Monday, November 13, 2006

First Order of the Day: Fair, Secure Elections

Willam Cohn writes:
"... If a core value of democracy is choice, many voters concluded that the Democratic Party as the only viable choice left them with little choice. The election result is more a failure of Republicans than a victory by Democrats.

2006 can be seen as buyers’ remorse by a public that bought a bill of lies in 2004. Some, noting that Reagan lost both houses in 1986, will discount the significance of the 2006 election, insisting it is customary for two term presidents to lose Congress in their 2nd term. But the unseating of so many incumbents, despite gerrymandered districts widely thought to ensure their reelection, shows the extent of the voter backlash against the spineless and useless 109th Congress.

The head of the US Federal Elections Commission acknowledges that other countries are “light-years ahead” of the US in terms of elections technology and integrity. The needed steps are obvious (strong campaign finance reform legislation, non-partisan control of congressional redistricting, demanding responsible media, requiring transparency in government including open bidding for government contracts, and paper ballots, and perhaps unifying federal election standards and amending the electoral college process). The European tradition of giving free air time to candidates may be a good starting point in reducing the role of money and influence-peddling in US politics.

In the final analysis the 2006 election shows that US voters finally said “Enough! (of the lies, fake reporters, fiscal and diplomatic irresponsibility, corruption, incompetence, human rights abuses, lack of accountability, faith-based certitude precluding discussion, demonizing people with divergent views, and denying that the US is a nation ruled by law, not by men) Throw the bums out!” That’s a time-honored democratic value. But it is indeed both ironic and remarkable that the purported leader of the free world has been unable to have an election in this century which has the full confidence of its own people."

No comments: