There's super delegates, why not super voters?

[sean miguel]

Sanders' supporters are rightly pissed that though their candidate wins state after state, Hillary continues to increase her delegate lead due to these super delegates.

Why not extend that concept to the general election but with a system that is more just IMO? I know this sounds like some Robert A. Heinlein fantasy (Starship Troopers) where "service guarantees citizenship", but hear me out.

Those who are and who have put their ass on the line for their country and their fellow citizens should have more say in who runs the country. That would be the military, police and fire and also those civil rights workers who faced arrest, beatings and even death during the 60's. Make each one of their votes carry the weight of 5. And in extraordinary cases like Medal of Honor winners make it x10.


And if you're here illegally and/or legally dead, your vote should count as half.


Just some random musing.

 

[zeeblofowl_1969]

Sanders' supporters are rightly pissed that though their candidate wins state after state, Hillary continues to increase her delegate lead due to these super delegates.

Why not extend that concept to the general election but with a system that is more just IMO? I know this sounds like some Robert A. Heinlein fantasy (Starship Troopers) where "service guarantees citizenship", but hear me out.

Those who are and who have put their ass on the line for their country and their fellow citizens should have more say in who runs the country. That would be the military, police and fire and also those civil rights workers who faced arrest, beatings and even death during the 60's. Make each one of their votes carry the weight of 5. And in extraordinary cases like Medal of Honor winners make it x10.


And if you're here illegally and/or legally dead, your vote should count as half.


Just some random musing.

Although I greatly appreciate military service this does not set you up to be on a higher plane of thought for decision making.
As to police and firefighters, I have several friends who do one or the other and for the most part they chose these fields for reasons other than 'service'.

 

[GodsEmbryo]

I find the US system of choosing a president (or even a parliament for that matter) rather complex. As a US American do you think this is actually the best system altogether? Why even use delegates and super delegates? Shouldn't the number of votes speak for themselves?

 

[zeeblofowl_1969]

I find the US system of choosing a president (or even a parliament for that matter) rather complex. As a US American do you think this is actually the best system altogether? Why even use delegates and super delegates? Shouldn't the number of votes speak for themselves?

Our system was compromised years ago.
Electoral votes are an abomination.
Gerrymandering is treason.
The will of the people hasn't been for decades.

 

[tvstrip]

Sanders' supporters are rightly pissed that though their candidate wins state after state, Hillary continues to increase her delegate lead due to these super delegates.

Why not extend that concept to the general election but with a system that is more just IMO? I know this sounds like some Robert A. Heinlein fantasy (Starship Troopers) where "service guarantees citizenship", but hear me out.
Those who are and who have put their ass on the line for their country and their fellow citizens should have more say in who runs the country. That would be the military...

That's not fantasy, it's actually how it was. Funny you should mention that; I posted this a little while ago:

http://board.freeones.com/showthrea...-Remembrance&p=9427905&viewfull=1#post9427905
This guy (and his fellow Asian Soldiers) were responsible for getting Asian Servicemen the right to vote in Canada, basically the first non-whites to be able to do so. (If you didn't enlist and were non-white, you were still persona non grata). So yeah, those who fought for the country got a bigger say (or a say at all).

But to answer your interesting question, what about the potential problems?

1) You're creating a class system where some people are "worth" more than others.

2) Simple fact is that there are less women in the armed forces, police and fire. Feminists will say this is sexist

3) Where you do you draw the line as to who put their "ass on the line?" Do you give all servicemen the supervote? Because there are plenty of people in uniform that don't face imminent danger, e.g. Drone Pilots. Heck, George W Bush was in the Air National Guard,

 

[meesterperfect]

The Super Delegate system was put in place for one reason which is to allow someone who has 100's of millions of dollars in "contributions" from big banks, big lobbies, big business, and corrupt billionaire money junkies to buy the White House.
If there is one reason this system helps The People of the USA please let me know.

It's not much different from when White, Male, Christian land owners were the only ones allowed to vote.
Come to think of it that's not a bad idea.........no no just joking..........or am I?
Of course I am.
But then again........no, of course not.
Joking.

 

[Straight Shooter]

 

[Supafly]

Superdelegates ARE the supervoters.

 

[Johan]

The whole super-delegate thing is stupid and anti-democratic.
Just because some people hold (or held) office shouldn't give them more electoral right than other people

I have much respect for military, police officers, civil right workers, etc. but I don't think they are more important to a society than farmer, doctors, nurses, teachers, construction workers, etc.

 

[Rey C.]

*SMACK*

You had a bee ona you head...

 

[Jagger69]

The whole super-delegate thing is stupid and anti-democratic.
Just because some people hold (or held) office shouldn't give them more electoral right than other people

I have much respect for military, police officers, civil right workers, etc. but I don't think they are more important to a society than farmer, doctors, nurses, teachers, construction workers, etc.

Super-delegates don't carry any more voting weight than any other delegate does. What makes them special is that they do not have to cast their vote at the convention for anyone other than the candidate of their own choosing, not those who were chosen by a majority or percentage of voters in the primary. I agree it's a fucked-up system but so is our entire government and society so why should this process be any different? Either way, 99% of us get fucked.

 

[Rey C.]

Very true, Jagger. And the biggest thing that people tend to forget: both the DNC and the RNC are private organizations. They've made themselves into quasi-public bodies through scheming and an electorate that has willingly devoted itself to one party or the other, rather than a devotion to the republic. After Perot's nearly successful run, one of the very few times that the Democrat and Republican leaderships worked together was to change many of the rules that allowed those outside of their duopoly to have a fighting chance. But being like sheep, the American people didn't try to storm the castle with pitchforks when that happened... so here we are.

The Dems and Repubs can basically come up with whatever rules they want to. And if the American people continue to support them anyway, I say, good for the crooks and scoundrels. At a certain point, I lose sympathy for willing slaves. It's just too bad that those of us who don't believe in party devotion (over devotion to country) have to suffer along with those that tow the party lines.