John Dingell has a few ideas about how to fix American politics

[ttystikk]

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/12/john-dingell-how-restore-faith-government/577222/

John Dingell, former Congressman from Michigan, has some interesting ideas.

They seem pretty familiar to those of us who have been looking for solutions to our political problems.

I like his suggestion that we eliminate the US Senate the best. He's right that it fails utterly to represent the majority of Americans and that trend will continue to get worse.

 

[Unclebaldrick]

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/12/john-dingell-how-restore-faith-government/577222/

John Dingell, former Congressman from Michigan, has some interesting ideas.

They seem pretty familiar to those of us who have been looking for solutions to our political problems.

I like his suggestion that we eliminate the US Senate the best. He's right that it fails utterly to represent the majority of Americans and that trend will continue to get worse.

This sounds like a good idea, Tty. Eliminate the Senate and get back to me.

 

[abandonconflict]

Might have to get money out of politics and do away with super delegates first. Then everyone can have the DNC nomination to run for president.

 

[Rob Roy]

 

[rkymtnman]

After we get rid of the Senate,

We should also get rid of Presidential elections since 2 of the last 5 failed to represent the American people.

After that, how about every odd numbered Amendment ?

 

[Unclebaldrick]

After we get rid of the Senate,

We should also get rid of Presidential elections since 2 of the last 5 failed to represent the American people.

After that, how about every odd numbered Amendment ?

Streets should be made out of foam that is soft but lasts forever.

Cars should run forever on a handful of dried peas.

The Constitution should be rewritten by a time machine using platypus and then somehow, he should build a political coalition to avoid the civil war. This way the Senate could be abolished without an amendment which would certainly lose or a constitutional convention that we would also lose.

Or, we should have one of them golden armies like in that hellboy movie. We really need a revolution but I am too lazy to do it.

 

[tangerinegreen555]

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/12/john-dingell-how-restore-faith-government/577222/

John Dingell, former Congressman from Michigan, has some interesting ideas.

They seem pretty familiar to those of us who have been looking for solutions to our political problems.

I like his suggestion that we eliminate the US Senate the best. He's right that it fails utterly to represent the majority of Americans and that trend will continue to get worse.

But the elephant in the room is that 33% of the electorate are as dumb as a fucking rock.

And that 40%-50% of the potential electorate choose not to be involved.

And there's that damn 1st ammendment that promotes fake news to the 33% that are dumb as a rock.

When you have ideas on how to enlighten the masses, let me know.

Maybe a children's news program to explain civics, history and political science and 4 week election cycles.

 

[Unclebaldrick]

But the elephant in the room is that 33% of the electorate are as dumb as a fucking rock.

And that 40%-50% of the potential electorate choose not to be involved.

And there's that damn 1st ammendment that promotes fake news to the 33% that are dumb as a rock.

When you have ideas on how to enlighten the masses, let me know.

Maybe a children's news program to explain civics, history and political science and 4 week election cycles.

And that 33% dumb as a rock group control about 50% of the Senators.

A dumb person in Wyoming has about 7500% more Senate representation as a dumbie in California. It's what the founding fathers wanted - well, some of them

 

[rkymtnman]

Cars should run forever on a handful of dried peas.

I'm a ninth generation pea farmer. Grandpa would be smiling in his mausoleum.

 

[tangerinegreen555]

And that 33% dumb as a rock group control about 50% of the Senators.

A dumb person in Wyoming has about 7500% more Senate represtation as a dumbie in California. It's what the founding fathers wanted - well, some of them

It's just annoying that tty never acknowledges why we have red states.

Somebody votes them in. Go convince those people to consider another option while they're calling you names and their radical element is sending mail bombs to Democrats, comedians and actors.

 

[rkymtnman]

It's just annoying that tty never acknowledges why we have red states.

you would think he would since CO is surrounded by a bunch of Red states.

 

[Unclebaldrick]

It's just annoying that tty never acknowledges why we have red states.

Somebody votes them in. Go convince those people to consider another option while they're calling you names and their radical element is sending mail bombs to Democrats, comedians and actors.

I am pretty sure that earlier this year Tty thought citizens of one stare could recall another states politicians.

It's only slightly more ridiculous than @Padawanbater2 thinking Nancy Pelosi will rely on Republican votes for Speaker.

Now when faced with this fact, Tty claims that we need a revolution and I am just lazy. This from a guy who couldn't make the time to vote in his own primary.

He reminds me of some filthy, Bolshie, bomb thrower in 1916. The kind Lenin had executed in 1917.

 

[Unclebaldrick]

you would think he would since CO is surrounded by a bunch of Red states.

No shit.

Wyoming?

Hello?

 

[rkymtnman]

No shit.

Wyoming?

