Why Can't the Major Parties Produce Good Candidates? Why Can't We Elect Good Candidates?

[kaz]

Yep. Happily.

You must be old since you care so little about the future

 

[kaz]

Perhaps we don't need rich people in charge.

Yes, having people who don't know much about making money running our economy would make a lot more sense.

By "make a lot more sense" of course I mean "be totally insane." Of course we're doing that now with Biden in charge unless by making money you mean corruption, how's that working out for you?

 

[leftwinger]

Close the thread. It was mostly answered early on, at least the biggest items.

A.) If you are not "one of them" the filthy ant-American MSM & DNC & lowIQ backers will commence to destroy you. Russian collusion whatever it takes. Riots at your rallies, blocked roads start day1.

Your family will be destroyed forever. All your children screwed up forever. Who wants to endure that?

B.) Your past has to be completely clean, not even a 50 yr old DUI. If one of them? all willl be hidden forever, Obiden 1.0.

C.) If you do get in....they spend every hour on attack.

Any good CEO or brilliant math major sees all of this and knows they are not strong enough to fight them. Trump was and still has to fight them

 

[j-mac]

Yep. Happily.

So, once again from you, not following the standard you want others to follow…

 

[whitehall]

How do we know if a candidate is "good"? We rely on the media. What happens when the media has been corrupted? Our view of politics is skewed.

 

[candycorn]

So, once again from you, not following the standard you want others to follow…

What standard is that, silly?

 

[Dragonlady]

I know most people are here for the two-party food fight, so this thread likely won't get much traction, but it seems we have a real problem with our election system. Neither party seems capable of, or interested in, nominating someone who will be a good leader for the country as a whole. And voters can't seem to break out of the habit of voting for Ds or Rs no matter how bad the candidates are. Why is that? And how can we fix it?

In my view, strategic voting (lesser-of-two-evils) is the biggest culprit. It tells us that we need to vote for bad candidates because the "other guy" is even worse. Fear is an easy sell, so the parties lean heavily on this strategy, spending most of their time demonizing the opponent rather than holding up the virtues of their candidate (which are virtually non-existent). Ranked choice would eliminate lesser-of-two-evils voting and finally allow voters to vote "against" candidates they find unacceptable (by ranking them last). This would discourage divisive partisan fear mongering and make it more likely that consensus seeking candidates are elected.

There other problems, of course, and I'm curious what you all think they are. Although, to be clear, I'm not talking about corruption or "stolen" elections. I'm talking about the systemic problems with the way we're doing elections that make it seemingly impossible for good leaders to get elected.

You could start by fighting elections on the issues instead of using personal attacks and accusing the opposition of corruption on no evidence.

 

[dblack]

You could start by fighting elections on the issues instead of using personal attacks and accusing the opposition of corruption on no evidence.

Me?

 

[Dragonlady]

Me?

Sorry, no not you personally. “You” as in “Americans”.

 

[j-mac]

What standard is that, silly?

You want others to do what you won’t…you’re not really that dumb are you?

 

[candycorn]

You want others to do what you won’t…you’re not really that dumb are you?

Again...what in blazes are you talking about?

 

[dblack]

Yes, having people who don't know much about making money running our economy would make a lot more sense.

We don't want politicians running our economy. Period. We're not socialists. Yet.

 

[dblack]

The problem frankly isn't the voters. It's that the system is set up as two party where no one else has a chance. While I recognize voting Libertarian Party was throwing my vote away in that I wouldn't be voting for the party I agree with 20% of the time over the one I never agree with, I had to do it.

No. You didn't. In my view, that's the reason our system is doomed. As long as we're voting for lesser, we're going to get lesser, and lesser.

But a system where Libertarians could ally with Republicans on certain economic issues we agree on and not on the majority of issues we don't for example would make a lot more sense. We need to go to a parliamentary system. The founders considered banning parties. Sadly they didn't and it's too late to do now because the battle lines are drawn

I agree a parliamentary system would be an improvement. So would ranked choice voting. But none of these reforms will happen if we keep blindly supporting the status quo. The parties won't change until we stop voting for them as they are.

 

[kaz]

No. You didn't. In my view, that's the reason our system is doomed. As long as we're voting for lesser, we're going to get lesser, and lesser.

I agree a parliamentary system would be an improvement. So would ranked choice voting. But none of these reforms will happen if we keep blindly supporting the status quo. The parties won't change until we stop voting for them as they are.

Refusing to vote against the Nazis is just going to get you Nazis. But if you think that is throwing your vote away, I'm just glad you're not voting for the Nazis since you don't have any sense. Though I still have doubts you're not voting for the Nazis since you have a far easier time attacking their opponents

 

[kaz]

We don't want politicians running our economy. Period. We're not socialists. Yet.

I hope you realize you just repeated what I said. If not, don't bother, you aren't worth it until you develop a stronger sense of right and wrong

 

[dblack]

I hope you realize you just repeated what I said.

Except you're just conceding to it.

If not, don't bother, you aren't worth it until you develop a stronger sense of right and wrong

Fuck you too.

 

[kaz]

Except you're just conceding to it.

Fuck you too.

Conceding to what? I said it was stupid, what is that "conceding?" You just see what you want. You'd be a lot less confusing if you just admitted you're a Democrat and your primary political view is hating Republicans. Yeah, Republicans suck, but it's your not being bothered by socialists while saying you're a libertarian that makes no sense

 

[Godboy]

There are even fewer third party options and they are worse than the D/R

^ This. If me and Rightwinger agree on something, you know it has to be true.

 

[kaz]

^ This. If me and Rightwinger agree on something, you know it has to be true.

Junior would be an excellent third party candidate

 

[Godboy]

Junior would be an excellent third party candidate

I agree. He is a rare exception to the rule. The vast majority of third party candidates are wacked out freaks with terrible ideas.