Election Time

[bbh57]

Originally Posted by Bushwacker

After $4 Billion spent on campaigns for this last election, I think that in the future we should require all candidates AND elected officials to wear [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uISh...tD9aG8pDOID3g] NASCAR style uniforms[/URL] so we'll know who owns them! There's something fundamentally wrong when 0.1% of the population owns those who supposedly represent 100% of the people!

Now its time for them to pay back those deep pocket donors. Nobody won anything, we all lost again.

[bigeasy1]

Originally Posted by DonV

You are soooooo right Denny!!! Whatever happened to "this is what I can do, this is the platform I'm running on, here's my qualifications, etc." instead of the PAC money and negative ads!!! It's really getting to be a major PITA. Errrrrr.....

That is so true.
is it me, or does anyone else feel like this?, You are hoping your candidate wins, and when he or she does you are elated.you get that great feeling, and finally get some sleep.
Then, you wake up the next morning after the dust settles, and slowly begin to realize that the reality is that, most likely nothing will change in a major way.
I think most anyone who cares about the health of our country, and their fellow man, would love to see this sleazy business of politics cleaned up significantly.
It would be great to hear honest words and decent actions from politician's instead of the lies and false promises, that are paid for by the extremely wealthy pacs and puppet masters, that control them behind the scenes.
There definitely should be some financial reform, and some strict, and stronger rules regarding money and donations to a candidates campaign, if not, they will always be beholding to their pimps with the big money,and we will be left with the short end of the stick

[Islandtrader]

Fundamentally...this has been going on forever.

I think Mark Twain once said something like..."there is no distinctly American Criminal class...except Congress".

So the bitch'n goes way back...nothing new.

[wattaway2]

With one vote when the Supreme Court ruled to allow basically unlimited contributions to political elections they have sold out the normal working person from effecting the outcome of almost any national or state wide election! Most men and women in this country work so hard they don't have time to stop and research what the canadates are for ! All we here are negative adds going in both directions and no real polices. Truth or not if you say something long enough people will believe it because there told it over and over ---it worked for that guy in Germany back in the 30's ahhhh you know what's his name

[gofastsandman]

We have had fewer revolutions than recommended many
centuries ago.

Bllue and Red make purple.
Purple is my angry face.

[Islandtrader]

Originally Posted by wattaway2

With one vote when the Supreme Court ruled to allow basically unlimited contributions to political elections they have sold out the normal working person from effecting the outcome of almost any national or state wide election! Most men and women in this country work so hard they don't have time to stop and research what the canadates are for ! All we here are negative adds going in both directions and no real polices. Truth or not if you say something long enough people will believe it because there told it over and over ---it worked for that guy in Germany back in the 30's ahhhh you know what's his name

The only problem I have with this analysis...(and I agree somewhat) is the Unions have been doing this for years...so eliminate the above and throw in union spending also.

[Blue_Heron]

Originally Posted by Islandtrader

Fundamentally...this has been going on forever.

I think Mark Twain once said something like..."there is no distinctly American Criminal class...except Congress".

So the bitch'n goes way back...nothing new.

Unfortunately, Terry is right. It doesn't help that the Demopublicans (or Republicrats if you prefer) have had a monopoly on our government since the civil war.

I think a step in the right direction would be to strip the Demopublicans of their state sponsored monopoly and go to open primary elections where voters can select any candidate of any party, and the top two candidates go into a runoff unless the top candidate gets more than 50% in the primary.

Our current system of taxpayer funded closed primary elections disenfranchises minor party voters and those who prefer a candidate in the opposition party. And it results in major party candidates that appeal to the party "base" (read extremes). So in the general election we get to choose between a left wing whacko funded by unions, greenies, community organizers, married gays, bankers, insurance companies, and communists, or a right wing nut bag funded by major corporations, gun nuts (not hating here, I'm a gun nut), right to lifers, the Limbaugh faithful, bankers, insurance companies, etc. Worst of all it strengthens the Demopublican stranglehold by preserving the illusion of democratic elections.

Then, when they're elected, they parade off to Washington and stir up controversy over stuff that inflames the populace, but isn't important in most of our lives (gay marriage, Benghazi, Monica Lewinsky, you get the idea). But it is useful to keep us distracted from the things that ARE important ($18 trillion federal debt, Fed printing money like it's going out of style, much of the world hating us because we have a consistently immoral foreign policy agenda, billions of dollars in subsidies going to the folks who put them in office, the list goes on).

I'd be interested to see what the guys in Cali think of the open primary system they've gone to. Might be too early to have an impact, but it's bound to change the political landscape eventually.

Climbing down from my soap box now to go get a cocktail. I've had enough of politics.
Dave

[McGillicuddy]

Originally Posted by Blue_Heron

I'd be interested to see what the guys in Cali think of the open primary system they've gone to. Might be too early to have an impact, but it's bound to change the political landscape eventually.

Dave

Hey Dave,
I've become a wee bit apolitical since I was introduced to Lowell George and Little Feat 30 some years ago but the CA open primary does offer some hope - I guess...

Problem is guys will invent their own party run a petition and get on the ballot, write a few lines on their stance or platform for the voters guide and never be heard from again. The only guy anyone recognizes is the has-been politico or the former attorney general who wants to be governor.

Heck some of the guys don't even say what they want to do, just that they are sick of the status quo. Some just submit a website

Here's last summer's Primaries Voters Guide Candidate for Governor:

http://vigarchive.sos.ca.gov/2014/pr...s/governor.htm

Good luck selecting the best candidate

Our elections sucked our options were worse. Its no surprise voter turnout was around 22% for Governor. Brown was a shoo in. Nobody cared. People stayed at work or the bar. Everyone felt the elections were bought months in advance and that their opinion was irrelevant to the available candidates. Americans should never feel that way. Nobody should...