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| Posted: 12 Aug 2008 06:38 |
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Keep in mind this is far from perfect but another wonderful and unique idea on a possible voting reform. Try voting on just the issues.
http://www.dehp.net/candidate/
My scores:
Gravel: 46
Kucinich:38
Paul: 29
etc.
__________________But the backdrops peel and the sets give way and the cast get eaten by the play, there's a murderer at the matinee, there are dead men in the aisles
And the patrons and the actors too are uncertain if the show is through and with sidelong looks await their cue, but the frozen mask just smiles
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| Posted: 12 Aug 2008 08:17 |
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my scores: Kucinich:45
Gravel:37
Obama:27
Clinton:23 etc. etc. etc.
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| Posted: 12 Aug 2008 15:13 |
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21 McCain Disagreements: (5)
-16 Obama 11/2
The only problem I see with this poll though is the answer isn't always yes or no. Like I might support wire tapping but only when there is a strong reason to suspect the person might be a terrorist.
__________________Lucas McCain the Rifleman: A man doesn't run from a fight, Mark...but that doesn't mean you should go running *to* one, either.
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| Posted: 12 Aug 2008 15:31 |
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That's why it's for, against or neither and then the variance of importance on each.
With wire tapping here on the list, as in real life, you vote for or against it and how important it is to you, not the limits on it or what can be done with it.
__________________But the backdrops peel and the sets give way and the cast get eaten by the play, there's a murderer at the matinee, there are dead men in the aisles
And the patrons and the actors too are uncertain if the show is through and with sidelong looks await their cue, but the frozen mask just smiles
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| Posted: 12 Aug 2008 17:16 |
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In life there are different circumstances that do dictate whether or not a course of action is correct though.
__________________Lucas McCain the Rifleman: A man doesn't run from a fight, Mark...but that doesn't mean you should go running *to* one, either.
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| Posted: 12 Aug 2008 19:00 |
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Of course, but we don't determine the circumstances or even the course of action a representative will take when we vote for them. Even when they do keep their word, we might not understand, agree with, condone or even like the actions they take.
I'll use wire tapping as a 'for instance' again(which I still say is unconstitutional, but I'll keep my personal views out of it for the moment). For instance when you voted for Bush, wire tapping was not an issue, correct? It came about as an extention of his war on terror platform. You didn't get to vote on anything outside of the individual. That's what we have three branches of government for, supposedly-the checks and balances thing. He used the war on terror as a campaign and by voting for him, you gave him the ok to do whatever was possible to win his war. Let's call this proper-warrantless taps became a utility in the war of terror. By voting for him and his war, you in essence voted for the wireless tapping simply as a default. Here's where it just falls apart down an unfortunate slippery slope. The fact that it can be done at all, makes it possible to use for other purposes of gathering information-and we don't get to know why or what for. There's a small group assigned to do this now, but why shouldn't they outsource? What gets done with the info they gather? If someone can be called an enemy of the country based on a warrantless tap, can the intel gathered be falsified in the first place? Combine this with detaining prisoners without habeas corpus and nobody has to explain to the detainee why they were jailed and they don't get to defend their supposed words from the warrantless tap in the first place because they're not seeing a judge anyway. Locked up on a lie and detained indefinitely without due process of law or American rights. Since Bush has that power now to oversee any committee who is doing the tapping because of the given reason behind it being 'the war on terror' which will never end by itself, our next president will retain said power.
Senator Obama may be powerless at the moment, but just imagine for a second that he does get elected. Somebody in his cabinet or one of his closest friends happens to have seen one of your remarks about him on this site and they employ a little justice on his behalf. Have no fear though. It works both ways. If McCain gets the vote and I suddenly don't post here anymore, you'll know what happened.
__________________But the backdrops peel and the sets give way and the cast get eaten by the play, there's a murderer at the matinee, there are dead men in the aisles
And the patrons and the actors too are uncertain if the show is through and with sidelong looks await their cue, but the frozen mask just smiles
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| Posted: 12 Aug 2008 20:47 |
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I understand we vote for an individual and not necessarily everything that person stands for, but when someone asks you what is your position on any given problem a yes or no answer may not be sufficient to get one's true opinion.
That's one reason why polls are so misleading.
__________________Lucas McCain the Rifleman: A man doesn't run from a fight, Mark...but that doesn't mean you should go running *to* one, either.
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| Posted: 12 Aug 2008 21:44 |
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Polls are useless to me for getting a real response on what 'everyone' thinks. They always feel rigged.
Like I said earlier, it not perfect by a longshot but it's still a great attempt. It's not based solely on yes or no but a level of importance too. Maybe if we add a section about prioritizing the issues or adding subsections to each for adjoining issues.
