People can plan to run. Also a set amount of public money per candidate (polling at a certain level, or what have you) for reaching the voters with no donations being accepted has been repeatedly proposed as a campaign finance reform measure.
All the talk about better ways to conduct the primaries - I agree - but remember, the DNC made it clear in 2016 that it is a private entity and they can choose anybody they want. It does not matter who had the most votes, the most super-delegates, or the least, or the most caucus coin flips. Tom Perez and his band of loyalists, like Wasserman-Schultz, etc. in 2016, will make the final decision and make it look like the winner is actually the choice of the people. Has that changed from 2016? I worry that it has not. The Democrats don't seem interested in democracy to choose their Presidential candidate. The GOP is doing the same thing. Sounds like Russia doesn't it. Just not as brutal yet.
I'm all about it. You're so right, how wasteful this shit is. Just absurd.
Even if we couldn't do one day because of the precious consultants and their media buys, spreading it out over a week, or even two weeks? Still better. Five primaries a day, 10 weekdays... caucuses are awful anyway (glad we rid ourselves of them in Colorado presidential years).
I dislike the primary season because candidates spend the first part of their campaigns having to cater to their crazy bases, then have to switch gears entirely for general consumption. We were better off with smoke-filled rooms and the party leadership choosing the candidates.
I've been yelling into the void about RCV for years. It is SO NICE to see it laid out so sensibly, in easily shareable format, better written than anything I could have managed. Thank you, Robyn!
During the 2015 Federal election in Canada, Harper increased the campaign time to 79 days, the longest since the 1860s. He was raked over the coals for doing this, even by the right-of-centre press. And, he lost bigly.
Joking aside, when I was canvassing during the last Canadian Federal election (Oct 21/19 was election day), I spoke to a voter who was upset that our NDP candidate had not knocked on her door yet. I knew for a fact that he did canvass her neighbourhood, and she was probably not home when he came by. I didn't understand why she thought she needed personal face-time with him to make her decision. She was an actual card-carrying member of the NDP, so it didn't make sense other than her having an outsized sense of entitlement.
People can plan to run. Also a set amount of public money per candidate (polling at a certain level, or what have you) for reaching the voters with no donations being accepted has been repeatedly proposed as a campaign finance reform measure.
"a set amount of public money per candidate (polling at a certain level, or what have you)" You have a chicken-and-egg problem there.
"I'm sorry but there is no one on earth I like enough to sit in a crowded room and listen to them talk for two hours."
You and I are like twinsies! Except, replace "two hours" with "five minutes, let alone two hours."
All the talk about better ways to conduct the primaries - I agree - but remember, the DNC made it clear in 2016 that it is a private entity and they can choose anybody they want. It does not matter who had the most votes, the most super-delegates, or the least, or the most caucus coin flips. Tom Perez and his band of loyalists, like Wasserman-Schultz, etc. in 2016, will make the final decision and make it look like the winner is actually the choice of the people. Has that changed from 2016? I worry that it has not. The Democrats don't seem interested in democracy to choose their Presidential candidate. The GOP is doing the same thing. Sounds like Russia doesn't it. Just not as brutal yet.
https://media2.giphy.com/me...
I'm all about it. You're so right, how wasteful this shit is. Just absurd.
Even if we couldn't do one day because of the precious consultants and their media buys, spreading it out over a week, or even two weeks? Still better. Five primaries a day, 10 weekdays... caucuses are awful anyway (glad we rid ourselves of them in Colorado presidential years).
Thank you Robyn for cutting the Gordian knot.
Popular vote prevails, get rid of the EC.
Unfortunately, there are fewer people willing to buy them :(
I dislike the primary season because candidates spend the first part of their campaigns having to cater to their crazy bases, then have to switch gears entirely for general consumption. We were better off with smoke-filled rooms and the party leadership choosing the candidates.
I've been yelling into the void about RCV for years. It is SO NICE to see it laid out so sensibly, in easily shareable format, better written than anything I could have managed. Thank you, Robyn!
During the 2015 Federal election in Canada, Harper increased the campaign time to 79 days, the longest since the 1860s. He was raked over the coals for doing this, even by the right-of-centre press. And, he lost bigly.
Joking aside, when I was canvassing during the last Canadian Federal election (Oct 21/19 was election day), I spoke to a voter who was upset that our NDP candidate had not knocked on her door yet. I knew for a fact that he did canvass her neighbourhood, and she was probably not home when he came by. I didn't understand why she thought she needed personal face-time with him to make her decision. She was an actual card-carrying member of the NDP, so it didn't make sense other than her having an outsized sense of entitlement.
Alternately you could just let me pick the candidate, I'm an older white guy so you know I'll do a good job.
are you super rich though? I only trust rich old white guys to make decisions for me
Why do we do it this way? Because the media loves a horse race. And they love being the king makers. (Looking at you, Biden and now Bloomberg.)