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Questions for the Americans on here

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I'm curious about your electoral procedures and wouldn't mind some opinions.

1. Do you see the two term maximum rule for Presidents as a good idea or would you change it? if so why?

2. Why does the party not in power, wait till an election is due before picking a candidate?

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    1. Yes, with the intent of the framers of our Constitution to inhibit the rise of an elected tyranny, our only shame is not having had such a limitation instituted from the very inception of the nation. It took FDR's four term presidency to signal the need to codify such a limit.

    That said of course, even with the limit, it is clear to see how the corporations in collusion with both parties is guiding our nation toward such a tyranny beginning with absolute control of all information sources into as few hands as possible. After all, information (and the control thereof) IS power.

    2. Because in the US the Parties are little more than apparati for elections, they do not truly set the agenda of those whom they field for office. It's a sham when compared to the concept of "Party" as understood throughout the rest of the world.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanks for the reply, was hoping from some input from your countrymen but I guess they're on exercises this weekend.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think that most Americans get sick of voting, I mean they elect the judge, the dog catcher, they must get sick of all the voting.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I suspect the turnout for local elections which you allude to (although only some judges are elected whilst most are appointed) is comparable to the average turnout for European elections on this side of the pond, so its not truly indicative of the sentiments toward our national elections.

    Apathy in the national electoral process has more to do with disillusionment in the process and disdain for the lack of true democratic choice as well as the routine lack of accountability of our elected leaders and the distrust that engenders in the public.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Too true on the apathy score but what can you do when your socialist party vote magically turns into a tory one a la nu labor.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you truly care about the direction the Party has been steered in by the present ascendency of New Labour, my advice is to become a party activist and work to galvanise core support back in the direction you feel the party should be headed.

    In the end, over here at any rate, the struggle of internal Party factions for control of the agenda is constant and requires effort on the part of average citizens to ensure that it stays on track. When citizens fail to actively concern themselves with the mechanics of the process, then it is all the easier for one or another faction to hijack the agenda as we see currently on both sides of the pond actually.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    And some presidential votes are rigged- according to my Modern Studies teacher. He says that Bush actually lost the election, but faffed about with the voting register and "Abracadabra" he had won. I don't know if this is true of course...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Actually it is very true. Despite claims to the contrary from our right wing, the Florida election was rigged, but failure in unmasking the fraud extends even to the Democrats themselves (i.e. Gore and Lieberman and the party aparatus) which pushed for recounts only in a few selected districts rather than as is standard procedure, across the whole of the state.

    An excellent documentary produced not long ago (and now making its rounds in the US and abroad at the expense of the producer herself) called "Unprecedented" goes into detail on facets of the fraud which the mainstream media chose to largely disregard, namely the sweeping and patently unConstitutional voter disenfranchisement by the Florida State Election Committee by means of ex-Felon purge lists which were ordered with the broadest match criteria possible.

    Despite being informed by the outside company contracted to generate these lists that such sweeping criteria (same first name, same last name, same d.o.b, etc.) would result in huge numbers of false positives, they ordered it to go ahead anyways.

    The result was that many voters, particularly from poorer ethnic democratic districts found themselves barred at the polls on voting day as supposed ex-felons (including the chairperson of one of the local Democratic election committees).

    Add to this testimonies of indiscriminate police harassment of people just quietly waiting in line to vote at random polls, roadworks which were carried out in other locations making easy access to the polls for some all but impossible (of course, easily denied as maliciously intended later) and a picture of overall fraudulent intent (sufficient for thorough public enquiry) begins to emerge.

    Sadly the media focussed on hanging chads and recount procedures which left many average viewers elsewhere around the nation essentially misinformed over the totality of fraud and Constitutional infringements actually in play.

    I believe that video copies of "Unprecedented" can be obtained through Amazon.com and for any interested to get more on the issue which neo-cons would as soon see swept forever under the carpet, I'd recommend that you do find a copy and watch it (maybe your school might get one for class use).
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