dbconlin Posted November 9, 2006 Posted November 9, 2006 One way to have fairer, more representative elections is to give voters 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. choices of candidates on the ballot. If the 1st choice loses, the vote goes to the 2nd choice. With this system, candidates favored to win have an incentive to include at least part of their politically similar competitors' agendas if they want to capture those votes. In addition, the Nader/Gore syndrome is avoided. Voters could send a message without casting a de facto vote for the other side. At this point our voting systems can BARELY handle Yes/No, Either/Or. What kind of mess would we create with the voting system you suggest? Although, in theory I totally agree with you. It will be discovered that there are genetic predispositions to conservatism and liberalism. Further, that it is a genetic mutation that allows for the "liberal" predisposition enabling and accepting change in an otherwise static "conservative" environment. We could totally do away with voting machines! All you have to do is submit a cheek cell for genetic analysis and your vote could be totalled automatically! Yeeehaw! Quote
chucK Posted November 9, 2006 Posted November 9, 2006 It's ironic how when the R's win, the left screams that there is widespread voting fraud, disenfranchisement, not to mention a stupid electorate. But when the D's win, nothing of the kind. Does Rossi/Gregoire ring a bell? How long did Rossi and the Republicans bitch? This time the Republican candidates aren't bitching because they know that they were lucky to even get many Republican votes. Did you read Rush Limbaugh yesterday? He's saying it's a relief that he doesn't have to "carry their water" anymore. Some Republicans might have held their noses to vote GOP, but the candidates knew they were already pushing it. Now they are just letting it die, rather than embarrass themselves any further. These were not 50/50 elections with evenly divided GOP/Dem populaces. These 50/50 results in VA and MT are places that the GOP usually wins handily. If you adjust for the baseline tendencies of these places, a 50/50 win by the DEMS is a landslide. Quote
chucK Posted November 9, 2006 Posted November 9, 2006 No mandate. I'm sure that many of the Republicans who voted Democratic were also holding their noses. Quote
Dechristo Posted November 9, 2006 Posted November 9, 2006 ...while Republican politicians were holding their asses Quote
tvashtarkatena Posted November 9, 2006 Posted November 9, 2006 No mandate. I'm sure that many of the Republicans who voted Democratic were also holding their noses. The one's I met canvassing weren't. They were more than happy to vote the bastards out. Quote
chucK Posted November 9, 2006 Posted November 9, 2006 It's ironic how when the R's win, the left screams that there is [...] a stupid electorate. But when the D's win, nothing of the kind. President Bush November 8. 2006: "I thought when it was all said and done, the American people would understand the importance of taxes and the importance of security. But the people have spoken, and now it's time for us to move on." Quote
Mr_Phil Posted November 9, 2006 Posted November 9, 2006 Does Rossi/Gregoire ring a bell? How long did Rossi and the Republicans bitch? But as we all know, Gregoire started it. Quote
Doug Posted November 9, 2006 Posted November 9, 2006 Gregoire asked for a re-count (within state election law). Rossi took it to court then when he lost he slammed the state supreme court for being too partisan to have a chance at an appeal. Rossi is an asshole. Quote
tvashtarkatena Posted November 9, 2006 Posted November 9, 2006 (edited) Does Rossi/Gregoire ring a bell? How long did Rossi and the Republicans bitch? But as we all know, Gregoire started it. Gregoire insisted on a recount, which was entirely her right, and a good idea, considering how incredibly close the vote count was. Any candidate, R or D, would have done the same. After the legally allowable two recounts had decided in favor of Gregoire, Rossi filed a lawsuit against the state which dragged on for many months before he finally withdrew from lack of money and support. Edited November 9, 2006 by tvashtarkatena Quote
Doug Posted November 10, 2006 Posted November 10, 2006 So, anyone else notice that gas has gone up a few cents a gallon since the beginning of the week? I'm not saying.....I'm just saying......... Quote
ClimbingPanther Posted November 10, 2006 Posted November 10, 2006 Does Rossi/Gregoire ring a bell? How long did Rossi and the Republicans bitch? I wouldn't be too hard on us... When rep. districts such as Benton county repeat their recounts to within a couple votes at the most, and dem. district King totally throws the election, it at the very least seems suspicious. A conspiracy theorist would have gone ape. Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted November 10, 2006 Posted November 10, 2006 It will be discovered that there are genetic predispositions to conservatism and liberalism. Actually I think there's something to that. Being over-simple here, conservatives believe in self-reliance and independence; liberals believe in social, community support (it takes a village). Both traits are useful in an evolutionary sense. Nature has hedged its bets. Quote
