American Politics Discussion Thread

[Jowy]

When you have one side that literally does not believe in facts or science and doesn't care about people as human beings, at least for me from a country that has it better, it is blindingly obvious that one side is nowhere near as bad as the other.

I think this really is part of the problem. When you have grown up or lived in another developed country with a more progressive government, you see what can actually be done with things like taxpayer money if it is used remotely efficiently. Universal healthcare at a far lower cost per consumer compared to the American Insurance system is the example that comes to mind. But if you have grown up in America, you probably don't realise how possible it all is because you've just known something different your entire life. 

Maybe that's generalising, I don't know. I am very aware it doesn't apply to all Americans. It's just something I experienced a lot when I was in the country last year, and some of the comments here remind me of it.

I've noticed the same thing, I think you are spot on about that.

[Charriu]

What I'm hearing a lot here is that people are frustrated with the current political system, which leaves them with only two options that they both despise.

Well I said it in the past, but in order to change that you have to reform parts of your political system so that it increases options on the ballot for you. Like for example the ridiculous winner takes it all principle.

I also know that people said this won't happen because of the political system in place. But that sounds to me like giving up. Something needs to change or you will lose your democracy out of disinterest.

[Cyneheard]

I also know that people said this won't happen because of the political system in place. But that sounds to me like giving up. Something needs to change or you will lose your democracy out of disinterest.

Some of the pushback (and I’ve certainly pushed back) is because there’s some things that are just too unrealistic - many because they require a Constitutional Amendment. “How do you get from here to there” is a fair question to ask. Politics requires a lot of baby steps and incremental progress. A third party isn’t going to go from nowhere to winning the White House and a working majority in Congress overnight.

Some states are pushing Ranked Choice Voting which should help. Third parties need to focus on local races and build up. Baltimore had a Green Party candidate for one of our City Council seats, and she got 36% of the vote (the Republican got 4%, since it is Baltimore). Normalizing third-party candidates in one-party towns is another place to start. Philly elected a 3rd-party councilwoman as well, I think that was last year or 2018?

Other states are trying to limit the damage gerrymandering can do, although this Supreme Court might interfere with those bipartisan commission setups and the like.

[Charriu]

That's a start. Good for you

[suboptimal]

What I'm hearing a lot here is that people are frustrated with the current political system, which leaves them with only two options that they both despise.

Well I said it in the past, but in order to change that you have to reform parts of your political system so that it increases options on the ballot for you. Like for example the ridiculous winner takes it all principle.

I also know that people said this won't happen because of the political system in place. But that sounds to me like giving up. Something needs to change or you will lose your democracy out of disinterest.

Changing the voting system is doable but will be very slow and incremental process.  Maine switched from first past the post to ranked choice in 2016 via referendum and when the state tried to delay they had another referendum to override the state's delay.  I think that method may catch on in other states as people become disaffected with the current system as it makes it easier (in theory) for a 3rd party candidate to get votes and possibly win an election.

[T-hawk]

Anyone placing bets on Kanye in 2024? I'm tempted...

[Charriu]

By the way how many people voted for him?

[Commodore]

By the way how many people voted for him?

Well, since I've now heard his courageous stand that the Prequels were better than the Sequels, I'll be voting him every four years henceforth.

[T-hawk]

Kanye was on quite a few state ballots and got over 1% in several of them. [Edit after wetbandit looked it up, I think I saw some county-level results that were showing the 1%.]

(One of the Dominion accusations is those votes were tabulated for Biden, and that the margin matches with the discrepancy between presidential and downballot votes. As with everything, it's unlikely, but worth a look.)

[wetbandit]

By the way how many people voted for him?

Kanye West reportedly received somewhere between 62,000 and 66,694 total votes in the 12 states in which he appeared on the ballot.  I have no idea why the numbers vary between Ballotpedia and DecisionDesk.  I suppose one could go directly to the website for the Secretary of States (or whatever office in each state runs the elections) to verify. 

https://ballotpedia.org/Kanye_West
https://results.decisiondeskhq.com/

His highest total in any state was Tennessee with 10,256 (.34%) and highest vote percentage was Utah (.48%).  He was also on the ballot in California (and possibly other states) as a Vice Presidential candidate of Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente, a man with the dubious distinction of once being banned by the FDIC from being in the banking business for borrowing too much money from banks in which he had an interest.  

He does not appear to have received 1% in any state.  Kanye failed to get on the ballot in several other states for failure to comply with certain election filing deadlines.