Chapter 10
1. Read
Bush v. Gore in the text. Do you agree with the majority or the
dissenting opinion?
I think that Bush was right in asking for an injunction to stop
the recounts.
Why?
There was
absolutely no way for sure to know what those voters intended. It would have
been ludicrous to continue. It was almost like Gore thought if we keep
recounting them in different ways he would win.
2. Is the ability to fundraise too important in elections?
I think they put too much focus on the money issue. I know it costs a tremendous amount of money to pay for fundraising and for media ads but, I think it is a shame that so much money gets wasted when there could be less expensive alternatives. It’s almost like the candidates have to see who can outdo the other one. It is all about who has the most bucks.
In other words, are good candidates prevented from running because they cannot raise the needed funds?
I feel sure that the lack of money has kept many excellent candidates from running. If a person has the ability to raise enormous amounts of money then that is their personal freedom to do so and most likely the person who spends the most will win. You can’t get yourself out there as a candidate without campaign spending for fundraising, ads and news spots.
Can/should something be done to correct this if it is a problem?
I think the government has done all they should. They have already put limits on campaign finance.
3. Why is there such voter apathy - in other words, why is there often such low voter turnout for elections?
I think a lot of people just think it is a waste of time and that their vote doesn’t count. However, there are lots of reasons not to vote. I think by having early voting we have a better turnout due to the fact that the election is on a workday and most people have to work.
Is there a way to rectify this problem?
It would be nice if we all had more faith in our government.
I think as technology advances and we
are given more convenient methods of voting I think turnouts will increase. The
voters have to feel like they are getting something out it.
Also posted on Stephanie Griffin, Robert Cook & Edward King
Also posted on Stephanie Griffin, Robert Cook & Edward King
I fully agree with your statement that there is simply no honest way to know the voters intent and therefore there was no correct way to perform a recount. And yes, fundraising has too much attention and too many good candidates are unable to compete, and yet, our government has already stepped in and doubtfully should do any more.
ReplyDeleteI remember the Bush vs Gore Presidential Election. I can remember Gore supporters were hostile because they felt as though the election was rigged because Bush's brother was the Governor of Florida at the time of the miscount. In my opinion, it does seem like a conflict of interest did exist. I agree with you about good candidates falling through the cracks of the political system and not being able to participate due to lack of funding; as a result, we the people suffer.
ReplyDeleteI agree that no one knows the intent of someone exept that particular someone. The recount could have been done but there was absolutely not enough time. The way this world is now, we could desperately use a good candidate but with all the greed thats going on, they feel they have to get all they can from hard working citizens. There should already be something done about low voter turnout.
ReplyDeleteI think you are correct when you talk about the fact that some people do not run because they feel their vote doesn't count. I mean when we learn that their are super voters and that the electoral votes are the one's that count. How do we know that they are speaking on behalf of the opinions of the citizens.
ReplyDeleteI agree some people do not vote because they feel as if their vote doesn't matter. And also agree with your statements about Bush v. Gore. There was no way for the votes to be recounted fairly, and agree with Bush when he called for an injunction to stop the recounting. You make very good points about fundraising in political campaigns and I agree with your stance on it. It is all about who can spend the most money on their campaign and this prohibits good candidates from running for office because they cannot raise the funds necessary to run for office.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the fundraising issue. It really does seem like the candidates are just trying to see who can raise the most money. I agree with you about people not voting because they feel they vote does not matter, because I am one that feels that way. That being said, I agree that good candidates are kept out because of low funds.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree, too much focus is on the money, and that is wrong, the people should be able to become informed about candidates through the media and the candidates shouldn't have to pay the most money to get elected into office.
ReplyDelete