Skeezix Posted November 10, 2006 Author Posted November 10, 2006 conservatives believe in self-reliance and independence; liberals believe in social, community support (it takes a village) Hmmm. I'm a liberal progressive, and I value self-reliance and independence. I'm also conservative, in that I believe in conserving resources such as clean air and water --recycling, energy conservation, and all that. I tend to think of political conservatives as very materialistic and resistant to policies that discourage consumption of developable land --and therefore not conservative in an economic sense. Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted November 10, 2006 Posted November 10, 2006 conservatives believe in self-reliance and independence; liberals believe in social, community support (it takes a village) Hmmm. I'm a liberal progressive, and I value self-reliance and independence. I'm also conservative, in that I believe in conserving resources such as clean air and water --recycling, energy conservation, and all that. I tend to think of political conservatives as very materialistic and resistant to policies that discourage consumption of developable land --and therefore not conservative in an economic sense. There are a lot of RINOs out there (or should I say CINOs in this thread) Quote
catbirdseat Posted November 10, 2006 Posted November 10, 2006 (edited) Richard Pombo lost in California! I can barely contain the glee at sending that dipshit back to Tracy! Getting back to Richard Pombo. He was one of the major hurdles to getting the Wild Sky Wilderness bill passed. Murray tries again with Wild Sky wilderness bill "House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo, R-Calif., said he would consider Wild Sky only if it is trimmed of roughly 13,000 acres that contain logging roads and other marks of modern intrusion. Pombo, a rancher backed by property rights advocates, opposes granting any federal land wilderness status unless it is untouched by humans -- a standard that the original Wild Sky proposal does not meet." Pombo says land doesn't qualify as wilderness (August 2005) Pombo's assertion is that the land must have always been wilderness and must have never have been disturbed by man. My reading of the Wilderness Act supports this. I'm not saying I agree with it. I think Wilderness should be a way of managing land, regardless of its former use. Edited November 10, 2006 by catbirdseat Quote
cj001f Posted November 10, 2006 Posted November 10, 2006 Pombo's assertion is that the land must have always been wilderness and must have never have been disturbed by man. My reading of the Wilderness Act supports this. I'm not saying I agree with it. I think Wilderness should be a way of managing land, regardless of its former use. That assertion is in direct conflict with the history of numerous areas currently designated as wilderness, including some in WA. It also is an impossible standard to meet (I'm sure why he chose it) given N. America's 10 millenia or so of human habitation. The Native Americans would light forest fires to clear brush and improve game habitat - hard to get more "touched" than that. Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted November 10, 2006 Posted November 10, 2006 What's a RINO? Republican In Name Only Quote
Jim Posted November 10, 2006 Posted November 10, 2006 The RHINO hunters are extremists, not conservatives. I say that this was one of the many reasons for the democratic tidal wave. Smart, reasonable, fiscally responsible Republicans were hounded by the far right wing so consistently they moved right and voted with the party line, and out of line from their constituents. Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted November 10, 2006 Posted November 10, 2006 The RHINO hunters are extremists, not conservatives. I say that this was one of the many reasons for the democratic tidal wave. Smart, reasonable, fiscally responsible Republicans were hounded by the far right wing so consistently they moved right and voted with the party line, and out of line from their constituents. The moderate republicans for the most part are the ones who lost the house races. Quote
cj001f Posted November 10, 2006 Posted November 10, 2006 The moderate republicans for the most part are the ones who lost the house races. Pombo? Moderate? Delay's district? Moderate? Santorum - Moderate? Allen - Moderate? The moderate's that lost, lost because they were in more moderate areas of the country. There were voting shifts even in conservative areas. Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted November 10, 2006 Posted November 10, 2006 The moderate republicans for the most part are the ones who lost the house races. Pombo? Moderate? Delay's district? Moderate? Santorum - Moderate? Allen - Moderate? The moderate's that lost, lost because they were in more moderate areas of the country. There were voting shifts even in conservative areas. Overall, yes. And the democrats who won are not hard-left by any stretch of the imagination. I'm glad to have made you laugh. It's Friday. I will be enjoying some adult beverages soon, and laugh at the f***ing rain outside. Quote
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