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The Elections

October 23, 2008 at 9:39 am · Filed under heart, interests, thoughts

So yesterday, I turned in my absentee ballot for the federal and state elections this year. I was almost surprised to find out that there are actually 9 people running for president, 7 of whom never got any air-time in any of the nation’s media. They were skipped out of the “presidential” debates entirely. I give them all kudos for having the nerve to even run for president, knowing that they would never win, or even get represented as a presidential candidate in America’s history. I would have voted for Nader, or even the Green Party’s representative (whose name I have already forgotten, giving valid proof that they almost don’t matter), but this isn’t Canada, or the UK, or any other country that allows their candidates to be represented fully. This is the “United” States of America, where only two people can run for president. Not “everyone” can be president because after all, the last two presidential candidates four years ago happened to be cousins to one another.

It makes me angry, really, to see these candidates on the ballot and feeling like my hands are tied that I cannot vote for the person I think would be better at the job because I know I would be throwing my vote away. In Canada, a percentage of the votes for every party gets represented in “seats” in the government. In the U.S., good luck in hell when that happens. In Canada, even minority parties get represented, depending on how many votes they get. In the U.S., there are only two parties worth mentioning: democratic and republican. In Canada, when there is a prime minister debate, there are all the parties up there, debating with one another, sometimes as many as 5 people talking seriously about the issues. In the U.S., presidential candidates who are not from the Democratic or Republican party get arrested for even showing up at the debates. In Canada, I wouldn’t be throwing my vote away if I didn’t vote for one of the top two representatives. I would know that at least my vote counted for a percentage and therefore my party would have a “seat.” In the U.S., a vote not for the Democratic party is a vote for the Republican party. Oh, what a “free” country we live in.

It seems counterproductive when people get angry that Ralph Nader has again run for president. People accuse him of allowing votes to be thrown away, thereby essentially “handing” votes to the Republican candidate because after all, what chance in hell does he have of winning? And yet, I keep going back to the lesson that my 1st grade teacher kept telling us: “Anyone can run for president.” Sure, anyone can run, but not anyone can win. Sure, anyone can run, but you can’t just vote for “anyone” and make it count. Sure, anyone can run, but who is Mr. Anyone going to get corporate endorsements if that Anyone doesn’t promise corporations and sleazy CEOs a percentage of their wealth and fame once president? Sure, “anyone” can run, but how many impoverished, blue collar middle class black women who are raising ten fatherless children do you know have run for president in this country’s history?

That’s right. None.

So, with every election that passes, I feel a sense of duty and a sense of loss. I voted for the least of two evils (though I have to admit, during this election, I am more excited about Obama than I have been with any candidate running for president in the past; even Clinton). With every vote where I’m not voting for my heart, I feel like I’m selling just a tiny bit of my soul away, and condoning this country’s fake democracy.

But there you have it. Not enough of us are angry enough to do anything about it. Most of us are too busy looking for top rated diet pills to shove down our throats so we can look like Paris Hilton or Nicole Richie. *shudder*

Rachel said,

October 23, 2008 @ 10:49 am

Some thoughts:
1. Because we are not a parliamentary system, we are able to vote directly for our congressional representatives. This makes us different from Canada, the UK, Spain, etc … all those countries where minority parties have representation through the main election. And third parties in the US do have something of a chance in Congress – although yes, still an uphill battle. But you can’t conflate the kind of minority party representation in parliamentary systems with the representation that occurs in the US.
2. We need electoral reform. It is possible, so it is destructive to just throw up your hands at the system. We need to demand it from our representatives. Instant Runoff Voting is a great way to make third party candidates viable, because there is no such thing as a wasted vote. Please consider advocating for it.
3. Campaign Finance Reform would also make third party candidates more viable. At this point, the problem with third party representation in the media, etc, is that they don’t have the funding or the fundraising capabilities of the two major parties, so they remain unseen. The publicity that the two main parties get isn’t given to them by some invisible power, or by the media – they buy it. Under the current rules, a party needs to receive 5% of the federal vote to receive federal campaign funding for the next election. (Again, electoral reform could help reach this goal, because more people would feel capable of voting for them without throwing away their votes.)
4. I think that righteous anger can be useful, but it is more useful to calmly consider our options and argue for them.
5. I am voting green. :) I am thankful to live in a state where I don’t think I am throwing away my vote – I am hoping to use my state’s blue status to protect my realistic interests while bolstering that potential 5% for the Green party, and in the meantime support Cynthia McKinney, a candidate I can truly support. :)

Helen said,

October 23, 2008 @ 10:54 am

Rachel, you’re awesome. :)

Rachel said,

October 24, 2008 @ 8:46 am

Helen, I love you! :) I reread my comment and was worried that your response would be, “Why is she ranting and rambling all over my entry?!” :D

Helen said,

October 24, 2008 @ 8:55 am

Rachel, it’s great that you feel comfortable enough to do that. Most of the things you wrote I already know (such as the parliamentary system that exists in the UK and Canada), and some I didn’t already know, so it was refreshing to learn. I suppose I also could’ve voted for Green, as Washington is an Obama state. But, I didn’t want to risk it at all. That was it! Her name was Cynthia McKinney. I remember seeing it on the ballot. Heh.

I think our government should be based on a percentage vote system, like a parliament. But I don’t know enough about government and politics to see how that would work in the U.S. It seems like we are so entrenched in our current system that it would be so hard to change. And I don’t feel like I have much of a voice anymore. I’m more inclined to do what I can on a community-based level.

#3 – that was exactly what I was referring to regarding being bought out by corporations for campaign funding. When anyone is “bought” and “sold” while running for office, it defeats the whole purpose (IMHO) of running in the first place.

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