#CHRNCL Voting without primaries. These are called "ranked choice" voting systems. They are in use in some states, and so far they appear to work just as well as their traditional "primary" method. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranked_voting]
Retired teacher (systems theory, communication) maker of abstract music videos (see solextre YouTube) no political party ... to quote Kurt Vonnegut: "To be is to do - Socrates To do is to be - Sartre Do Be Do Be Do - Sinatra" :-)
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#CHRNCL Voting without primaries. These are called "ranked choice" voting systems. They are in use in some states, and so far they appear to work just as well as their traditional "primary" method. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranked_voting]
Well, yeah, but so is my skin.
It's the logical next step. And also the first step towards breaking up the USA into five or six independent republics. Since each state already has the governmental setup of a nation, this will not be all that hard to do.
How do we know that they’re impersonators? Maybe they ARE ice agents. Why don’t we arrest a few and check them out?
Just to focus: to be able to override Trump's vetos of their proposals, the Democrats would need to win control of the House and a 2/3 majority in the Senate. So it's hard to see how, exactly, you plan to "right the ship". Do you have an idea, or are you just saying these things to get votes?
He has his own private prison in Florida. He has his own private police force in ICE. He is building an army out of National Guard units. He controls Congress. And he has at least partial control of the Supreme Court. Is there anyone left who DOESN'T think he intends to be a dictator?
Actually, Labor Day was created to honor blue-collar factory workers, a group that has largely gone extinct in the US. And most of those who remain have joined MAGA. "Working families" is a propaganda term, carefully constructed to apply to the largest number of possible constituents.
So, much like the Democrats, you are doing nothing about the attempted coup other than using it as a tool to increase your membership?
Breaking news, active shooter, dead children, shock and horror, flashing blue and red lights, official briefing, weeping survivors, thoughts and prayers, pile of flowers on the sidewalk – it has become so common place that it has a script.
History suggests that the next step in confronting authoritarian rule is armed resistance. Most Americans are already armed, so you can expect at some point that partisans will begin taking shots at patrols in cities. "Breaking News: ICE officer shot dead in Chicago!" Are you ready for this?
#CHRNCL What we need. A voting method that eliminates primary elections. Elections can put all legally qualified candidates on the ballot. Voters indicate their top choice and a number of alternate choices. The counting process then eliminates those with the fewest votes to find the winner.
Donald Trump is systematically driving out the long-term managers of every government agency - so that he can bring them all under his direct control. This will continue until he is removed from office. If that does not happen until 2028, there will be a little left of these agencies.
Donald Trump is systematically driving out the long-term managers of every government agency - so that he can bring them all under his direct control. This will continue until he is removed from office. If that does not happen until 2028, there will be a little left of these agencies.
Donald Trump is systematically driving out the long-term managers of every government agency - so that he can bring them all under his direct control. This will continue until he is removed from office. If that does not happen until 2028, there will be a little left of these agencies.
Breaking news, active shooter, dead children, shock and horror, flashing blue and red lights, official briefing, weeping survivors, thoughts and prayers, pile of flowers on the sidewalk – it has become so commonplace that it has a script.
Breaking news, active shooter, dead children, shock and horror, flashing blue and red lights, official briefing, weeping survivors, thoughts and prayers, pile of flowers on the sidewalk – it has become so commonplace that it has a script.
How should we "act", Congressman? Elect more Democrats? The last time you had full control of Congress and the White House, you did not manage to ban guns. Why should we expect that you could do better now? Please focus on getting rid of Trump. He's our problem.
Answers are always good. But we may have reached the point where action is required, no matter what the answers are.
#CHRNCL What we need. Unitary terms for federal officials: the president should serve one long term. Representatives and senators should have longer but limited terms. We do this to stop our public leaders from spending such a large part of their time campaigning and raising money for campaigns.
Donald Trump's emotional make up requires that he be completely in charge of absolutely everything! Stop being surprised. And start sharing some ideas about how we are going to eject him from the White House.
