The current system is frustrating, when candidates drop out before the majority of states even have a chance to have their primary election. We need an official primary Election Day.
Wish list: national primary election day, popular vote instead of electoral, no super pacs/cap campaign spend, shortened campaign cycle, cap age of candidates, term limits for congress.
Rank choice voting and either one primary day for all states or candidates staying in for all states. Probably would require less money and donors in order to stay in for every state if there's not one primary day.
I love that you wrote this, Sharon. My book club just read Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard about the too short presidency of James Garfield. What stood out to me was Garfield's love of books and a reticence to give up other pursuits that brought him joy. Those are some of the qualities I want in a president.
I also just read that book and was also fascinated by what a decent man he was. Seems the decent people don’t want power or notoriety, and perhaps this is why we get such flawed candidates for office. It’s such an ugly game.
I would love if the current process was changed somehow. A two party system and too much money from corporations and wealthy donors have placed us where we are today. It speaks to me that the best Presidents are often those who at first do not want the job.
I think Joe Biden was the right person for the job in the last election. Now, I do not think he is the right person for the next four years.
I had a thought about how the Dem convention could be handled. All delegates should be released, and the convention should be a series of debates among the next generation of leadership in the party. Voters should be able to pre-register with a code and then cast their vote electronically on the last day of the convention. If American Idol can do it, I think it could be figured out.
It is the women and men who don't necessarily want the job, but that are qualified for the job, that we need. Unfortunately, in my view, most politicians today are more interested in the celebrity than in actual ethical governance. Thank you, Sharon!
I never knew that about Garfield so this is my one new thing learned today! I have always thought your idea of a National Primary Day was genius. It gives everyone a fair shot and it’s done and done. The long, dragged out prob was we have now is exhausting and far too much money seems to get thrown out with the bath water before it gets cold. We need some kind of reform, certainly, but maybe not go back to 1830.
My husband and I are reading Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard. It is very well written and fascinating. Every time we read I am left wondering who is the James Garfield of our time and where is he. We need him. I would love to see America come together to change our election process. What we are doing is obviously not working.
I love a National Primary day but have many qualms about delegates voting as they choose at convention . There is too much chance of party bosses taking that over- I would want any delegates to follow the will of the people. And get rid of the electoral college!
This post reminded me of my high school days. As a freshman in high school (1983 in La Mesa CA), each home room class voted for class representatives. Somehow I was elected. I had to go to all the school meetings with the other representatives. We had to go back to our classes and share what was discussed in the meetings and take votes for items that were going to be put to vote at the next meeting. Things like what type of pencils should be put in the pencil machines. Baseball team or football team pencils, what new type of snack should be sold at the student store etc…. It seems silly, but it taught us about representative government. Towards the end of the year as new candidates for school government were to be chosen they all posted their posters, passed out buttons and flyers to gain people’s support. As student representatives for our classes, we were also “delegates” for our school convention. We spent a week out of regular classes, in the gym, listening to the candidates give speeches, making promises etc… we were expected to take the majority of our classroom votes and vote for each candidate in each race. President, VP, treasurer, secretary etc…. We whittled down each race until there was a winner. It was such a great way to learn how the convention process worked. I wonder if schools still do this? I know my kids school did not.
I feel that a national primary election day would put all voters on equal footing. Finance also needs to be considered if we want to move forward with attracting potential leaders for president.
After all we’ve seen through this election cycle, and what I’ve learned from Sharon’s history lessons, I’m in favor of a single national primary election day, and a shorter campaign period overall.
I, too, think it would be invigorating for the people attending to have an emotional response instead of a calculated agenda. It would be more authentic and could pull servant minded individuals into leading when their sanity tells them to steer clear.
The current system is frustrating, when candidates drop out before the majority of states even have a chance to have their primary election. We need an official primary Election Day.
Wish list: national primary election day, popular vote instead of electoral, no super pacs/cap campaign spend, shortened campaign cycle, cap age of candidates, term limits for congress.
I echo this.
Yes yes yes yes yes yes!
All primaries should be held on the same day and it should not be winner take all, but rather proportionally distributed.
Rank choice voting and either one primary day for all states or candidates staying in for all states. Probably would require less money and donors in order to stay in for every state if there's not one primary day.
I love that you wrote this, Sharon. My book club just read Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard about the too short presidency of James Garfield. What stood out to me was Garfield's love of books and a reticence to give up other pursuits that brought him joy. Those are some of the qualities I want in a president.
I also just read that book and was also fascinated by what a decent man he was. Seems the decent people don’t want power or notoriety, and perhaps this is why we get such flawed candidates for office. It’s such an ugly game.
Let this be a lesson to you, Sharon. Don’t go to either convention, you might end up getting elected 😜
I would love if the current process was changed somehow. A two party system and too much money from corporations and wealthy donors have placed us where we are today. It speaks to me that the best Presidents are often those who at first do not want the job.
I think Joe Biden was the right person for the job in the last election. Now, I do not think he is the right person for the next four years.
I had a thought about how the Dem convention could be handled. All delegates should be released, and the convention should be a series of debates among the next generation of leadership in the party. Voters should be able to pre-register with a code and then cast their vote electronically on the last day of the convention. If American Idol can do it, I think it could be figured out.
1 primary Election Day for all the states
It is the women and men who don't necessarily want the job, but that are qualified for the job, that we need. Unfortunately, in my view, most politicians today are more interested in the celebrity than in actual ethical governance. Thank you, Sharon!
I never knew that about Garfield so this is my one new thing learned today! I have always thought your idea of a National Primary Day was genius. It gives everyone a fair shot and it’s done and done. The long, dragged out prob was we have now is exhausting and far too much money seems to get thrown out with the bath water before it gets cold. We need some kind of reform, certainly, but maybe not go back to 1830.
My husband and I are reading Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard. It is very well written and fascinating. Every time we read I am left wondering who is the James Garfield of our time and where is he. We need him. I would love to see America come together to change our election process. What we are doing is obviously not working.
We need him or her!!
I love a National Primary day but have many qualms about delegates voting as they choose at convention . There is too much chance of party bosses taking that over- I would want any delegates to follow the will of the people. And get rid of the electoral college!
This post reminded me of my high school days. As a freshman in high school (1983 in La Mesa CA), each home room class voted for class representatives. Somehow I was elected. I had to go to all the school meetings with the other representatives. We had to go back to our classes and share what was discussed in the meetings and take votes for items that were going to be put to vote at the next meeting. Things like what type of pencils should be put in the pencil machines. Baseball team or football team pencils, what new type of snack should be sold at the student store etc…. It seems silly, but it taught us about representative government. Towards the end of the year as new candidates for school government were to be chosen they all posted their posters, passed out buttons and flyers to gain people’s support. As student representatives for our classes, we were also “delegates” for our school convention. We spent a week out of regular classes, in the gym, listening to the candidates give speeches, making promises etc… we were expected to take the majority of our classroom votes and vote for each candidate in each race. President, VP, treasurer, secretary etc…. We whittled down each race until there was a winner. It was such a great way to learn how the convention process worked. I wonder if schools still do this? I know my kids school did not.
I feel that a national primary election day would put all voters on equal footing. Finance also needs to be considered if we want to move forward with attracting potential leaders for president.
After all we’ve seen through this election cycle, and what I’ve learned from Sharon’s history lessons, I’m in favor of a single national primary election day, and a shorter campaign period overall.
I, too, think it would be invigorating for the people attending to have an emotional response instead of a calculated agenda. It would be more authentic and could pull servant minded individuals into leading when their sanity tells them to steer clear.