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SecretMethod70 · 05-31-2008, 05:26 PM

Will: I realize you're not arguing direct democracy. What I said is that your proposal is, in effect, a convoluted form of direct democracy.

If you're voting on a candidate because they are sworn, under oath, to a particular policy or position, then you're not voting for the person at all, but rather you're voting for the position. If you want to be voting on specific policy proposals and positions, then you should be advocating for direct democracy, not some weird mish-mash where you elect a figurehead who has no real power for critical thought while in the office because they are sworn under oath to something that they thought was reasonable before they were in office but is no longer so.

On the specific issue of campaign promises, it's sorta stupid to put a lot of weight in them, and it always has been. I recently listened to an interview on NPR which made the point that there have only been 2 presidents in US history who have upheld their campaign promises: Washington and Polk. Campaign promises aren't about the specific policies, they're about getting a general feel for where the candidate stands. I'd hate to have a system where I elect someone based on a specific promise rather than what the promise indicates about their general inclinations and character.

05-31-2008, 05:26 PM	#40 (permalink)
SecretMethod70 Human Administrator Location: Chicago	Will: I realize you're not arguing direct democracy. What I said is that your proposal is, in effect, a convoluted form of direct democracy. If you're voting on a candidate because they are sworn, under oath, to a particular policy or position, then you're not voting for the person at all, but rather you're voting for the position. If you want to be voting on specific policy proposals and positions, then you should be advocating for direct democracy, not some weird mish-mash where you elect a figurehead who has no real power for critical thought while in the office because they are sworn under oath to something that they thought was reasonable before they were in office but is no longer so. On the specific issue of campaign promises, it's sorta stupid to put a lot of weight in them, and it always has been. I recently listened to an interview on NPR which made the point that there have only been 2 presidents in US history who have upheld their campaign promises: Washington and Polk. Campaign promises aren't about the specific policies, they're about getting a general feel for where the candidate stands. I'd hate to have a system where I elect someone based on a specific promise rather than what the promise indicates about their general inclinations and character. __________________ Le temps détruit tout "Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling Last edited by SecretMethod70; 05-31-2008 at 07:21 PM..