Tony Benn's Advice Re: Cfk

[Don Alberto]

So in order to get rid of the dude in whom 60% of the population has no confidence (Obama) you need to go through the body in whom 85% of the country has no confidence (congress), or just "tough it out" another 3 years? Sounds like a 'democracy' where popular opinion means little to zero.

Did you expect to remove a person based on 60% confidence 4 weeks ago, 60% no confidence 3 weeks ago, 60% confidence 2 weeks ago, 60% no confidence this week? what about next week? If you remove this person on a whim, do you recall the person if the confidence grows above 50%?

In any sensible system you avoid those instant changes based on today's popularity.

 

[Don Alberto]

I think in the US that most elected officials can be "recalled". But, if I am right about that, I don't understand why we don't exercise that option much more often.

Bob

In 19 of the US states elected state officials can be recalled; in 29 US states (perhaps 36?), recall elections may be held in local jurisdictions (mayors, etc.).

Governor recalls:

North Dakota: 1921 incumbent governor Lynn Frazier recalled.

Arizona: 1988 recall election scheduled for governor Evan Mecham, but he was convicted, and removed from office before the recall election.

California: 2003 incumbent governor Gray Davis recalled. California voters have initiated 32 recall attempts for governors since 1911, but Davis in 2003 was the first to reach the ballot.

Wisconsin : 2012 gubernatorial election was a recall election which ended with the re-election of incumbent Governor Scott Walker.

All 23 Recall Elections Held in the U.S. for State Legislators: http://www.ncsl.org/...-officials.aspx

 

[ajoknoblauch]

The Gray Davis recall was ridiculous, and occurred only because of Schwarzenegger's (then) charisma.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

As an American my heart wants to be ashamed, but my brain is thinking maybe that's not a bad thing. Do you want, in a democracy, enough people dependent on the government for their income to swing an election?

Bob

This sums it all up pretty well: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/16/opinion/sunday/paul-ryans-irish-amnesia.html?rref=opinion&module=Ribbon&version=origin&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Opinion&pgtype=article

 

[ajoknoblauch]

Lol, always so rational. It's either my way or a sarcastic remark the size of the US debt.

Why don't we replace ajknoblauch with the lady who voted 6 times for Obama. Might be more intersting.

http://patdollard.co...ny-voter-fraud/

The Republicans, of course, always have a solution: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/16/opinion/sunday/ohio-mistrusts-democracy.html?_r=0

 

[Don Alberto]

The Republicans, of course, always have a solution: http://www.nytimes.c...cracy.html?_r=0

New York Times has got it completely wrong. Those rules are for the plebiscite in Crimea. No first world, democratic country have similar laws.

 

[bobg]

This sums it all up pretty well: http://www.nytimes.c...&pgtype=article

Wow! I thought I had made it clear that I didn't support letting people starve. You don't seem to have a very charitable opinion of someone who you perceive to have a position anywhere to the right of yours.

If you think that I stand somewhere to the right of you, you are probably right. If that makes me evil incarnate in your mind that is a stigma I'll have to live with. But please cease implying that I support positions which I do not.

Bob

 

[ARbound]

I've been partial to his saying "If we can find the money to kill people, we can find the money to help people.”

This sums up a lot of our problems in developed countries. We have the means and desire to go in to Libya,
Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Crimea? But we don't have the means and desire to eliminate child poverty or
provide universal health care? Which is a human right, I mean at least these countries think so (I think it's outdated):

We're getting our ass kicked by Oman. Seriously.

We're (not) number 1!

 

[ajoknoblauch]

Wow! I thought I had made it clear that I didn't support letting people starve. You don't seem to have a very charitable opinion of someone who you perceive to have a position anywhere to the right of yours.

If you think that I stand somewhere to the right of you, you are probably right. If that makes me evil incarnate in your mind that is a stigma I'll have to live with. But please cease implying that I support positions which I do not.

Bob

But if they die of diabetes, that's OK?

 

[ghost]

So any time an elected official's popularity falls below 50 percent in any public opinion poll (no matter the margin of error), he or she should immediately flee the country or, alternatively, be burned at the stake?

You can either do a good job or be popular. Take your pick.