Forum: General Stuff
Topic: Congress
started by: GORDON

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 02 2015,07:46
So why don't your local representatives have simple websites so their constituents can easily let their reps know how they feel about all votes that are coming up?  The website would be simple to create and update, for an unpaid intern staffer.  You can even solve the corruption/people voting from outside the district-problem by using their franking privileges to mail out site passwords to all registered voters in their districts, for free, and the website allows one vote per issue per ID.

I wonder why they don't do that.  Would be cheap and easy and allow people to feel like maybe their opinions actually matter a little bit.



Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 02 2015,07:50
A) People would still be too lazy.
B) They can't make money from it.
C) Gov't can't build a decent website.  Period.

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 02 2015,07:55
A - I don't think they would.  Young people, ironically, wouldn't give a shit about it, but older people would.

B - It shouldn't be about making money, especially, as I said, it wouldn't cost them anything, merely the time of an unpaid intern.

C - If I was a Rep, I could, or at least would be able to project manage it and get it done.  It is honestly so simple I would trust any PoliSci major who minored in programming to be able to do it.


This is about Reps listening to their constituents, it would have to be better and more efficient than having people open paper letters all day long.

Posted by TPRJones on Jul. 02 2015,08:13
QUOTE
I wonder why they don't do that.

Because they don't really give a shit what the people think?  And if they set something like this up and every bit of data it collected proved they weren't representing their voters worth a damn that would be awkward when they are up for reelection.

Representatives have to keep their positions fluid until they figure out which corporation will pay them the most, after all.  Can't be nailing those positions down by doing what the people want, that's for one-term suckers.

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 02 2015,09:50
You'd think they would at least be able to get elected campaigning on "accountability" with something like this.

Maybe I should run.

Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 02 2015,10:01

(GORDON @ Jul. 02 2015,11:50)
QUOTE
You'd think they would at least be able to get elected campaigning on "accountability" with something like this.

Maybe I should run.

No one gives a fuck about accountability.  Have you seen the dudes we elect?
Posted by GORDON on Jul. 02 2015,10:05
Eh, a small-time Representative could be pretty effective hitting all the American Legion halls in his district, and those are probably the most informed voters when everyone else will just vote party lines.  It wouldn't be a big enough election for the media to start demolishing him like with Joe the Plumber.
Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 02 2015,10:14
For every smart voter a candidate wants to cater to, he's got to alienate at least a thousand moron voters.  The math says never to do it.


Posted by GORDON on Jul. 02 2015,10:22
Additionally, there could always be a "Death by Compromise" situation.  If a single underdog candidate starts getting traction with his, "I will let my constituents vote everything" platform, with accountability for how often the candidate votes his constituents' will, then the idea will be copied by whatever candidate has corporate backing, and then the underdog will lose, but if it doesn't happen then the voters will know the fucker is a fucking liar instead of just suspecting it.

I think people are getting sick of being lied to in the aftermath of Obama's "most transparent administration in history."

Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 02 2015,10:28
QUOTE
I think people are getting sick of being lied to in the aftermath of Obama's "most transparent administration in history."

Like they were tired of being lied to by the other ten administrations before them?

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 02 2015,10:37

(Malcolm @ Jul. 02 2015,13:28)
QUOTE
QUOTE
I think people are getting sick of being lied to in the aftermath of Obama's "most transparent administration in history."

Like they were tired of being lied to by the other ten administrations before them?

Got to admit that Obama was a special case.  He was supposed to be The Lighbringer and all but the most devoted zealots are pretty disillusioned by him.  Being lied to by a politician is one thing, but being forsaken by your god is another.  I think now would be the time to capitalize on that.



Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 02 2015,10:43
QUOTE
If a single underdog candidate starts getting traction with his, "I will let my constituents vote everything" platform, with accountability for how often the candidate votes his constituents' will, then the idea will be copied by whatever candidate has corporate backing, and then the underdog will lose, but if it doesn't happen then the voters will know the fucker is a fucking liar instead of just suspecting it.

Your second problem: people are willing to look past the lies if they think benefits come from them.

Posted by TPRJones on Jul. 02 2015,12:48

(Malcolm @ Jul. 02 2015,12:01)
QUOTE
No one gives a fuck about accountability.  Have you seen the dudes we elect?

I think voters care, but the voters aren't the problem.  The problem is the candidates they are offered are all equally shit when it comes to accountability.  The problem is the party's are too corrupt to be willing to let someone seriously selling accountability get into the primary, much less win it.

There are no good politicians because the bad ones make damn sure they never get into the race.

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 02 2015,12:54
You know, someone with a little funding could maybe do this from the outside.  An independent... whatever.... that tracks certain politicians and tracks each and every vote, linking it to youtube vids (or whatever) with the campaign promises.
Posted by GORDON on Jul. 02 2015,12:57
Or, someone needs to run as a bought-and-paid for company man, but then whip up this stuff once he is in.

Or, we need to find some of the idealists who already got elected, saw the machine from the inside, got disillusioned, and talk THEM in to implementing it.

Posted by Vince on Jul. 02 2015,12:58
Back in the 90's we said aloud what many had been feeling for too long.  Character doesn't matter.  Bill Clinton was the epitome of this.  His behavior as a philanderer and taking advantage sexually of a subordinate should have set a lot of his supporters against him.  But as long as he was "winning" for their side, they didn't care.  I think Robert Bork was the last person in the arena of politics that was forthright and honest.  We keep getting scumbags because we destroy anyone that has any virtue.
Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 02 2015,16:55
QUOTE
There are no good politicians because the bad ones make damn sure they never get into the race.

Boom.

QUOTE
An independent... whatever.... that tracks certain politicians and tracks each and every vote, linking it to youtube vids (or whatever) with the campaign promises.

Unless you can condense it into five seconds, no, wouldn't matter, no one cares, too much time.

QUOTE
we need to find some of the idealists who already got elected, saw the machine from the inside, got disillusioned, and talk THEM in to implementing it.

You can find interviews with all sorts of one-term members of Congress that left precisely because of that reason.  Not one is stupid enough to go back and try.

QUOTE
Character doesn't matter.  Bill Clinton was the epitome of this.

If he somehow could run for prez again, that man would bury any opponent from any political party in this country.  He could run independent against Hillary and win.



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