It is Not A Democracy If There is No Choice

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1. Dist says:

   July 22, 2008 at 9:30 pm

   Should we always vote for the person running against them?

2. liberalgeek says:

   July 22, 2008 at 9:41 pm

   Just leave it unvoted, I guess

3. Sticks 'n Twigs says:

   July 22, 2008 at 10:08 pm

   Good strategy.

   The pols know the number of voters that turn out and the number(s) the candidate(s) get.

   So, if 10 thousand vote and the unopposed candidate only gets 6 thousand…they know 4 thousand were not ‘in their camp.’

   Hopefully, voters in Wilmington will show the presently unopposed Mayor whether they support him or not by using this system to show dissatisfaction.

   Aside from $$$$$ the ‘numbers’ are the only important items for politicos. Issues? Tissues.

4. liz allen says:

   July 22, 2008 at 10:11 pm

   This is what the Independent Party of Delaware was created to do. Thats why we didn’t charge an outrageous filing fee, you could be a candidate, go to the convention, lay out your plans and be voted on. The goal was to make sure there was no office in this state that went unopposed.

   Now the new unelected self appointed leadership have dashed all those goals, by nominating Mike Protack without a convention, or the voting members right to vote.

   Its a sad day, when incumbents have no opponent, and without an oppponent, the incumbents are free to do whatever they wish, without fear they might be opposed.

5. Tyler Nixon says:

   July 22, 2008 at 11:41 pm

   AMEN, J! I have been telling many friends about this. We need to all spread the word.

   Do not cast a vote if there is NO choice.

   Let the default electeds operate with nothing more than a mandate of deafening silence from all us constituents, who are seeing one-party absolutism, special interest muscle, and general disgust over entrenched incumbency driving even the most fundamental notion of choice out of the process completely.

   In the GOP I support giving ballot access, past the 7/25 candidate filing deadline, to any good faith citizen who wishes to step up and offer the public a choice as a candidate.

   The law allows for it (by nomination county or state chair and secretary, depending on the office) up to September 1, if no candidate from a major party has filed for an office by the July 25 deadline. [NOTE : This is only available to major parties.]

   I believe there are others in the GOP leadership who are of similar mind. I would hope the Democrats would open their doors wide, too.

   This disturbing plethora of uncontested races is not a failure of any political party. It is a failure of democracy itself – corroded at its foundations by self-reinforcing political careerism and governmental cronyism falsely posing as citizen government.

   We should do everything to deny votes, starting with our own, to any candidate in any election race for which the vote is no better than a meaningless Soviet-style referendum on any one party’s candidate.

6. Steve Newton says:

   July 23, 2008 at 12:02 am

   At first I was toying with the idea of just staying home and not voting at all….

   But selective not voting sounds like so much more fun….

   Count me in

7. Paul Falkowski says:

   July 23, 2008 at 12:08 am

   A process, for the General election, not primaries. Uncontested offices are not voted on in the primaries.
   1) Show up to vote. enter the booth.
   2) Vote for candidates you support in close elections.
   3) Do not vote for someone UNOPPOSED, unless you really like them. Leave the vote blank.

   The politicians can read, that the overall vote count was 5,600 voters, and they got less than 1,000 votes, while others got lots of votes. They will see that there are missing votes. A Lack of confidence is what the blank votes will communicate. Imagine an incumbent that did not get more than 40% of the vote. No MANDATE. There will be plenty of opportunities in the City.

   I believe, that with the control of elections by Parties, and Party officials, that new candidates have a formidable task to run. Many do not want to get into the DIRTY process. Many see the party machine, special interest funding and organized labor – all working against the COMMON GOOD. And the Propaganda is horrendous.
   I am not ashamed to say I tried four times and lost four times. I entered the game, and I went up to the plate. An Honest man does not have a chance. And If you tell the truth, forget it. LOL
   I am sure the bloggers will report on the candidates with the least amount of winning votes.
   .
   Paul.

8. RickJ19958 says:

   July 23, 2008 at 12:11 am

   This is actually very wise for fans of democracy.

   I live in the northernmost part of the 14th RD. We have Pete Schwartzkopf repping us, and my party hasn’t put forth a candidate that can whip him. I’ve voted for the Libertarian once out of the last few cycles, not because I especially liked him, but because I disliked my party’s choice, and disliked the policies of the incumbent. Was my vote wasted? Not if it affected the structure of future campaigns.

9. Paul Falkowski says:

   July 23, 2008 at 12:12 am

   Instead of arguing that someone has not paid a filing fee. The Public should ask, why is the Fee so high?
   Where does the fee go to? How does the Party distribute those monies? To their favorites?

   Challengers, beware. It is a fixed game.

10. Paul Falkowski says:

    July 23, 2008 at 12:18 am

    The other solution would be to have the opportunity to vote for “None of the Above”.

    Imagine that option for the PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
    Some of us are getting tired of voting for the lesser of two evils.
    ===========
    Or imagine voting for issues, like health care.
    Choices include an insurance based option, a national single payer option. And others.
    =========
    Imagine voting on the right of self defense.
    The Castle Doctrine where a man’s home is considered his Castle. And we are allowed to defend ourselves.
    ==========
    Imagine voting on exiting Iraq. Or entering Iran.
    == All this instead of electing some lying Bastard. …

11. Paul Falkowski says:

    July 23, 2008 at 12:20 am

    Steve,
    “But selective not voting sounds like so much more fun….”
    More than Fun, it will send a strong message that we are not satisfied wit the choices.

12. liberalgeek says:

    July 23, 2008 at 12:22 am

    To Steve, that is the essence of fun…

13. G Rex says:

    July 23, 2008 at 4:08 pm

    “Some of us are getting tired of voting for the lesser of two evils.”

    I think it was Jerry Garcia who said, “When you choose the lesser of two evils, you’re still choosing evil.”

    Anyway, a buddy of mine who taught US History at UD came up with this idea a while ago; he called it “vote, don’t vote” if you’re looking for a t-shirt slogan or something like that.

14. kavips says:

    July 23, 2008 at 11:14 pm

    Paul, the fees work this way. You file a fee to the Party, not the state. The Parties usually give it back during the campaign.

    The party decides the fee.

    The higher the fee, the more control a party has over the process. Back in 2000, when it was a little over 300 dollars, one candidate filed himself and came close to beating one of our “entrenched ” Senators of today….

    it is much a harder now….

    Of course primary challengers do not get back their fees. It goes into the party coffers.

15. kavips says:

    July 23, 2008 at 11:20 pm

    Can everyone reading this, pen a letter to the editor to any paper that will print it?

    “Voters feel there is no choice when they have only one candidate. But if they do not vote, their disapproval is registered.

    Imagine a scenario, where the nest Senate Majority Leader, ran unopposed, and received 1 vote?

    It would be hard to take him seriously with such a vote of no confidence.

    If our incumbent is unopposed. Leave his office blank. Let’s show the world just what we think of those who lucked into the office…….

    Of course, if they are doing a great job and are unopposed for that reason, vote your approval…..