[Speed Gibson,
Sunday September 24, 2006 at 10:43pm]
None of the above
I chanced to hear the Poli-Chicks on AM 1500 this morning talking of third party candidates. On the one extreme, we had Jesse "The Mind" Ventura who won in 1998. On the other side Tim Penny saw his 2002 double digit polling evaporate in just the last week or so before the general election.
The ladies made a good point, that third parties aren't parties. They have no significant infrastructure, phone banks, donor lists, local organization, and so on. They might have elements of this, but really all they do is put up candidates that skew the results. That last part is a little self-serving by hosts Cathy Hartnett (DFL) and Annette Meeks (GOP), but it's reality.
Michael Medved has argued effectively that America's government became a two party system right from the start. We don't have Prime Ministers and coalitions and Votes of Confidence. Our system is mano a mano.
So as I wrote recently, I would like to see primaries simply pick the top two candidates, the only two that will appear on the general election ballot. I'd add one more option: None of the Above.
In Hennepin County District 1 we have two unacceptable candidates. Rather than sit it out, I'd sure like this option, which if it wins means a new election with new candidates is scheduled. In many cases, the office could simply go unfilled that term or be appointed by the Governor.
However it happens, if "None of the Above" wins, the two finalists are completely out of the running until the next regular cycle.
The ladies made a good point, that third parties aren't parties. They have no significant infrastructure, phone banks, donor lists, local organization, and so on. They might have elements of this, but really all they do is put up candidates that skew the results. That last part is a little self-serving by hosts Cathy Hartnett (DFL) and Annette Meeks (GOP), but it's reality.
Michael Medved has argued effectively that America's government became a two party system right from the start. We don't have Prime Ministers and coalitions and Votes of Confidence. Our system is mano a mano.
So as I wrote recently, I would like to see primaries simply pick the top two candidates, the only two that will appear on the general election ballot. I'd add one more option: None of the Above.
In Hennepin County District 1 we have two unacceptable candidates. Rather than sit it out, I'd sure like this option, which if it wins means a new election with new candidates is scheduled. In many cases, the office could simply go unfilled that term or be appointed by the Governor.
However it happens, if "None of the Above" wins, the two finalists are completely out of the running until the next regular cycle.