Another idea I have related to the gerrymandering issue is to have democratic candidates pledge that if the Democrats gain a majority in the legislature, that the Democrats would support a non-partisan commission to do the redistricting. I think that would be more fair and I think it would appeal to voters.
I agree with President George Washington that independent voters are necessary in governments that have elections, whereas, political parties are not. There is still one area of bi-partisan agreement in the two-party system, that independent voters cannot be allowed to participate in United States government in any meaningful way. The problem that Democrats and Republicans have right now is that just before the 2024 general election, the two-party system of political corruption became a minority in American politics. Independent voters and minor party members now outnumber Democrats and Republicans. All independents need to do to bring down the two-party system is to start registering as candidates for state legislatures, the places where unconstitutional state election laws are passed to keep independent candidates from appearing on the ballot. Independents should not copy political party candidates. They should just register as candidates and start getting nomination petition signatures. Signature requirements for state legislatures are still within reach in most states. At this point in our nation's history, independent candidates do not immediately need to be elected in order to improve the government. All they need to do is exist. George Washington was right when he said that independent voters were necessary in elective governments, whereas, political parties are unnecessary and tend toward war and destruction of free and open elections.
My experience here in Chatham is that voters in the Democratic primary are not necessarily "the most ideological." They are the most civic-minded, however, and vote because of a sense of civic duty. I get a lot of calls from people who ask me how they should vote. I hope pundits will stop blaming passion as the problem with the Democratic Party. We need more of it, not less. What we need is people who listen to, and reflect, the opinions of their constituencies which is not necessarily the loudest voices.
It’s a sound idea. It has been tried on a statewide basis in a few states. Kansas tried it six or eight years ago, and I think it was part of the Dan Osborn strategy in Nebraska both two years ago and this year. It’s also being tried this year in Montana, although the state Democratic Party has not officially decided to back off and let the Independent be the sole challenger to the surprise late-filing Republican candidate.
Alas, it didn’t work up to now, but in Kansas it wasn’t a bad strategy in that the independent candidate came considerably closer than a Democratic candidate likely would have. Osborn came pretty close in Nebraska in 2024. Some think he’ll have a better chance this year. Montana is a question mark, but there are a lot of independent voters out there, or at least there have been in the past. Good ideas often take time to gel into successful strategy. The state Democratic parties and national Democratic party need to be more open-minded about how to make effective headway in states that have been so profoundly gerrymandered.
protzman beat me to the comment. Democrats have a bigger ego problem than Republicans when deciding if to run. Republicans are more willing to step aside for the good of their Party’s goals than are most of the Dems i’ve worked with over the years. And I blame Democrat activists who tend to be aggressively myopic in matters of long-term strategy.
Good suggestion.
Another idea I have related to the gerrymandering issue is to have democratic candidates pledge that if the Democrats gain a majority in the legislature, that the Democrats would support a non-partisan commission to do the redistricting. I think that would be more fair and I think it would appeal to voters.
Bob Bilbro
I agree with President George Washington that independent voters are necessary in governments that have elections, whereas, political parties are not. There is still one area of bi-partisan agreement in the two-party system, that independent voters cannot be allowed to participate in United States government in any meaningful way. The problem that Democrats and Republicans have right now is that just before the 2024 general election, the two-party system of political corruption became a minority in American politics. Independent voters and minor party members now outnumber Democrats and Republicans. All independents need to do to bring down the two-party system is to start registering as candidates for state legislatures, the places where unconstitutional state election laws are passed to keep independent candidates from appearing on the ballot. Independents should not copy political party candidates. They should just register as candidates and start getting nomination petition signatures. Signature requirements for state legislatures are still within reach in most states. At this point in our nation's history, independent candidates do not immediately need to be elected in order to improve the government. All they need to do is exist. George Washington was right when he said that independent voters were necessary in elective governments, whereas, political parties are unnecessary and tend toward war and destruction of free and open elections.
My experience here in Chatham is that voters in the Democratic primary are not necessarily "the most ideological." They are the most civic-minded, however, and vote because of a sense of civic duty. I get a lot of calls from people who ask me how they should vote. I hope pundits will stop blaming passion as the problem with the Democratic Party. We need more of it, not less. What we need is people who listen to, and reflect, the opinions of their constituencies which is not necessarily the loudest voices.
Hear, hear. Then change state law to let independents run in their own primary and compete equally in the general.
It’s a sound idea. It has been tried on a statewide basis in a few states. Kansas tried it six or eight years ago, and I think it was part of the Dan Osborn strategy in Nebraska both two years ago and this year. It’s also being tried this year in Montana, although the state Democratic Party has not officially decided to back off and let the Independent be the sole challenger to the surprise late-filing Republican candidate.
Alas, it didn’t work up to now, but in Kansas it wasn’t a bad strategy in that the independent candidate came considerably closer than a Democratic candidate likely would have. Osborn came pretty close in Nebraska in 2024. Some think he’ll have a better chance this year. Montana is a question mark, but there are a lot of independent voters out there, or at least there have been in the past. Good ideas often take time to gel into successful strategy. The state Democratic parties and national Democratic party need to be more open-minded about how to make effective headway in states that have been so profoundly gerrymandered.
protzman beat me to the comment. Democrats have a bigger ego problem than Republicans when deciding if to run. Republicans are more willing to step aside for the good of their Party’s goals than are most of the Dems i’ve worked with over the years. And I blame Democrat activists who tend to be aggressively myopic in matters of long-term strategy.
I wish they'd listen to you, but I think that egos get in the way.