Hello?

you want an eye opening experience? spend a nite or 2 in gillette. what a crap hole. pure Trump country of alcoholic coal miners.

 

[UncleBuck]

Streets should be made out of foam that is soft but lasts forever.

Cars should run forever on a handful of dried peas.

The Constitution should be rewritten by a time machine using platypus and then somehow, he should build a political coalition to avoid the civil war. This way the Senate could be abolished without an amendment which would certainly lose or a constitutional convention that we would also lose.

Or, we should have one of them golden armies like in that hellboy movie. We really need a revolution but I am too lazy to do it.

I don’t have a handful of dried peas man

Cmon

 

[Roger A. Shrubber]

tty bashing is pretty popular, sometimes with just cause..but i actually like this idea. there are probably plenty of flaws in it, but it's exactly what i've thought for a long long time....why does Rhode island get as many votes as California or New York? why do we allow campaign contributions? elections aren't supposed to be about who can afford the most ads, they're supposed to be about who has the best ideas.....
getting rid of congress would be great, but would take time...getting rid of the electoral college could be done before the next election, and the actual will of the people would be carried out for the first time in a long time....and there would most definitely be an end to the trump insanity....

 

[Unclebaldrick]

tty bashing is pretty popular, sometimes with just cause..but i actually like this idea. there are probably plenty of flaws in it, but it's exactly what i've thought for a long long time....why does Rhode island get as many votes as California or New York? why do we allow campaign contributions? elections aren't supposed to be about who can afford the most ads, they're supposed to be about who has the best ideas.....
getting rid of congress would be great, but would take time...getting rid of the electoral college could be done before the next election, and the actual will of the people would be carried out for the first time in a long time....and there would most definitely be an end to the trump insanity....

But you can't do it without an amendment (not even sure that could do it) which would take ratification of two thirds of states. That will never happen. Or rewrite the Constitution. That would mean a convention which the Republicans would dominate.

Or a revolution. But I was up late last night watching Mrs. Maizel and feel kind of logy.

 

[Unclebaldrick]

I don’t have a handful of dried peas man

Cmon

Bernie will give us all peas. They will be dry. Very dry.

 

[Fogdog]

tty bashing is pretty popular, sometimes with just cause..but i actually like this idea. there are probably plenty of flaws in it, but it's exactly what i've thought for a long long time....why does Rhode island get as many votes as California or New York? why do we allow campaign contributions? elections aren't supposed to be about who can afford the most ads, they're supposed to be about who has the best ideas.....
getting rid of congress would be great, but would take time...getting rid of the electoral college could be done before the next election, and the actual will of the people would be carried out for the first time in a long time....and there would most definitely be an end to the trump insanity....

I read the article. It wasn't from one of the many odious propaganda sites that tty posts from and thought the ideas were OK.

Two questions that came to me when reading the article:

Is the problem of division and stalemate in government really due to the constitution due to the people of this country?
Isn't it better if people fund campaigns through small donations rather than the government itself?

Regarding the outsized voice given to states with small populations in the Senate, it that such a bad thing? 32% of the population of the US reside in four states: California, Texas, Florida and New York. If we fix our "problem" by removing the Senate, wouldn't those four states ensure continuance of their place in the balance of power by channeling most resources and attention to themselves?

I also think that the article ignores the demographic shift going on today that is the source of so much anxiety and polarization in the current white majority. This gets back to my questioning if the real problem isn't the Senate but the people who vote for extreme nut jobs like Trump and radical right wing Republicans.

 

[Unclebaldrick]

I read the article. It wasn't from one of the many odious propaganda sites that tty posts from and thought the ideas were OK.

Two questions that came to me when reading the article:

Is the problem of division and stalemate in government really due to the constitution due to the people of this country?
Isn't it better if people fund campaigns through small donations rather than the government itself?

Regarding the outsized voice given to states with small populations in the Senate, it that such a bad thing? 32% of the population of the US reside in four states: California, Texas, Florida and New York. If we fix our "problem" by removing the Senate, wouldn't those four states ensure continuance of their place in the balance of power by channeling most resources and attention to themselves?

I also think that the article ignores the demographic shift going on today that is the source of so much anxiety and polarization in the current white majority. This gets back to my questioning if the real problem isn't the Senate but the people who vote for extreme nut jobs like Trump and radical right wing Republicans.

The polarization we are finding is due to a couple of things. One is the income disparity between very rich and the rest of us. But besides that, there is a real gap between the economies of yesterday and today. People in urban areas are doing far more productive jobs and country people are working harder but getting less. The urban economies are tied into the globe far more than before and it scares the rural areas who are also tied into the global economy but rarely understand it. Educational standards have fallen and religious fervor has risen.

So do we turn in or out? Not the first time we have faced this decision. The conflict will take decades to abate.