tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post7539274916960297554..comments2023-10-16T07:13:12.123-05:00Comments on A plain blog about politics: #ORP -- and #ODPJonathan Bernsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15931039630306253241noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-46196309470807855002011-11-11T21:16:32.604-06:002011-11-11T21:16:32.604-06:00Here is the idea more thoroughly argued from a pro...Here is the idea more thoroughly argued from a progressive point of view:<br />http://progressivesforronpaul.blogspot.com/2011/11/choices-for-progressives-1-occupy-gop.html<br /><br />Conor is a libertarian and is backing a candidate in Johnson who has much less of a chance to win the GOP primary.Corneliushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17506103031213301295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-91138239661598172222011-11-10T11:26:37.469-06:002011-11-10T11:26:37.469-06:00I think the Tea Party IS an ORP movement. But like...I think the Tea Party IS an ORP movement. But like OWS, we don't really know how many are in their camp. And I have to say that it hasn't been good for the Republican party to have the Tea Party <a href="http://moderatepoli.blogspot.com/2011/11/history-for-amnesiacs-origins-of-tea.html" rel="nofollow">occupying them</a>. They've picked some awful candidates and have extreme rhetoric, but don't have coherent plans for improving what they protest about.ModeratePolihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01721945380057992971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-82953748091199070552011-11-09T19:39:42.175-06:002011-11-09T19:39:42.175-06:00My choice is Buddy Roemer. He takes money out of p...My choice is Buddy Roemer. He takes money out of politics and fixes the trade situation, both long term fixes for the economy. Heads might roll for the next 2-3 years, but the country will be better off for it.<br /><br /><a href="thepurpletruth.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Political Blogs and Hot Girl</a>The Screaming Headhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18004739155511945797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-25970973700454476482011-11-09T19:31:04.547-06:002011-11-09T19:31:04.547-06:00Becoming a "voter plus" is certainly goo...Becoming a "voter plus" is certainly good advice. However, given the current plurality winner system, while it beats fighting for a third party (which would only work in very few places, maybe nowhere), it still fail in many districts:<br /><br />First, there are the districts where the other party is clearly in the majority. No chance to affect the outcome here, unless you joined the other party (and encouraged others to do so as well) to make sure the lesser evil wins.<br /><br />Second, there are the districts where your party might beat the other, but only if your preferred candidate loses in the primary. So you vote for the lesser evil again, except that this time, you might get that "electable candidate" to hold at least some viewpoints you agree with, but not many.<br /><br />Then there are those districts where the candidate you really prefer would be electable in the general election, but the party faction you oppose is clearly in control of nominations.<br /><br />The number of districts left where your plan might work is clearly the minority.<br /><br />Proportional Representation might fix that. And you wouldn't need to change the US Constitution, because the voting system for the House (as well as House size) is ruled by normal federal laws.<br /><br />I'd like to propose a system that combines local voter choices and PR, so if anyone's interested, I'd post it here.<br /><br />Incidentally, the German Constitutional Court just struck down the 5%-threshold for elections to the European Parliament in Germany. So for the next election in June 2014, parties just need to get 1 of then 96 German seats in the EP.<br /><br />Given the results of the 2009 EP elections, that means between 3 and 7 smaller parties would also be represented (7 if it the system was kept as-is, 3 if it demanded getting 1/96 of the votes), with the relatively young center-right "Free Voters" getting 2 seats and the other parties 1 seat each.<br /><br />Given the way the European Parliament is organized (members of currently 162 national parties combine to 7 factions) those new EP members might actually influence positions of the faction they would end up joining.<br /><br />(Note: I'm not saying that the current US political system of checks and balances - I think JB calls it Madisonian - should become more European, just that keeping the House's power while changing the way Representatives are elected might improve things)Ambi Valenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03488247852564879628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-62841821983495972492011-11-09T18:57:16.551-06:002011-11-09T18:57:16.551-06:00But for many other voters (such as in Massachusett...But for many other voters (such as in Massachusetts where I live) Presidential primaries and statewide primaries are held at different times of the year. (March and September respectively.) As such, people can jump ship for the Presidential primaries and then promptly head back home to the Dems for the other seats.<br /><br />I suppose the cost there is that registered Democrats might have more sway over the Democratic Party than independents, but party registration is porous enough that I don't think you need to be a registered Democrat in order to be a Democratic activist.<br /><br />(I probably won't make the swap since there's nobody on the Republican side I like, but I've contemplated it since I'd have nothing else to do on Super Tuesday otherwise and I'm officially an independent.)UserGoogolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07451696693372858067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-63773648214863233202011-11-09T16:32:33.871-06:002011-11-09T16:32:33.871-06:00This is an excellent post. Kudos.This is an excellent post. Kudos.Matt Glassmanhttp://www.mattglassman.comnoreply@blogger.com