Merkley's Blueprint to Restore American Democracy

[vcczar 0]

Sounds like he's running: https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-unveils-sweeping-blueprint-to-restore-american-democracy?fbclid=IwAR0khJd0Tj_2rdsqM_pFiJEGPFlYGExXk8FZl-wvNffsSsnHEcuD9dbFU_0

[Patine 35]

3 hours ago, vcczar said:

Sounds like he's running: https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-unveils-sweeping-blueprint-to-restore-american-democracy?fbclid=IwAR0khJd0Tj_2rdsqM_pFiJEGPFlYGExXk8FZl-wvNffsSsnHEcuD9dbFU_0

I agree with all of them and would add:

-Party nominations should not be LEGALLY binding as to who may or may not run in the GE - only determining who may officially use a party label to run on. Also, primary elections should no longer receive public funding or be managed by Federal or State electoral commissions - they should be private party nomination affairs funded by the party, like in most other nations where political parties are legally and constitutional separate institutions from government itself (which, to make a point here, nations that don't have such a distinction are almost always one-party, corrupt-dominant-party, and party-of-power systems).

-States should be banned from denying ballot access to Federal offices based on candidates representing parties that have not previously won in that State (a la, Oklahoma).

-PAC's and Super PAC's should be fully judged by advertising standards, honesty, and integrity laws that many corporations are under for the sale of many products and services.

-Paper ballots should be returned to (like Canada still has, in fact). They can't be hacked!

-The U.S. President and other high Federal officials should no longer enjoy special exemptions from criminal indictment and civil litigation not becoming of the head-of-state of a Republic, but instead closer to a monarch or tyrant. The political theatre and nepotistic calling-of-favours that has nothing to do with due process or justice of impeachment by the House and trial by the Senate for such officials should be abolished, as should the Presidential pardon.

[vcczar 0]

23 minutes ago, Patine said:

I agree with all of them and would add:

-Party nominations should not be LEGALLY binding as to who may or may not run in the GE - only determining who may officially use a party label to run on. Also, primary elections should no longer receive public funding or be managed by Federal or State electoral commissions - they should be private party nomination affairs funded by the party, like in most other nations where political parties are legally and constitutional separate institutions from government itself (which, to make a point here, nations that don't have such a distinction are almost always one-party, corrupt-dominant-party, and party-of-power systems).

-States should be banned from denying ballot access to Federal offices based on candidates representing parties that have not previously won in that State (a la, Oklahoma).

-PAC's and Super PAC's should be fully judged by advertising standards, honesty, and integrity laws that many corporations are under for the sale of many products and services.

-Paper ballots should be returned to (like Canada still has, in fact). They can't be hacked!

-The U.S. President and other high Federal officials should no longer enjoy special exemptions from criminal indictment and civil litigation not becoming of the head-of-state of a Republic, but instead closer to a monarch or tyrant. The political theatre and nepotistic calling-of-favours that has nothing to do with due process or justice of impeachment by the House and trial by the Senate for such officials should be abolished, as should the Presidential pardon.

I agree with this.

[WVProgressive 0]

I don't know how you can "restore" something that never existed in the first place, but it's better than nothing.

[Wiw 0]

I agree with all of them.

[Rarename91 0]

how about you dont change the rules because you lost.

[Patine 35]

22 minutes ago, Rarename91 said:

how about you dont change the rules because you lost.

Why do you just ASSUME a desire and proposals for reform are based on one lost election (and, to be fair, I didn't lose, as I don't belong to any American political, nor would declaring my partisan allegiance to a U.S. political party of any sort serve me in any logical way or make any sense at all for me), but that the U.S. electoral system and political culture are corrupt and broken, stealing elections, depriving the U.S. voters of true choice in their leaders, and setting a system that doesn't truly enforce accountability, transparency, and responsibility in the U.S. Government to the people, and that the U.S. has one of the five worst political party cultures in the First World, alongside only Japan, Singapore, Hungary, and Romania.

[Actinguy 2]

Pass a constitutional amendment:  Next to impossible.  You need 2/3 of the House AND 2/3 of the Senate just to PROPOSE the idea.  Then it has to be approved by 75% of the states.  It's never ever ever going to happen -- not for something that seemingly harms elected officials' re-election chances.  For this to be Merkley's Proposal Number One, it suggests to me the rest of the list is either poorly thought out or empty promises he knows he can't deliver on.

[Patine 35]

29 minutes ago, Actinguy said:

Pass a constitutional amendment:  Next to impossible.  You need 2/3 of the House AND 2/3 of the Senate just to PROPOSE the idea.  Then it has to be approved by 75% of the states.  It's never ever ever going to happen -- not for something that seemingly harms elected officials' re-election chances.  For this to be Merkley's Proposal Number One, it suggests to me the rest of the list is either poorly thought out or empty promises he knows he can't deliver on.

The system of Constitutional amendments is self-defeating and a tool of protecting a corrupt oligarchy. Only a whole Constitution to TRULY serve the population in a 21st Century sense will suffice, as timid tinkerings and amendments are impossible. And, American Constitutional convention shows that a "corrupt and tyrannical sitting government's approval of a whole new Constitution being solicited, created, and enacted" is not actually required...

[Actinguy 2]

3 hours ago, Patine said:

The system of Constitutional amendments is self-defeating and a tool of protecting a corrupt oligarchy. Only a whole Constitution to TRULY serve the population in a 21st Century sense will suffice, as timid tinkerings and amendments are impossible. And, American Constitutional convention shows that a "corrupt and tyrannical sitting government's approval of a whole new Constitution being solicited, created, and enacted" is not actually required...

I can never tell if you're actually agreeing or disagreeing with me.  Haha.