candycorn
Diamond Member
When you live under a system that was devised prior to street lights; is anybody surprised that we have problems? I'm not for gutting the government...its the best in the world (believe it or not). I am for updating the God Damn constitution to embrace the bedrock realities we face today.
It only works when persons of good faith serve. The parties have corrupted the process to the point of no return I'm afraid.
They run the elections; they appoint the electors who ultimately vote for President and Vice President; they actually negotiate the rules of debates at least at the Presidential level whereas the League of Women Voters once held that sacred of all electoral traditions, and they generally work to eliminate all moderates from the process.
No mention is made in the Constitution about political parties so they are not doing anything unconstitutional; they are, however, often times not acting in the best interest of the American people as a whole or the citizens of their States or Districts in the micro.
Take redistricting for example. Congressional districts are drawn to protect seats for whoever is doing the drawing. A constitutional order could change this to prevent such "gerrymandering". It should be a lottery of zip codes held every 6 years in my view (or at least 10 years as it is done now). Geographical restrictions should be damned. Currently Trent Franks represents part of suburban Phoenix...he also represents the Grand Canyon/Lake Mead area. Currently they don't give a damn about geography....what would it hurt? This should be job #1 of anybody who actually wants to fix the system instead of just bitching about it. Eventually a Dem will get a heavily Red zip code. He or she may get voted out. But maybe he or she will have to listen to a different voice from time to time...maybe they will change a few minds themselves. It's called leadership. It's called holding your elected officials feet to the fire. The best case is an informed citizenry.
It only works when persons of good faith serve. The parties have corrupted the process to the point of no return I'm afraid.
They run the elections; they appoint the electors who ultimately vote for President and Vice President; they actually negotiate the rules of debates at least at the Presidential level whereas the League of Women Voters once held that sacred of all electoral traditions, and they generally work to eliminate all moderates from the process.
No mention is made in the Constitution about political parties so they are not doing anything unconstitutional; they are, however, often times not acting in the best interest of the American people as a whole or the citizens of their States or Districts in the micro.
Take redistricting for example. Congressional districts are drawn to protect seats for whoever is doing the drawing. A constitutional order could change this to prevent such "gerrymandering". It should be a lottery of zip codes held every 6 years in my view (or at least 10 years as it is done now). Geographical restrictions should be damned. Currently Trent Franks represents part of suburban Phoenix...he also represents the Grand Canyon/Lake Mead area. Currently they don't give a damn about geography....what would it hurt? This should be job #1 of anybody who actually wants to fix the system instead of just bitching about it. Eventually a Dem will get a heavily Red zip code. He or she may get voted out. But maybe he or she will have to listen to a different voice from time to time...maybe they will change a few minds themselves. It's called leadership. It's called holding your elected officials feet to the fire. The best case is an informed citizenry.