Congressman: sooner or later you are going to have to accept the fact that Donald Trump has broken the Constitution and that extraordinary steps will be required to deal with him. Sooner would be better.
By the time the Democrats get up the courage to act, there will be guns pointed at every one of them. (When someone attacks you, the only non-confrontational thing you can do is run and hide.)
Trump's emotional make up requires that he be in charge of absolutely everything! Stop being surprised, and deal with it.
Trump is emotionally disturbed: blacks voted overwhelmingly against Trump – they must be punished! Please stop being aghast at his actions and do what it takes to remove him.
#CHRNCL So, is it possible to fix all this? Here is a short list of things we probably need to change. Each will be described in more detail later on. 1. Unitary terms for public officials 2. Eliminate primary elections 3. Federal recall provisions
Not the political folks you see on TV – the lawyers in the back room who are doing the actual work - evil, it’s true, but some of them are very sharp.
Very smart people in the White House devising the plan. Smart lawyers in the justice department working out the details. Experts in military operations coordinating the efforts. Keep this in mind: and authoritarian government is much more than just one man. Trump is not alone.
Very smart people in the White House devising the plan. Smart lawyers in the justice department working out the details. Experts in military operations coordinating the efforts. Keep this in mind: and authoritarian government is much more than just one man. Trump is not alone.
#CHRNCL If the bottom line sounds something like "we have a complete mess on our hands and nobody knows what's going on" - that's probably accurate. And if your favorite news host or streamer is laying it out in way that makes it sound simple ... well, you probably need more input.
#CHRNCL And this leaves out the people who belong to no specific party. Today these number more than the two "major" parties combined. Yet the polls can't count them accurately, and so the media can't see them. Despite their large impact on American elections, they are often an unknown quantity.
Are you planning to fight it in California? Could you provide a list of the states that you know to be unfair?
Are you planning to work with local funding, charities, and other private organization to develop new ways of getting food to hungry people? Or can this only be accomplished by the federal government?
#CHRNCL Other organized groups exist that might be called "parties". The Progressives, for example, typically vote with the Democrats – but they have a coherent ideology. The Conservatives used to be the majority of the Republican party, but are now in limbo with the ascension of MAGA.
I don't expect that parties will disappear, and I doubt it matters exactly how many there are. But it's party control of the election process that's driving the current activity in Texas and California. My own preference would be an independent national organization to run federal elections.
You have a point, but what concerns me is not the parties, but their control of the election process. In most states independents have no input via primaries. (In the last few elections many voters were voting against the person they liked the least rather than for someone they supported.)
We may agree here. I don't think Independent votes are up for grabs. I think that I'm seeing too many Democrats who believe that anybody who opposes Trump is going to vote Democratic. But, for example, look at Massachusetts, a blue state where four of the last six governors have been Republicans.
"In Oregon, Colorado, North Carolina, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Alaska, and New Hampshire, a plurality of voters are Independents. While in Massachusetts, a majority of voters are independents." [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_party_strength_in_U.S._states]
Isn't Trump a dictator now? How do you deal with him?
Would you vote for Liz Cheney if she was running in your district? Is your priority a person who will actively go after Trump, or do you insist on a Democrat? There are a lot of Independents who see a broader candidate pool than just Democrats. And there will be elections where their votes matter.
Yes. That's who you're against. Me too. But who are you FOR? I'm looking for ideologically moderate candidates who are willing to deal with the budget/deficit problem realistically, and who can put forward a serious plan for rebuilding the agencies that Trump has destroyed. Actions, not words.
As an afterthought: there are a fair number of moderate (former) Republicans around – the group that called itself "Conservative", for example, but also a variety of others who have been expelled from the party by MAGA. They vote, and it is not good strategy to ignore them.
