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a couple of details

Reader comment on item: Superficiality Reigns Before the Election
in response to reader comment: Dreams of Whose Father's

Submitted by Anne Julienne (Australia), Nov 7, 2012 at 17:24

No democratic process is perfect and we surely can learn from one another. Two things stood out for me as seeming to be outrageous from an outsider's perspective. First, the money spent on the campaigns, perhaps ten billion dollars (if you include the extras like the cost of the primaries, costs to volunteers, secondary organisations, etc). There is an old saying: "look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves". In this case it would be: "look after the billions in campaigning costs and the trillions in debt might be paid off sooner than you might think".

The second thing that really really shocked me was the nuts and bolts of the actual voting process. It just looked like a third world fiasco. Different rules and voting formats in different states and even in different counties. Huge opportunities for voter fraud and many voters disenfranchised (voting forms not reaching overseas forces, hurricane relief workers unable to vote absentee without notice).

And the queues! I refuse to vote if I have to wait half an hour on a queue. I saw many instances where people were prepared to wait for hours. Ditto for entry into the rallies. What's the point in attending a rally anyway? What is gained by that, apart from a bit of excitement? No, for me, voting here in Australia has lost its gloss but I can understand why many Americans don't bother at all. It's not just an imperfect system. It's bad and it's fixable by taking just a few sensible measures like having the presidential election overseen by one authority and disallowing fabulous spending. I won't be dreaming about seeing those changes in a hurry, though.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (32) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
there are some laws in the chaos. [28 words]BenNov 17, 2012 12:43200738
What Islam has got to do with US elections? [22 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Abdulkarim Al-habsiNov 10, 2012 07:15200450
1Zero is a snake in the grass. [24 words]KerryNov 6, 2012 09:47200373
Agree about Cabinet picks [162 words]saraNov 4, 2012 17:11200319
1Actions that need more explanation [548 words]Richard StoeckerNov 4, 2012 11:43200309
1Charisma does not a leader make. [4 words]KerryNov 6, 2012 09:53200309
1What, pray tell, made you think you would get substance!? [120 words]RonNov 4, 2012 09:02200303
Supreme Court [42 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Robert WeisbergNov 4, 2012 08:55200302
1Another substantial issue: Israel [83 words]PrashantNov 4, 2012 02:47200295
same [1 words]doubleblackNov 4, 2012 00:09200292
1Its all the media's fault. [105 words]bits natya daganNov 3, 2012 23:13200289
Great comment! [19 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Abu NudnikNov 3, 2012 22:55200288
Voting is the Best Revenge -- How did all of you so badly misunderstand the allusion in Obama's remarks???? [125 words]Naomi MannNov 3, 2012 22:27200287
Voting is the best revenge [66 words]Gary E.Nov 17, 2012 01:21200287
Americans, I call on your sense one last time [382 words]NuritGNov 3, 2012 21:29200284
Where's the "Obama has embraced the Muslim Brotherhood" issue? [273 words]Wallace Edward BrandNov 3, 2012 21:03200283
2the view from Australia [57 words]Anne JulienneNov 3, 2012 20:26200282
Dream on (unfortunately) [72 words]saraNov 5, 2012 17:45200282
still dreaming [96 words]Anne JulienneNov 5, 2012 18:23200282
1Whoever wins, Wall Street wins ! [84 words]IanusNov 6, 2012 04:33200282
Dreams of Whose Father's [498 words]M. ToveyNov 6, 2012 19:00200282
no miracle after all [11 words]Anne JulienneNov 7, 2012 06:57200282
1Wall Street has won ... as always [217 words]IanusNov 7, 2012 17:17200282
1a couple of details [282 words]Anne JulienneNov 7, 2012 17:24200282
1Vassals of Wall Street Won Nothing They Can Keep - Their Wealth is Already Corrupted [398 words]M. ToveyNov 7, 2012 18:38200282
There Will Be NO Democracy in Heaven - A Second View [273 words]M. ToveyNov 7, 2012 18:57200282
keeping it simpler [75 words]Anne JulienneNov 8, 2012 17:33200282
Then Let's Try This for Simplicity [307 words]M. ToveyNov 13, 2012 14:48200282
You forget the Elohim ... [71 words]Anne JulienneNov 13, 2012 16:49200282
Elohim is Not Forgotten - Neither Does He Forget Except in Mercy [335 words]M. ToveyNov 15, 2012 12:09200282
lol [36 words]Anne JulienneNov 15, 2012 19:13200282
Superficiality Not Merely A Political Issue - But It is Definitely a Social One [346 words]M. ToveyNov 16, 2012 14:03200282

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