Who are we electing

[FearlessFreep]

As I've watched this campaign season go along it has occurred to me that we are not really electing the best person to be the President of the United States, we are electing the best person at campaigning for the office of the President of the United States.

I think they is a big difference between being good at running for office and being good in office.

Pay attention next time you see a story about a candidate. Is the story about the qualities of that person that would make that person a good leader? Or is the story about fundraising, momentum, support, delegates, etc..? News about the person's character or news about the person's electability?


Are we going to elect the best person for the office or the best person at running for office? Much different skill set, I believe... and I think we've allowed our focus to be distracted from this point

 

[Andy Moynihan]

Just a shame the rest of the country hasn't come to your realization in time. As things stand now, no matter WHO gets picked, we as a country will be rapidly completing our trip 'round the bowl and down the hole.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

But look at how many people are voting for Hillary because they think she's hot, or because she's a woman. Not because they even know anything about the issues or where she stands on them. Look at how many are voting for Obama for similar reasons. We vote based on looks and soundbytes, and we get the government we diserve. Dishonest, destructive, untouchable.

They need to bring back enterence exams a the polls. If you can't answer a single simple question on your prefered candidate and party, no vote for you.

 

[Andy Moynihan]

But look at how many people are voting for Hillary because they think she's hot, or because she's a woman. Not because they even know anything about the issues or where she stands on them. Look at how many are voting for Obama for similar reasons. We vote based on looks and soundbytes, and we get the government we diserve. Dishonest, destructive, untouchable.

And again, this is exactly WHY we as a country will be rapidly completing our trip 'round the bowl and down the hole.

They need to bring back enterence exams a the polls. If you can't answer a single simple question on your prefered candidate and party, no vote for you.

It's too late.

To borrow a line from Close Encounters of the Third Kind--"Game over, man.....game over."

 

[FearlessFreep]

To borrow a line from Close Encounters of the Third Kind--"Game over, man.....game over."

Interesting juxtaposition : )

 

[terryl965]

I vote for Mickey Mouse this way when other country laugh at us they really have a reason, he is funny.

 

[Andy Moynihan]

My mistake: the quote was from Aliens.

Appropriate none the less.

 

[FearlessFreep]

My mistake: the quote was from Aliens.

Appropriate none the less.

Yeah, I thought if the aliens in "Close Encounters" were anything like the aliens in "Aliens", the quote would've been even more apropos

 

[CoryKS]

Are we going to elect the best person for the office or the best person at running for office? Much different skill set, I believe... and I think we've allowed our focus to be distracted from this point

This has always been the case. And yet... somehow... we manage to come through it in one piece and even to prosper. Well, except during the Carter years of course. Reminds me of the quote that is often attributed to Otto von Bismark: "God has a special providence for fools, drunks, and the United States of America."

 

[FearlessFreep]

This has always been the case. And yet... somehow... we manage to come through it in one piece and even to prosper. Well, except during the Carter years of course. Reminds me of the quote that is often attributed to Otto von Bismark: "God has a special providence for fools, drunks, and the United States of America."

I think it has accelerated.

The correlation to martial arts is that you start out with an art for defense and then to test your skills you come up with a 'sport' version of the art to see what you got and then the competition increases and eventually you reach a point that unless you concentrate solely on the competition , you cannot do well in the competitions and it ends up being no longer about the self-defense art. The 'training tools to get me to a goal (sparring, forms, etc..)' have become 'the goal' and the original goal is no longer there.

Similarly, there is a sort of arms-race in the competition of election, where the goal of electing the best person for the office has been supplanted by the competition to be elected. I think this trend has accelerated and I think we are nearly (or maybe have passed a few elections ago) the point where the original goal is no longer there

 

[Ray]

But look at how many people are voting for Hillary because they think she's hot...

That's just disgusting....

 

[LuzRD]

But look at how many people are voting for Hillary because they think she's hot

That's just disgusting....

Look at how many are voting for Obama for similar reasons.

really?!?!?! well to each their own...



as far as the OP concern. i couldnt agree more! elections are a popularity contest (a VERY WELL FUNDED popularity contest). i dont have the slightest clue what any of the crooks running are (telling people they are) for and against. (the use of parenthesis is to show that what they feel and say can and most likely is 2 different things)

dont let this realization just slip away or have no affect. even if you simply discuss it with your friends/coworkers for an interesting conversation. you may not only teach, you may also learn from their observations.

question politicians and their tactics, theyre usually wrong :wink:

 

[MBuzzy]

Along the same lines....does it even MATTER what they stand for or what the issues are? People have to realize that you're not voting for a person, you're voting for a PARTY and a set of lobbyists. The issue that wins is the one with the most money. Same with the candidate, its about money and popularity.

This is why I think that the parties should be abolished and no one with ANY political experience should be allowed to run for president. The institution of the Presidency in general has gone to pot.

And ask yourself....are you voting for the candidate because of their issues, their popularity, or because they are the least evil?

 

[Andy Moynihan]

Only this time round, this will literally be the first election I have been alive for where there stone cold *IS* no "least evil".

 

[FearlessFreep]

Along the same lines....does it even MATTER what they stand for or what the issues are? People have to realize that you're not voting for a person, you're voting for a PARTY and a set of lobbyists. The issue that wins is the one with the most money. Same with the candidate, its about money and popularity.

You're not even voting, not in any meaningful sense.

By the time you have a chance to vote your choices have been limited to the few candidates the party will allow to run and the media by collusion (intentional or not) have deemed 'electable' and therefore worth saying anything about. And unless you live in a small handful of states, your choices have been further limited by a primary system that drops the number of candidates from 10 to 2 before most of the country even has a chance to say what two they would be interested in.

 

[Xue Sheng]

You know I am getting tired of voting for the person I feel would do the least damage instead of who I think is the best for the office and to be honest I am not sure at this point who WILL do the least damage this time

 

[MBuzzy]

Another interesting solution would be for us to vote not for the candidate, but for the issues themselves. Because really, we're voting for a PERSON, who we think will most closely represent our interests, but once they get there, really....they'll do whatever they want.

Just think of how much time and effort would be saved if we have a national election on Abortion. Majority wins, law created, problem solved. Like it or not, agree with it or not, majority rules.

 

[redfang]

I've decided that I'm ready for a woman president. So I will be writing in Captain Janeway. Not Kate Mulgrew the actress, but the character. That's who we need to run things around here.

 

[theletch1]

Another interesting solution would be for us to vote not for the candidate, but for the issues themselves. Because really, we're voting for a PERSON, who we think will most closely represent our interests, but once they get there, really....they'll do whatever they want.

Just think of how much time and effort would be saved if we have a national election on Abortion. Majority wins, law created, problem solved. Like it or not, agree with it or not, majority rules.

That's a true democracy. It'd take a huge amount of time but as slowly as our congress runs it'd still be faster (and more representative) than our current system.

 

[Big Don]

Those who would be best in positions of power, want nothing to do with them.