Quote:
RmNunez said:
Osborn, I suppose you think parties other than the Democrats and Republicans are unfairly kept from the debate, but do you think if media coverage of these other parties were required by law and if the government provided funding to offset corporate disinterest -then these parties would be engaged more productively in the political debate?
Isn't there a likelyhood the government could manipulate the situation for its benefit? Suppose the situation were as it was in the last elections, with Republicans in control facing emerging Democrats, so the government releases lots of money for the Liberals with the hope they will make inroads against the Democrat's base and lure voters to their dark horses. Would Bush's re-election score be better or worse if the Liberal candidate got a few more votes?
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My proposal is fairly simple.
Propose and pass a law that requires all politcal campaigners to debate for all elected seats state and federal, and require the debates to be between all canidates who meet the requirements to get on the ballot for their state or federal requirements, and that if canidates "refused" to debate their opponents, they would not be eligible for office, and removed from the ballot. Also, require the FCC to enforce the law requiring all stations who air the debates (all media covered by the FCC), to show all of the debates from beginning to end with equal time given to each canidate.
Propose and pass a law that allows only individual persons(and dependents), to donate to political campaigns, and simultaneously outlaws any corporate, special intrests, lobbyists or private groups, or any other entity besides a single individual(and dependents) from donating.
Propose and pass a law to OUTLAW lobbying elected officials with anything other than information, expressly forbidding gifts of any kind, or exchanges of goods or services for special political treatment. ( our officials are to be lobbied by the public, when the public feels a new law is needed, or a bad law needs addressed. )
Then, I would address the voting problems with requiring all states (by some date) to initiate an Instant Runoff Voting system, that has verifiable paper ballots that allow you to check your own ballot receipt, with the "countable" ballot as it scrolls through a visible plastic window the voter can see.
That is what I would do.