezinski Jun 2014 #15

I'm not sure I can give you much more of an answer than "no it doesn't". Donald Ian Rankin Jun 2014 #16

Because the US does not have voter suppression nadinbrzezinski Jun 2014 #27

do you think we should pass a law that makes voting mandatory ? JI7 Jun 2014 #9

Absolutely. Australia and 22 other countries do it, small fines are the punishment, the idea is to Fred Sanders Jun 2014 #10

i would say we would need a federal holiday for voting day before we could do that JI7 Jun 2014 #11

We have that here in Korea davidpdx Jun 2014 #18

+ struggle4progress Jun 2014 #19

Voting 'week'. Or 'month', even. randome Jun 2014 #28

Mandatory voting would not be constitutional in America tritsofme Jun 2014 #43

No MosheFeingold Jun 2014 #45

Not our fault people are apathetic. They need to get off their asses and go to the polls. RBInMaine Jun 2014 #13

Less than 16% for NC's in May. WorseBeforeBetter Jun 2014 #14

Yes, pathetic. The Kochs recognized this soft underbelly of American democracy and is ripping at it. Fred Sanders Jun 2014 #32

Oregon's primary was about 32% davidpdx Jun 2014 #17

Make voting mandatory, along with mandatory classes on issues Lee-Lee Jun 2014 #20

Right....and we'd all agree on who should teach the classes, right? brooklynite Jun 2014 #23

Whats the penalty for not voting Travis_0004 Jun 2014 #26

Soldiers are not dying to spread democracy. Skidmore Jun 2014 #21

Well then, here's to North Korea... brooklynite Jun 2014 #22

That is silly. Australia is a better comparison, by far. Fred Sanders Jun 2014 #33

Because we all know mandatory elections nadinbrzezinski Jun 2014 #48

At the very least, we should probably stop using the term oligarchy Chathamization Jun 2014 #25

Not voting is actually a clarion sign of an oligarchy nadinbrzezinski Jun 2014 #29

Except their vote does matter. Chathamization Jun 2014 #34

Except power concedes nothing nadinbrzezinski Jun 2014 #35

Except the whole point of this thread is that "we" don't vote; a few Chathamization Jun 2014 #36

Well given I report nadinbrzezinski Jun 2014 #37

Not just know their names, but their actual positions. Chathamization Jun 2014 #39

I report on the local political scene nadinbrzezinski Jun 2014 #40

Our Mayors and councilmembers have a lot of power, and don't seem to be influenced by the national Chathamization Jun 2014 #41

While what you say is true nadinbrzezinski Jun 2014 #42

While I agree with much of what you said, I don’t see local politics as changing the subject or the Chathamization Jun 2014 #46

And they are not involved because they feel they nadinbrzezinski Jun 2014 #47

in states that have caucuses like Iowa betterdemsonly Jun 2014 #31

A lot of people are idiots MosheFeingold Jun 2014 #38

Primaries are not a requirement of democracy. JVS Jun 2014 #44

Exactly. Primaries are now being used as tools to maintain two party control it is obvious. Fred Sanders Jun 2014 #49