Tag Archives: political parties

Vote Anyway

This popular video on YouTube mimics the agony of many Americans when faced with the choices their political parties have given them:

How do we change a flawed process for next time?

I support my U.S. representative, who has publicly endorsed campaign finance reform. I have talked personally with my state senator in a community meeting about my desire for financing reform at the state level.

In addition, I’m learning about the system as it now exists: political parties, caucuses, primaries, and the electoral college (as opposed to the popular vote). What changes will I support?

Meanwhile, I’ll examine the candidates, then vote, even if I don’t wholly agree with all of their positions. And I’m grateful for the privilege. If you don’t think voting is a privilege, note the many countries of the world where free elections are nonexistent. I have lived in some of them and have concluded that our imperfect system remains a winner in comparison.

The system we have is imperfect, but it beats the choices available to a good many people in the world. Use it. Then change it.

Return of the Smoke-Filled Political Backrooms?

Political parties aren’t mentioned in the U.S. Constitution. Political parties developed in the first years of the republic, however, and soon drove elections. Only recently have the party candidates been chosen largely by primary voting.

Traditionally, the choice of a party’s candidate wasn’t certain until the party convention itself. Deals were made in those smoke-filled back rooms. Not until after the 1960’s did the convention become a boring pep rally that merely rubber stamped primary elections.

The earlier method sounds undemocratic. However, some are calling for a return of true political conventions, where the delegates are not pledged to any candidate. Decisions are made at the convention.

A return to the earlier system means the political party leaders consider more than the wishes of their base voters. They take the longer view, considering how likely a candidate is to be chosen by the larger electorate. They search for a candidate who appeals to the independents and perhaps a few of the other party who might consider voting for an especially qualified candidate.

Listening to the anger-filled, even violent emotions of the current campaign, the return to those backrooms is appealing.