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[lemon10]

IMHO, our system results in two parties no matter what we do, and even if a third party did come into existence, it would probably mark/be started by the decline/fall of one of the other two parties.


Changing to a proportional representation system (which would mean that we wouldn't have state senators, rather 100 senators, and each percentage point that a party gets would get them a single senator), would be FAR better for getting representation for those who don't feel represented, as well as encouraging voter turnout.

As for primaries, it makes sense that only those who are in the party get to vote, after all, would it be fair if a bunch of democrats voted for the republican candidate they like best (or who would be worst in the general election) and changing it from who the people who are actually going to vote for him in the election would have preferred?

[Capntastic]

Prove your assertion of Ross Perot 'knowing what to do'.

[mainiac]

Yes! Better to half-ass it and take the easier option than to try and exact actual change. I mean seriously, think practically guys!

"Fixing the system" invariably requires something that requires more work then the primary route.  If you aren't gonna put in the effort to do the primary route then how are you going to "fix the system".  I'm all for repairing the serious flaws, a proportional representation system would be much better for instance.  But what exactly is the problem that a primary challenge couldn't solve here.

[sluissa]

If I had to pick a qualified Republican candidate... I'd probably pick Huntsman. I don't really agree with some of his points of view, but at least he doesn't seem to be pandering to the LCD and what he says at least has some logic to back it up a lot of the time. And he's the only one I've heard come out with any sort of clear foreign policy statements beyond "Protect our national interests."

He just doesn't seem to have the charisma or the backing to make it very far.

[Glowcat]

Ron Paul has some clear foreign policy, even if I don't agree with all of it and strongly disagree with his economic views. Some of his other views do a lot to discredit his reasoning ability (anti-Evolution).

He might also be in a perfect place to get the Republican Primary vote if Republican voters can get over the Libertarian aspects of his political views. Right now the front-runners are two remarkably inconsistent supporters of conservative values and are driven by political opportunism, but Ron Paul if anything has been consistent in his particular brand of it. If the Republican side is honest about how much it hates the Washington insider it would be getting behind Ron Paul after the hilarious rise and fall of candidates so far.

In all my life I never imagined I'd hear a quote from the Pokemon Movie in a presidential election, not even from a fringe joke candidate. My brain is still trying to wrap itself around how Herman Caine managed to become a serious challenger for the Republican Primary.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

I disagree with Ron Paul on almost everything, but....the thing is, he's got standards. He isn't corrupt. He has values that he genuinely cares about. And that's not common in the political system. For that alone I would support him being the Republican candidate for 2012.

To be honest though, I would not be surprised if Congress voted to bar a third party candidate from taking office if they ever won. The Republican-Democrat oligarchy is way too dedicated to power for them to ever give it up voluntarily, even if that means turning the nation into a totalitarian state.

[Pnx]

I wonder if Howard-Hanna will run this year. I know they seemed to be pretty popular during the last election, I saw signs for them everywhere!

In fact there's still quite a few of them around.

[mainiac]

I disagree with Ron Paul on almost everything, but....the thing is, he's got standards. He isn't corrupt. He has values that he genuinely cares about. And that's not common in the political system. For that alone I would support him being the Republican candidate for 2012.

To be honest though, I would not be surprised if Congress voted to bar a third party candidate from taking office if they ever won. The Republican-Democrat oligarchy is way too dedicated to power for them to ever give it up voluntarily, even if that means turning the nation into a totalitarian state.

Yes, he is completely unwavering in the lip service that he gives to civil liberties while devoting precisely zero effort to actually enforcing them.  The guy who voted against Martin Luther King Jr. day and who wants to repeal the Civil rights act of 1964 is exactly the guy to protect minority rights.  Gays will rest easy knowing that they have been saved from the tyranny of the hate crime legislation that Ron Paul has the "principles" to oppose (never mind marriage equality!).  No more equal pay legislation for women because Ron Paul knows that women are inherently equal so he doesn't need any laws making sure they are actually treated that way.  The handicapped will rest easy knowing that Ron Paul is out there fighting against imaginary provisions in the Americans with Disabilities Act that might be a burden on small business owners if only they existed.  And let's not even thing about if you are atheist or non-christian, if the founders had wanted us to be a christian nation, they would have put something in the Constitution (1st amendment?  What 1st amendment?).

Ron Paul, saying he is in favor of civil liberties while fighting tooth and nail to erase them from the face of the earth.  Such principles!

[MetalSlimeHunt]

I didn't say that I actually wanted him to be president, and as before, I disagree with him on everything and would never vote for him.

[sluissa]

Yeah, Ron Paul seems to be almost as much of a nutjob as everyone else. He's just a slightly different flavor of nutjob that talks about gold a lot. And people like gold. It's a nice word. Also he's a doctor. Everyone wants a president that's allowed to touch you there...


Wow... I just kinda went way off of my serious soapbox and into parody town. Just goes to show how silly Ron Paul is.

Although not quite as silly as Herman Caine. At least he would have been 4 years of comic gold.