National Public Radio Covers New York U.S. House Race, 21st District, with Emphasis on Green Party Nominee Matt Funicello

Posted on by October 16, 2014
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National Public Radio has this story about the New York election for U.S. House, 21st district, in the northern part of the state. It is unusual for any minor party nominee for a U.S. House race to get this much attention, but NPR focuses on Matt Funicello, the Green Party nominee. The incumbent, Congressman Bill Owens, a Democrat, is not running for re-election. In 2012, this district was one of the closest U.S. House races in the nation. The story says that Funicello is at 8% in the polls.

The conventional wisdom is that Funicello is injuring the Democratic nominee. But because Funicello is participating in the debates, another side to his impact on the race is the extent to which his views, as expressed before a large audience, might persuade undecided voters to vote for the Democrat, because two voices making the same point are sometimes more persuasive than a single voice; and on some issues, Funicello and the Democratic nominee agree, whereas the Republican nominee does not. The book “Predictably irrational” contains experimental evidence to bolster this conclusion.

Experienced Observers of Congress Recommend National Law Fixing Congressional Primaries All on the Same Day in June

Posted on by October 16, 2014
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A group of experienced observers of Congress here recommend several dozen ideas for helping make Congress more productive. Almost all of the recommendations are to alter certain congressional internal rules of procedure. But, recommendation XIX is that Congress exercise its Article One authority over congressional elections to set a nationwide primary day for congressional elections. The group recommends June but does not explain the rationale for choosing that month.

Currently, states set their own congressional primary dates, and they range from March to September. Louisiana has abolished congressional primaries and merely holds an election for Congress in November; all candidates from all parties appear on that ballot. If no one gets 50%, there is a runoff in December.

The authors of the recommendations include Alan Frumin, parliamentarian of the U.S. Senate; former Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota, former Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi, former Congressman Bob Livingston of Louisiana, former Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts, and political analyst Lawrence O’Donnell, Jr. Thanks to the ElectionLawBlog for the link. The recommendations are published in Esquire magazine.

National Public Radio Station in San Francisco Airs One-Hour Forum on Top-Two’s Effects on Minor Parties

Posted on by October 16, 2014
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On October 16, KQED radio in San Francisco aired an hour-long forum on California’s top-two system and its effects on minor parties. Anyone can listen by using this link. The participants all contributed toward a very worthwhile program, although of course the four panelists disagreed with each other. It would be excellent if a similar forum could be broadcast in Oregon between now and election day.

Chinese Government Official Op-Ed in New York Times Shows Why the Right to Vote Includes the Right of Choice for Whom to Vote

Posted on by October 16, 2014
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The New York Times of October 14, 2014, has this op-ed by Shiu Sin-por, head of the Central Policy Unit of the government of the Hong Kong special administrative region.

As has been well-reported, China has said that Hong Kong voters will be allowed to choose Hong Kong’s chief executive, in elections starting in 2017. But the rules say no one can run who has not been cleared by the central Chinese government in Beijing. The op-ed defends this policy, and asserts that China is keeping its promise for “universal suffrage.”

This controversy illustrates that the right to vote includes the right of choice for whom to vote, something that many in the U.S. forget. The right to vote includes more than the right to put a ballot in a box and have that vote counted. The right to vote also requires that the voter have a free choice of whom to vote for.

Wyoming Public TV Invites All Ballot-Listed Candidates into All Debates for Statewide Office, with One Exception

Posted on by October 16, 2014
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This week Wyoming Public TV is hosting debates for all the statewide races. All ballot-listed candidates are included in all debates, except that the Democratic nominee for U.S. House was apparently excluded. He is Richard Grayson, who lives in Arizona sometimes, and New York city other times, and who reportedly has never set foot in Wyoming. See this story about the debates, which include the nominees of the Republican, Democratic, Libertarian, and Constitution Parties, and one independent candidate.

Wyoming is in the 10th circuit, which ruled in 2000 that states cannot enforce residency requirements on candidates for Congress.