[Grovenet] Dependent or Independent? (WAS: A DifferentChristmasPoem)

[David Morelli]

On Dec 17, 2007, at 8:40 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

> That's a good example.
>
> I don't think it's healthy to command the American people to say "no".

And why not?  We live in a world of limited resources, why not learn  
to say "no"?

>
> The whole idea is NOT that the big parties select candidates. WE,  
> the people in the street, are supposed to do that. It's our  
> responsibility, just as it's our responsibility to vote.

I am thinking that the origin of the process was that the better  
educated representatives of the population would be selected by the  
State legislatures to go to the polling location to act as an  
electoral college for the selection of the presidential candidates  
and victors from among their ranks.  That expanded to having the  
citizens of the states elect the college representatives, who  
campaigned promising to support some political party.  When the  
political parties decided to move out of the back rooms to a public  
primary the voters got to see who were the candidates in the primaries.

I feel that the concept of the people in the street choosing the  
party candidates is a change that is, perhaps, more show than  
reality.  While many people may wish to run for president, I doubt  
that many are viable candidates for reasons that have more to do with  
money and back room deals than anything else, even today.
>
> The "anti" vote sounds to me like a disenfranchised public trying  
> to rein in a runaway oligarchy.

Sort of like the American electorate trying to reign in the "Patriot  
Act" pushing adminsitration?

>
> I hope we haven't come to that!
>
> Ron D'Eau Claire