Is American democracy broken?

[Justadude]

As summarized in this Washington Post article, the state of Michigan will likely not be represented in next year's Democratic National Convention -- effectively excluding Michigan Democrats from having any influence over the 2008 primary. Michigan joins Florida in being excluded, as 9.5% of the US population will now be banned from representation in the Democratic primary. Furthermore, candidates Obama, Richardson and Biden have pledged to completely ignore these states in their campaigns, making no visits and withdrawing from the ballot.

Their crime? Scheduling a primary vote in the same month as Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. That's right -- if you live in New Hampshire you are more politically powerful than if you live in Florida. And nobody's even trying to cover it up.

On the other side of the aisle, the Republicans have pursued a similar strategy by stripping half the delegates from NH, SC, Florida, Michigan and Wyoming for engaging in a who-can-have-the-earliest-primary race. Obviously both parties are committed to privileging small factions within the electorate so they don't have to bother with the "chaos" of real democracy.

At the end of the day, what we find is that, once again, the party/primary system is inherently undemocratic. It makes compromises impossible; it marginalizes and excludes third-party points of view; it reduces the Presidential election to a bidding war between two massive propoganda machines... and now it unabashedly excludes millions of voters for having the audacity to think themselves equal to their peers.

[Lowerdeck]

I don't think anyone here will disagree with the fact the system is broken.

It might take total revolution, but it can be fixed. Essentially, once you remove the elements of money and/or power from the current system, it can become good again. A clean slate is pretty much needed to become good again. Where everyone is on equal footing, and there is no incumbent power.

[torgo]

Is it broken? Absolutely.

Can it be fixed? Yes.

Will it be fixed? Not in a million years.

[monsoon]

Interestingly enough, the US Constitution makes no mention of political parties.

[tamias6]

As a Michigan resident, I believe the state being excluded from the political process in this manner is a detestable disgrace and a blatant example of how little today's cut throat hacks that fill our elected offices value the Constitution of the United States. This nation was designed to give equal and fair representation to every state in the union and thus to every citizen living therein. If this is the direction this country will be going in, then the Revolutionary War was all for naught as we all will be right back in the same tyrannical conditions imposed upon the 13 colonies by the British Empire. Shame on both major political parties. Shame on those who allowed this to happen.

[Charlotte_native]

I just want a viable third party. 1) to get new blood, new ideas, and new candidates out there, 2) to shake the foundations of the Democrats and Republicans who currently don't have to worry about anyone else.

As it is, they hold far too much power and honestly aren't that different when it comes to corruption, lack of true concern -- only concern for staying in office, and desire for power and money.

[Bled_man]

I just want a viable third party. 1) to get new blood, new ideas, and new candidates out there, 2) to shake the foundations of the Democrats and Republicans who currently don't have to worry about anyone else.

As it is, they hold far too much power and honestly aren't that different when it comes to corruption, lack of true concern -- only concern for staying in office, and desire for power and money.

[Allison Slater]

Move all primaries of each state onto the same day.

Problem solved.

Why anyone decided to move them on different dates in the first place boggles me.

But, if as a Michiganian, I am not allowed to participate in much of the voting process.. it makes me wonder, can I really even call myself an American? "I just live here."

Hey Michigan, let's seceede and join Canada, I bet they'll let us vote. Oh wait, last time anybody tried to do that, America declared war on those states.

[Justadude]

^ It's completely beyond me why primaries are not all held simultaneously. It's such an obvious solution that one has to wonder who's pulling strings to keep the old system alive.

[tamias6]

^ It's completely beyond me why primaries are not all held simultaneously. It's such an obvious solution that one has to wonder who's pulling strings to keep the old system alive.