Thread by @ThyConsigliori

24 August 2020 #BetweenTheLinesDotVote Analysis

Our 5 Questions + Why? Part 3 of 5

Who SHOULD win?

When you ask most people who they will vote for, and then ask them who should win, the answer repeats. The interesting thing is that it doesn't always repeat.

2) Why might that be? Our process of selection, the two major parties we have, their primaries, etc., it's all a very long way from ideal. I can easily imagine a very different system. Let me show you. For example, let's still keep our two major parties, yes?

3) But, imagine that the process takes a year or more, and begins with an unlimited ballot. You can write in any name you want, and no names are on specific offer. This would give rise to leaders recognized as such. Picture we do this by state until just 1 leader has a majority.

4) Picture as well, just 4 rounds maximum in each state. Assuming no majority, we take the top 3 names for round 2, top 2 for round 3 and top 2 for round 4. Fun, no? What's the result? We then have 50 prospective candidates, 1 from each state, and now the real campaign begins.

5) I'm not actually proposing that system, much as I'd enjoy it. I am saying it would emphasize this question: Who SHOULD win?

Constrained as we are by our party's candidate, will vote for and should win are simply not the same.

6) Let's go another direction. If I were in charge of the selection process, I'd build a testing system over our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and history. I'd allow each candidate to sell his vision forward to the people. I'd test his knowledge of our past.

7) That would by my own ultimate measure of "should". My test would NOT only include knowledge, like a quiz. It would demand that the spirit of our nation rise up. No, not as I see it. Rather, as both the most knowledgeable AND the most spiritually American of candidates.

8) One of my questions would be this: when were you the least loyal to the American dream, and what does that tell us about you? I'd allow no politically correct speaking in answer. I'd demand a real confession, and offer the opportunity to express a profound lesson learned.

9) I'd also demand answers about American corruption, the Swamp. Does it exist? If so, where and how? And how will you reduce its power during your term, should you win it?

Sadly, so sadly, I have come to believe that the American system is rigged. I'd demand answers on that.

10) Next, I'd turn to questions surrounding separation of powers and Constitutional checks and balances. I'd demand answers on how and when the candidate would use his power to correct Congress and the Judiciary.

11) While I am not, personally, a fiscally conservative budget hawk, I'd still want to know about balancing the budget, reining in the deficit. When will America pay down its debt, I'd want to know, and how will we do it? The budget was balanced under Newt and Bill. Now, not so.

12) My SHOULD win would be driven most of all by the Bill of Rights. I'd grill my candidates over each of the first 10 Amendments. I'd demand case history knowledge, as if he was a Constitutional lawyer. I'd allow preparation, of course. It would be an open book test.

13) What I wouldn't care about, not a fig's worth, would be party affiliation or loyalty. I believe in parties, in the plural, so as to NOT have ONLY 1 party. I do not believe in parties as if they stood for something. Party loyalty would NEVER make it into my questioning.

14) Coming back to our real world, we are stuck with 2 major parties, and we're not able to question our candidates as I did in my fantasy world above. We only have the public record of each from each party system. Still, as citizens, we have each our own criteria.

15) The question, who WILL you vote for needs to be separated from the question who SHOULD win? This question is beyond practical. It accepts that WILL VOTE FOR really is different from the question SHOULD WIN. It accepts that parties matter, as do their candidates.

16) For instance, a loyal Republican only has the option to vote for Trump. Many #NeverTrumpers will end up in that category in November. Not able to vote for Biden, they'll end up voting for Trump, if they vote at all. But in honesty, SHOULD WIN won't be on their minds.

17) At our site, we have two forms of polls. One is Anonymous, and that's the most important for our data. The second is On The Record, and that's the most important in answering the question Why? My question to Democrats is, Should Biden Win? And if so, why?

18) You can believe me when I tell you, that is NOT an attacking question. I ask the same of Republicans over Trump. Sadly, I simply have a great deal more Republicans answering than I do Democrats, so far. Why should Biden win? I need more of you on the record.

19) Last, I want you to feel our logic.

* Will you vote?
* Who for?
* Who should win?

Our first 3 questions have a logical flow. Can you feel it? The logic requires you to separate will vote for from should win. You're allowed for those two to be different.

20) Please head over to our site and answer these questions in our Anonymous poll, first. Then, go On The Record if you're okay with that. Your reasons matter. We care and will log them faithfully.

BetweenTheLines.Vote

Thread ends at #20.