On October 9, the Socialist Party of France held a presidential primary. Because the party paid for the election, it charged one voters one Euro to vote. Approximately 2,000,000 voters participated. Anyone who said he or she identifies with the left was permitted to vote. Six candidates were on the ballot. The results were: Francois Hollande 39%, Martine Aubry 31%, Arnaud Montebourg 17%, Segolene Royal 7%, Manuel Valls 6%, and Jean-Michel Baylet 1%.
Because no one got as much as 50%, a run-off is being held on October 16 between Hollande and Aubry. Before the first round, all six candidates debated each other on television. Here is a picture of the candidates. Two of the candidates, Francois Hollande and Segolene Royal, were once married to each other.
The election itself is April 22, 2012, with a run-off on May 6 if no presidential nominee gets as much as 50%. Typically, nine or ten parties appear on the presidential ballot.
We could have basically the same sytem in the United States today – but we all know the “powers that be” are NOT going to allow the common people to have a “real” voice – only just an affirmation of what the party bosses have already decided of “who” will be the candidates and “what” will be discussed as the main issues.
With our 21st century instant communications, someone in NE Maine or SW California or NW Alaska and down to SE Florida – and all points in between – will know who is running and what they are saying. Then in 3 to 5 nationally televised debates for each party, we could have one First National Primary for all parties registered with the FEC, and a run-off if no one won 50% of the vote, and then a General Election held 1 or 2 months later with the same 3 to 5 debates. For those who don’t want the General Election ballot cluttered with too many nominees, each party n order to be able to move on to the General Election would have to demonstrate a threshold of support of say 2% participation total of its candidates in their primary election, and of course a “No Party” Primary for real independents candidates with a 2% threshold would allow them to have opportity also.
All parties could still hold their Conventions to agree on the Platform and formally choose the VP nominee. Then moving on to the General Election, if no candidates won 50% or the popular vote or 50% of the electoral vote, a similar Run-off General Election could be held.
Bottom line, our present electoral process for electing our President is worn-out, and it does not reflect the real will of the people. The cost of such a system would be actually less than the current system. There are only “excuses” why such changes as listed here are not implemented. And again, it gets back to my first point, the “powers that be” are not going to share power in this country with the common people as long as they can avoid it.
About 30 percent of the voters have been electing each Prez since 1832 — 1/2 votes x States/DC having a bare majority of the gerrymander Electoral College.
The know it all media is brain dead ignorant about the EVIL math.
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App.V. — pending head to head voting (with the App.V. tiebreaker).
The French two-round election system has a lot to recommend it. In the 2007 presidential election, 12 candidates and parties ran in the first round. A diversity of voices and issues were heard and considered by French voters. The top two finishers faced off two weeks later. Turnout was virtually unchanged from the first to the second round, meaning all French voters were satisfied with one of the two finalist candidates.
A similar system here could serve as a combination national primary and two-round general election. A first-round vote could be held around Labor Day. All candidates in all parties, including independents, could run in the first round. The top two finishers in different parties would be the finalists for the November second round. Parties could hold conventions to confirm (or change) their nominees. We could do a lot worse than fashioning a new U.S. system on the way the French do their elections.
France has NOT yet recovered from the super defeat in 1940.
Thus the powermad French Prezs since DeGaulle.
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
Lots of regimes should/will breakup by having REAL Democracy — the top left/right freaks will want their own powermad left/right regimes.