From: ghost@ra.nrl.navy.mil (G. Host)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc
Subject: Re: A Proposal For Reforming the US Government
Date: 10 Apr 92 11:26:05 GMT
Reply-To: ghost@ra.nrl.navy.mil (G. Host)
Organization: Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC


> Article <9APR199216460064@judy.uh.edu> From: mece3d@judy.uh.edu (Chris Struble)

>   If you want to break the deadlock in Washington between the two major
> parties, how about this:

> 1) Repeal all restrictive ballot access laws which prevent third parties
>    from getting on the ballot in many states. If the major parties are
>    doing such a great job serving the American people, what are they
>    afraid of?

How about starting with congress seniority - completely eliminate
it and have all positions choose by secret ballots.

> 2) Require media coverage of third parties at least in proportion to
>    their % of votes in previous elections, and allow participation
>    in debates. The Libertarian Party candidate Ed Clark got a million
>    votes in 1980 (at least 1% of the vote total, I would guess), yet
>    subsequent campaigns have gotten <<<1% of media coverage. WHY?

Maybe the Libertarians are uninteresting to the press.
How can a self proclamed libertarian want to put restrictions on
free press?
And how are you going to measure this? By air time, number of lines,
how?  Give me a break - more regulation crap and infringing on
the Freedom of the Press.

> 3) Require media to report vote totals of all registered candidates,
>    no matter how small their total. The media service used by the
>    major networks not only does not report third party numbers, it
>    recalculates vote totals so that DEMO + REPUB (+ PEROT) = 100.000%
>    If you vote for anyone but the 'official' candidates, (i.e., whoever
>    the media decides they are going to talk about) YOU DO NOT EXIST!

Too how many digits do you want the percentages rounded to?
You must do some rounding unless there is a nice number of people
voting (imagine going to the poll and the poller tells you cant vote
because 100,000,000 votes are in and they need a nice number).  If
you must round percentages will misrepresent somebody's vote.
( I got 20 votes for president so you have print my 0.0000001481 %
of the vote. )  Either that or outlaw %'s.

And since when did Perot become a major party?

>    Is this Democracy???

No this is a republic.  Contrary to popular opinion the United States
is a republic NOT a democracy.  Democracies have direct elections
of its representatives not delgates which elect their representatives.

"I pledge allegence to the flag of the United States and the
republic for which it stands..."
^^^^^^^^

> 4) Require as a condition for federal matching funds that a candidate
>    participate in at least one debate with ALL candidates from ALL
>    parties, with no pre-screening of questions allowed. This will
>    create a BIG incentive for the major parties to face the real issues.


Yea. A candidate for predident of the United States should have to
debate someone from "Elvis is Alive" party or some other Lunatic
fringe.  What you mean only Major or Real parties? Who determines that?
There have been political parties which split so previous presidental
elections are no guide.


-- 
Glenn Host - Senior Systems Analyst (ghost@ra.nrl.navy.mil)
NRL Code 5800, 4555 Overlook Ave.; Washington, DC 20375   (202) 767-2046
12307 Tigers Eye Court ; Reston, VA 22091                 (703) 620-1141 
-- 
Glenn Host - Senior Systems Analyst (ghost@ra.nrl.navy.mil)
NRL Code 5800, 4555 Overlook Ave.; Washington, DC 20375   (202) 767-2046
12307 Tigers Eye Court ; Reston, VA 22091                 (703) 620-1141 
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