__________________But the backdrops peel and the sets give way and the cast get eaten by the play, there's a murderer at the matinee, there are dead men in the aisles
And the patrons and the actors too are uncertain if the show is through and with sidelong looks await their cue, but the frozen mask just smiles
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| Posted: 13 Aug 2008 04:40 |
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This is why Congressional choices are so important, and as equally important is being a thorn in the side of your Congressman's side when they go along with stupid administration policies just because they and the President both have an 'R' or a 'D' next to their name.
I am not in favor of voting directly on individual issues. There's a word for that, it's called democracy, among other names.
__________________1 TIMOTHY 1
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
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| Posted: 13 Aug 2008 16:14 |
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Unfortunately, we're a more of a republic, for better or worse. Luckily we don't have the truest form of either a republic or democracy, something of a hybrid instead.
I really would have liked at least a small say, even at a sugar pill level, on something like the patriot act. You could say that everyone having a say on policy would be a disaster right now and be absolutely correct in saying it. This actually says a little more about how well informed the public is(little fault on them for this) than their poor intentions or decision making skills.
You could point out the mob rule mentality and I would say we deserve to be a check in the system, not the balance of it. What level of thorniness could compare to shutting down a harmful proposal completely?
__________________But the backdrops peel and the sets give way and the cast get eaten by the play, there's a murderer at the matinee, there are dead men in the aisles
And the patrons and the actors too are uncertain if the show is through and with sidelong looks await their cue, but the frozen mask just smiles
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| Posted: 13 Aug 2008 16:37 |
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You know what I wish is that in issues there would be a group that would publish it's findings based on nothing but the facts that everyone trusted. I'd just like there to be facts that were posted on every issue that nobody could disagree with. And facts that weren't manipulated just to push one side or the other. Just the facts as that guy on Dragnet always said.
Then maybe half of the political bickering would be over. A dream I know. Just a dream.
__________________Lucas McCain the Rifleman: A man doesn't run from a fight, Mark...but that doesn't mean you should go running *to* one, either.
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| Posted: 13 Aug 2008 17:17 |
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Quote:
You know what I wish is that in issues there would be a group that would publish it's findings based on nothing but the facts that everyone trusted
An excellent wish. Me too.
Quote:
I'd just like there to be facts that were posted on every issue that nobody could disagree with.
That's more on the receiving of the facts end of it, you would need the alignment from the listeners. It'd be nice, but I can't imagine it.
__________________But the backdrops peel and the sets give way and the cast get eaten by the play, there's a murderer at the matinee, there are dead men in the aisles
And the patrons and the actors too are uncertain if the show is through and with sidelong looks await their cue, but the frozen mask just smiles
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| Posted: 14 Aug 2008 02:02 |
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Quote:
I really would have liked at least a small say, even at a sugar pill level, on something like the patriot act. You did have a say. Do what I did and call and harass your Congressman to let the sunset provisions expire. As opposed to the one vote I would get in a democracy, I had the freedom to call as often as I could get through the switchboard.
__________________1 TIMOTHY 1
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
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| Posted: 14 Aug 2008 03:27 |
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Quote:
You did have a say.
That would certainly fill in the sugar pill level. Calling a congressman after the fact(if you ever get through to them at all) is a step in the right direction as at least you did something. You could rest easy after that knowing you tried and I have no argument with it at all. I'd just like a shot at something a little more effective than just an attempt after the fact.
__________________But the backdrops peel and the sets give way and the cast get eaten by the play, there's a murderer at the matinee, there are dead men in the aisles
And the patrons and the actors too are uncertain if the show is through and with sidelong looks await their cue, but the frozen mask just smiles
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| Posted: 14 Aug 2008 04:19 |
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I called them before the fact, and then after the fact to chide them on their spinelessness.
__________________1 TIMOTHY 1
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
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| Posted: 14 Aug 2008 04:36 |
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I take it the spineless couldn't muster an answer?
__________________But the backdrops peel and the sets give way and the cast get eaten by the play, there's a murderer at the matinee, there are dead men in the aisles
And the patrons and the actors too are uncertain if the show is through and with sidelong looks await their cue, but the frozen mask just smiles
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| Posted: 14 Aug 2008 04:44 |
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What usually happens when they deduce that I am calling to chew them out is I wind up talking to one of their aides. and I won't lie to you and say I catch them on every issue, but I do what I can and what I can remember to do.
__________________1 TIMOTHY 1
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
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| Posted: 14 Aug 2008 05:12 |
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__________________But the backdrops peel and the sets give way and the cast get eaten by the play, there's a murderer at the matinee, there are dead men in the aisles
And the patrons and the actors too are uncertain if the show is through and with sidelong looks await their cue, but the frozen mask just smiles
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