Help please, need info on US Elections

[Wotan]

Exactly the same here, the only difference that I see is that a parlamentare (congressman) or a senatore (senator) have to propose the bill/law, in the sense that officially there are not interest groups or parties involved.

Well yes its the Congressmen that has to propose the law 'officially' but it goes to a committee then if it passes through the committee it will go to a full vote.

Now the minority party has 'tools' at its disposal to prevent bills/laws from getting out of committe and/or to prevent a full vote. For example Bush has several Judicial nominees held up in the Senate etc..

These 'tools' are procedural rules for the congress not rules that originate in the constitution.

[Naso]

Well, Seem that we are more similar than we want to admit.

[Wotan]

Originally posted by Naso
I understand, Ra.

I see the logic to give the less populated states more weight.

What I fail too see is this "farmerboy" stuff.

Naso,

It’s not as simple as 'farm boy vs. city dweller'. As I said it would take too much typing to even touch on the history of how and why our system developed.

I may try later tonight if I have time but it is what it is.

I will say that the Founding Fathers didn’t trust the 'mob' any more then a King or ‘Dictator'. Early in our history the right to vote was full of obstacles, some racial, some sexist etc... But for the most part our form of democracy was an oligarchy of wealthy white land owners.

The electoral system set up a buffer between the 'mob' and the Presidency.

The rulers were destroyed, but who was there to protect the Many against the Many…?

G. H. Lewis
The Life and Works of Goethe

But it goes even deeper then that.

Even now our 'democracy' has under 1/3 participation of the 290 million citizens. This election had about 120 million people cast ballots and this was a record. Not all 280 million US citizens are eligible voters. IIRC record participation of eligible voters was about 60%. This is not a bad thing because most are too ignorant of the issues and the stakes that they are unable to make an informed decision based on facts.

Those that do take an interest it’s mostly limited to watching the conventions and debates counting how many times one guy misspoke or smirked.  They listen to 50 minute speeches full of feel good sound bites that don't actually say anything. As long as it makes them feel good they will express well delivered it was.

[Naso]

Originally posted by Wotan
Even now our 'democracy' has under 1/3 participation of the 290 million citizens. This election had about 120 million people cast ballots and this was a record. Not all 280 million US citizens are eligible voters. IIRC record participation of eligible voters was about 60%. This is not a bad thing because most are too ignorant of the issues and the stakes that they are unable to make an informed decision based on facts.

Those that do take an interest it’s mostly limited to watching the conventions and debates counting how many times one guy misspoke or smirked. They listen to 50 minute speeches full of feel good sound bites that don't actually say anything. As long as it makes them feel good they will express well delivered it was.

Eh eh, I repeat myself, but, we are more similar than we like to think.

[Wotan]

My Grandfather immigrated from Italy in the '30s.

I have an old Family picture of his family in Italy before they left. I wil may scan later and post it.

His name was Anthony Caffo (he died last year). I can't recall off hand the region where he was from but it was in the Northern part of the country.

So we (you and I rather then Italians and Americans) may have even more in common then we thought.

[Naso]

Indeed.

It's what I think when I see the little US-Euro wars that often burn in this forum, it's like two brothers always fighting each other, makes you want to spank both !! (Unless you live in UK )

[Naso]

Late Condolences for your Grandfather, Wotan.

It require guts to do that kind of jump in the dark.

[JB73]

Naso, i posted this in another thread, but it is relative to your questions:



Confusing thought on electoral votes, why is place XXX more important than place YYY
lets use california and iowa for this example.

55 electoral votes, versus 7 electoral votes.

california is jam packed with people wanting to live in a nice climate, iowa is spread thin with people who want to provide grain for our country.

i am generalizing there, but take it as it is for now. yes i understand the meaning of populas and total number of votes, but also consider there are people who do live there that do not follow the norm in either state.

now thinking about that add colorado to the mix. another 7 vote state.


now lets pretend both iowa and colorado vote 90% Bush, and california votes 55% kerry. it is possible that the 55 electoral votes of cali give kerry the office.

now all of a sudden gangsta G's vote is more important than susi homemaker in iowa.




personally i think everyone's vote should be of equal value. right now i can see that it is not, and never will be. i choose NOT to live in the land or fruits and nuts (and you know what i mean by that), but my vote is less important than theirs, because i choose a different lifestyle and belief system than them.

if ever a studmuffin says to me "equal rights" i can say with true proof it has more rights in the elections than i do if it lives in the natural habitat.

man it is a crazy world.

[john9001]

my grandparents on my mothers side came from Italy, grandmother Naples, grandfather Sicily.

[mora]

Originally posted by JB73
if ever a studmuffin says to me "equal rights" i can say with true proof it has more rights in the elections than i do if it lives in the natural habitat.  

Here's my relevant contribution to this topic:

studmuffin, queer, queen, pillow biter, unstraight, carnivore, fruit cake, light-in-the-loafers, shirt lifter, peter eater, nancy boy, fudge packer, grindle packer, bunger, tail gunner, butt pirate, flamer, bellybutton clown, bellybutton bandit, butt bunny, butt bumper, broken arrow, batty boy, rump ranger, waste hole wanderer, back door bandit, sphincter proder, ring wraith, anal advocate, reverse parker, poof, poofter, woop, woopter, woof, woofter, double adapter, rectum rider, rectum raper, rectum robber, arse bandit, meat browner

[DieAz]

Originally posted by JB73

55 electoral votes, versus 7 electoral votes.

california is jam packed with people wanting to live in a nice climate, Iowa is spread thin with people who want to provide grain for our country.

man it is a crazy world.

I'd say Iowa has the upper hand.

crazy world? nahh, just crazy Kalifornians. they want to bite the hand that feeds them.

you can figure out, the rest of the story.