You seem to believe that Congress still matters - despite considerable evidence that it doesn't. For example, when Congress approves funds for agencies that Trump has dissolved, nothing happens. Such will be in litigation until long after the next election, and a new Congress will not change it.
Well, of course, you're speaking as someone intensely dedicated to your cause. I hope you succeed. But there are more Independents than there are Democrats and Republicans combined, and I don't think you speak for all of them.
Good for you. Hang in there. Maybe it will all work out in the end.
Remember, though, that for many Independents "cleaning house" means getting rid of Democrats entirely. Many will prefer a new moderate Republican to a new radical Democrat.
#CHRNCL Other parties would like to participate in Congress. Libertarian is the largest, then Green. Forward was started two years ago and focuses on local elections. American, funded by Elon Musk, was just announced. Each has a website, a following, and a desire to be the "third party".
So Trump is going to attack Colorado… with what - the South Carolina national guard? They won't make it halfway up the hill to Denver. (As civil wars go, this one is exceedingly strange).
#CHRNCL The "two party system" was generated by the need for cooperation during World War II. It has no grounding in Constitutional law. There is no legal limit to the number of political parties that could be formed in the United States.
#CHRNCL At the beginning of the republic, there were no parties. By the mid-1800s there were four: Democrat, Free Soil, Whig, and Know Nothing. Prior to the Civil War, the latter three parties combined to become the Republicans.
Does this mean that the government will be collecting tariffs from itself?
#CHRNCL Recent partisan redistricting in Texas and California (with more to come) illustrates the two-party monopoly. The only fair way to proceed from here would be to pass a national redistricting law that applied equally to every state. But the two parties will never allow this to happen.
When Gavin Newsom parodies Trump by writing in all caps, it's humorous. When you write in all caps, it's sad.
Might this be a pro-marijuana deepfake?
Recent partisan redistricting in Texas and California (with more to come) illustrates the two party problem. The only fair way to proceed from here would be to pass a national redistricting law that applied equally to every state. But the two parties will never allow this to happen.
Further. A photograph of a 50 person Indivisible rally shot from an angle that makes it look like 200 people were present is also a fake. You can't control that. Democracies are structurally incapable of controlling the CONTENT of media. That only works in places like China and Iran.
Understand, though, that politicians who only address the public through short propaganda blurbs in social media are very, very easy to fake. Politicians who take actions that publicly demonstrate their commitment to a position are hard to fake, because we know what they stand for.
#CHRNCL Recent partisan redistricting in Texas and California (with more to come) illustrates the 2-party problem. The only fair way to proceed from here would be to pass a national redistricting law that applied equally to every state. But the two parties will never allow this to happen.
Why are you reading the writing of these idiots who don't know genius when they see it?
OK, let's call it concentration of power. Now ... what are we going to do about it?
It would be nice if some news network would do a special report covering in one place all of the different activities that the Trump team has initiated to take control of the 2026 elections.
PS: Being anti-Trump does not make me pro-Democrat. I'm not voting for a party that takes no action other than to complain.
PS: Being anti-Trump does not make me pro-Democrat. I'm not voting for a party that takes no action other than to complain.
The Nazis started out as a minority party in Germany before the war. But their opponents started out by doing nothing… (and ended up by being nowhere).
Democratic politicians want to keep the Epstein matter as the main media focus. Therefore, they have declared the military takeover of the country' capital city and other events "diversions". (Will fighting Trump with politics work?)
#CHRNCL So our choices seem to be 1) reform the two parties to do their job properly, 2) replace the two parties with new ones, 3) add one or more new parties, or 4) develop a government that does not need parties. 1 is unlikely, 2 or 3 could happen in time, and 4 is so far only possible in theory.
#CHRNCL Parties, the bottom line: if you are interested in rebuilding democracy in America, then you need to ignore both Parties and work to find a new way to let people express their decisions. The Republicans, Democrats, and the media who support them, all quite naturally find this idea abhorrent.
