Author Topic: America's Broken Electoral System  (Read 871 times)

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Offline segnosaur

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Re: Americans Broken Electoral System
« Reply #15 on: November 03, 2020, 04:15:42 pm »
Democrats should appoint and approve 21 new Supreme Court justices. 

I think a dilution of the power of an individual president or party is exactly what is needed down there. 

I don’t see why cases of this import shouldn’t be decided by 29 judges.  Anyone see a downside to this?
Well, usually the supreme court takes at least a month or so to confirm a new judge... is it really the best use of the senate's time to spend that much on nothing but confirming judges?


Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: Americans Broken Electoral System
« Reply #16 on: November 03, 2020, 05:15:55 pm »
Well, usually the supreme court takes at least a month or so to confirm a new judge... is it really the best use of the senate's time to spend that much on nothing but confirming judges?

Absolutely it is!  If they want to retain their rights and freedoms to things like religious liberty, bodily autonomy and voting rights...

Offline wilber

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Re: Americans Broken Electoral System
« Reply #17 on: November 03, 2020, 05:23:31 pm »
Who were the idiots who decided they would be lifetime appointments?
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: Americans Broken Electoral System
« Reply #18 on: November 03, 2020, 05:26:28 pm »
Who were the idiots who decided they would be lifetime appointments?

The thinking behind it is fairly sound...  they are free from political interference once they are appointed.  We have the same justification.  But for some reason (partly religious, imo) they tend to rule with whomever appointed them.   Our courts are much less partisan.  And, our SC is appointed to age 75, I believe... 

Offline wilber

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Re: Americans Broken Electoral System
« Reply #19 on: November 03, 2020, 08:25:03 pm »
The thinking behind it is fairly sound...  they are free from political interference once they are appointed.  We have the same justification.  But for some reason (partly religious, imo) they tend to rule with whomever appointed them.   Our courts are much less partisan.  And, our SC is appointed to age 75, I believe...

It isn't sound at all. No one can perform at the same level in their eighties and nineties as they can in their sixties and seventies.
The fact they are picked as political entities according to their political and social views makes it even worse.

I used to be an admirer of the US system but they have made such a mess of it, I no longer have that opinion.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC
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Offline segnosaur

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Re: Americans Broken Electoral System
« Reply #20 on: November 04, 2020, 10:35:05 am »
Absolutely it is!  If they want to retain their rights and freedoms to things like religious liberty, bodily autonomy and voting rights...
I agree that they need to make changes to the courts to help safeguard various liberties. And I am all in favor of adding some judges to reduce (or eliminate) the current conservative majority.

I'm just not sure that having 29 judges is a bit of... overkill.

Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: Americans Broken Electoral System
« Reply #21 on: November 04, 2020, 10:36:15 am »
I agree that they need to make changes to the courts to help safeguard various liberties. And I am all in favor of adding some judges to reduce (or eliminate) the current conservative majority.

I'm just not sure that having 29 judges is a bit of... overkill.

Haha

The Squid plan....   go big, or go home!!

Offline Boges

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Re: Americans Broken Electoral System
« Reply #22 on: November 04, 2020, 10:55:52 am »
It'll be fitting that The 270's EC vote for Biden could be the Single Vote in Nebraska.

A state that does Electoral College voting the right way.


Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: Americans Broken Electoral System
« Reply #24 on: November 04, 2020, 11:34:39 am »
USofA must be the only western democratic country where the main party in power, and the judiciary, have an opinion to not bother counting all the votes that were legally cast...

Taking too long?  Better stop counting.

Early votes cast aren’t counted yet?  Well, too bad.

Republicans winning in a state?  STOP counting!

It’s undemocratic banana republic type ****.  And the supporters of a particular party love it!

Offline Boges

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Re: Americans Broken Electoral System
« Reply #25 on: November 04, 2020, 12:23:51 pm »
USofA must be the only western democratic country where the main party in power, and the judiciary, have an opinion to not bother counting all the votes that were legally cast...

Taking too long?  Better stop counting.

Early votes cast aren’t counted yet?  Well, too bad.

Republicans winning in a state?  STOP counting!

It’s undemocratic banana republic type ****.  And the supporters of a particular party love it!

To be fair, that's just a Trump thing.

The irony is that they need Nevada and Arizona to swing to them so they have no problem waiting for those votes to be counted.

Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: Americans Broken Electoral System
« Reply #26 on: November 04, 2020, 12:42:38 pm »
To be fair, that's just a Trump thing.

The irony is that they need Nevada and Arizona to swing to them so they have no problem waiting for those votes to be counted.

It’s not at all just Trump though.   

This is a Republican thing.  Some (Republican) state legislatures have decreed that mail-in ballots not be counted until later to help bolster the Republican legal arguments. 

States are severely limiting polling places and drop boxes in districts with a lot of minorities who tend to vote Democrat.

In several states, you need to be physically disabled, have an illness or over 65 to vote by mail.  Fear of getting COVID was not an approved reason to vote by mail.  Of course, people over 65 tend to vote Republican.

The banana republic tactics go on and on....



Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: Americans Broken Electoral System
« Reply #27 on: November 04, 2020, 12:48:36 pm »
It isn't sound at all. No one can perform at the same level in their eighties and nineties as they can in their sixties and seventies.
The fact they are picked as political entities according to their political and social views makes it even worse.

I used to be an admirer of the US system but they have made such a mess of it, I no longer have that opinion.

I agree about the age part.   

We keep seeing that the U.S. system is not one to be emulated whatsoever.   The ideals espoused, sure.  But those ideals are not being realized by their system, and are actively being undermined by those with power who are doing everything they can to keep it.
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Offline wilber

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Re: Americans Broken Electoral System
« Reply #28 on: November 04, 2020, 02:48:25 pm »
I agree about the age part.   

We keep seeing that the U.S. system is not one to be emulated whatsoever.   The ideals espoused, sure.  But those ideals are not being realized by their system, and are actively being undermined by those with power who are doing everything they can to keep it.

There was a segment on the tube this morning about the electoral college. When the first formula was proposed, southern states protested because such a high percentage of their populations were slaves and they didn't want them included. The compromise was slaves would only be considered 3/5 human for the purpose of determining the college. Recent history has shown they haven't got very far past that.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC
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Offline segnosaur

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Re: Americans Broken Electoral System
« Reply #29 on: November 05, 2020, 01:52:26 pm »
Quote
USofA must be the only western democratic country where the main party in power, and the judiciary, have an opinion to not bother counting all the votes that were legally cast...
...
It’s undemocratic banana republic type ****.  And the supporters of a particular party love it!
To be fair, that's just a Trump thing.
At this point in time, Trump and the republican party are basically inseparable. Trump regularly receives ~90% approval rating from Republican voters, and while an occasional congressman might be 'concerned' about Trump's actions, they have done very little to actually stand up to him.

Unless you see a mass immediate migration from the republican party over Trump's current antics, then it is not just a 'trump thing'.
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