Replies

The problem with the proposed changes is simple ~ they replace the diffuse representation system so typical of American politics and business with Democratic Centrism, a system more appropriate to a Politboro in a Communist state.

That's where that business was invented.

An alternative that can look rather like Democratic Centrism is called Party List Voting. There your party is organized in such a way that NO ONE votes for a particular representative. They vote FOR A PARTY, and then the party picks the winners according to its proportion of the total vote.

So, say, have you thought of emigrating to Denmark or Israel?

The problem with the proposed changes is simple ~ they replace the diffuse representation system so typical of American politics and business with Democratic Centrism, a system more appropriate to a Politboro in a Communist state.

Okay, so in this "diffuse representation system", who are these "diffuse representatives", and how, exactly, are they selected?

When I vote for someone to hold a local office, I expect I'm voting for the candidate I want in that office. When I cast a vote for a state office candidate, I figure I'm voting for that particular state official. And when it comes to the presidential primaries, I figure I'm voting for a particular presidential candidate.

But it sounds like some folks think a better system is that rather than actually voting for the presidential candidate, I'm really just voting for some lower level party official who may or may not support the guy for whom I thought I was casting my vote. And I have absolutely no clue who the "diffuse representatives" are that supposedly are representing my vote at the convention. Why should these "grassroots activists" be able to trump my vote by doing something different at the convention?

Personally, I'd be much happier with just direct vote tallies for primaries.

The problem with the proposed changes is simple ~ they replace the diffuse representation system so typical of American politics and business with Democratic Centrism, a system more appropriate to a Politboro in a Communist state.

Okay, so in this "diffuse representation system", who are these "diffuse representatives", and how, exactly, are they selected?

When I vote for someone to hold a local office, I expect I'm voting for the candidate I want in that office. When I cast a vote for a state office candidate, I figure I'm voting for that particular state official. And when it comes to the presidential primaries, I figure I'm voting for a particular presidential candidate.

But it sounds like some folks think a better system is that rather than actually voting for the presidential candidate, I'm really just voting for some lower level "grass roots" party official who may or may not support the guy for whom I thought I was casting my vote. And I have absolutely no clue who the "diffuse representatives" are that supposedly are representing my vote at the convention. Why should these "grassroots activists" be able to trump my vote by doing something different at the convention?

Personally, I'd be much happier with just direct vote tallies for primaries.