The Dems want to keep the Epstein matter as the main media focus. Therefore, they have declared the military takeover of the country's capital city a "diversion". It's as if they can't think about two things at once.
What if NONE of it's a distraction? What if it ALL matters?
Is the Democrats' refusal to accept that Donald Trump is succeeding as a dictator any worse than the MAGA cult's unrestrained adoration of their Great Leader?
"Don't provoke the lion." "But Dad, he's eating grandma!" "That's OK... maybe when he's done he'll go away."
When Trump orders the Maryland national guard to occupy Baltimore, how will you respond?
Good work! Trump will need the Minnesota air National Guard when he decides to occupy the twin cities.
Can you file a class action suit to get the National Guard off the streets of DC?
When Trump orders the Pennsylvania National Guard to occupy Pittsburgh, how will you respond?
When Trump orders the New Hampshire National Guard to occupy Manchester, how will you respond?
#CHRNCL But regardless of who the next president turns out to be, this problem will not go away. The Constitution has a number of weaknesses that are likely to be exploited in the future if they are not repaired in the present. This may be hard to accept, but it is undeniable.
Except, of course, as we saw in California the governor’s approval is irrelevant.
ICE is the new Gestapo - "Domestic Quick Reaction Force" is the new SS. (Are you ready to form an underground resistance to oppose force with force?)
#CHRNCL Creating a new Constitution would not be that difficult; it would mostly be a matter of updating the old one. But deciding who would do this is very difficult. Because, at this point, who do you trust to put the country ahead of their own personal interests?
Well, if he takes over enough cities, it won't really matter what his policies are, will it?
#CHRNCL This could be done. But if a President is removed unconstitutionally, there are no provisions for replacing him, and that could lead to even more chaos than we have now. It would also render the Constitution immediately invalid, which would make all of our existing federal laws invalid, too.
What are you going to do when Trump sends the National Guard to YOUR town?
You should talk to Indivisible. They have millions of protesters ready to go. :-)
It says you're going to strengthen "oversight" over a training institution. Wouldn't it be better to actually hire more firefighters?
Signs won't get it done. Let's see half 1 million people take up permanent residence around the White House.
Except that many Trump supporters don't care if it's illegal or not. If you keep playing by the rules while the other side isn't, you can find yourself losing badly.
LA was the beginning. This is the next step – on the way to achieving military control of every urban area. Dictatorships tend to work this way.
And what are you going to do when Trump sends the National Guard to your town?
Well, yes, it does seem like a naked power drive. So what are you planning to actually do about it? Anything?
#CHRNCL So, at this point, any "popular" attempt to remove Trump would be illegal. It doesn't matter that Trump himself is violating the Constitution. He was legally elected, and other than impeachment and the 25th amendment, he can only be removed by unconstitutional means.
#CHRNCL A quick review of the Trump removal problem: the Constitution does not provide a method by which the citizens alone can remove a sitting president. (And impeachment requires the support of 2/3 of the Senate, while the 25th Amendment requires the support of the vice-president and cabinet.)
Maybe we should just let AI decide all the elections and be done with it.
"Authoritarianism is characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political status quo, and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and the rule of law." And more of THEM voted with Trump than voted with US.
Until Trump uses weather control to turn Minnesota into a desert…
Not that I support the Trump Idiocracy, but the US Constitution gives states more rights than it gives to the federal government. This is done in article 10.
The treasury secretary is now running the IRS. Have you noticed how many top level managers have been kicked out and not replaced, with supervision of their agencies being done by Trump cabinet members?
I vote for a moat around the White House... preferably with crocodiles.
Still more fighting ...
#CHRNCL In the US, Party membership has been shrinking - today the two Parties taken together no longer count for a majority of the population. If this continues, sooner or later, unless we want to live in an anarchy, we are going to have to come up with a new way to deal with our pressing issues.
LOL. One authoritarian with an army > 10 million marching citizens with signs. (Unless, of course, the 10 million decide to go to his house and occupy it.)