North Korea on the Delaware
Northward Korea on the Delaware
Democratic people's republic of korea on the Delaware
You know what makes for an interesting election, in which people desire to vote? Races with more ane candidate
Oct. 09, 2015
In an uncontested election on March 10, 2014, N Korean dictator Kim Jong United nations was " reelected " with 100 percent of the vote.
Americans usually express mirth (if just to keep from weeping) when dictators win 100 percentage of the vote in what is clearly a simulated ballot. We know that these elections, which usually also meet preposterous 100 per centum voter turnout rates, are meant to solidify the dictatorial perches upon which leaders such as Un and the late Saddam Hussein sit.
Americans, of course, recognize that competitive, meaningful elections are the lifeblood of republic. Elections allow us to overthrow the government if we think it's doing a bad job. Elections put pressure on our elected officials to do their jobs right, because they know that they'll have a tough race in front of them if they don't. Our electoral system wouldn't work if there were no choices. If we, like the Due north Koreans, literally take no one else to vote for, and then our elected officials accept free reign (quite literally) to do whatever the hell they experience like without any fear of repercussions. If they're not faced with any challenge to their rule, and so instead of focusing on their constituents, they can focus on accumulation power , rewarding their cronies , or, even worse, failing to perform even the most basic of their job requirements.
The word "election," past definition, requires a pick. What a relief it is and then to live in a identify that doesn't have sham elections. Right?
In an uncontested election on March 11, 2014, Philadelphia Congressman Chakah Fattah was " reelected " with 100 pct of the vote.
In an uncontested ballot on May 19, 2015, Philadelphia Metropolis Council President Darrell Clarke was " reelected " with 99.84 percent of the vote. (There were 25 write-ins.)
In uncontested elections on Nov 3, 2015, Clarke and vi other commune Quango members will exist "elected" with basically 100 percent of the vote.
In all of these cases, the candidates had or have zero challengers on the election.
What the hell, Philadelphia?
Modernistic representative commonwealth (AKA "the election process") was practically invented hither in Philadelphia. Simply our elections experience just like the royal coronations that the Founders worked so hard to break complimentary from. Much like N Koreans have no choice but to keep Kim Jong Un in power, Philadelphians have no choice just to keep Clarke, Marking Squilla, Jannie Blackwell, Bobby Henon, and Brian O'Neill in power, since none of them faced a challenger in either the main or general elections.
Here's the matter: Both parties are to blame. The Republicans, shamefully, don't even pretend to challenge the vast majority of these elections. I'1000 not going to say that Melissa Murray-Bailey has a snowball's chance confronting Jim Kenney and the Democratic machine, just at least if we found out tomorrow that Kenney had committed some terrible atrocity, we as voters would have an culling. Merely when the likes of Fattah are nether federal investigation and there isn't even a token Republican there to clean up the mess if (or, as it's now known, "when") he gets indicted? It'due south pathetic. Specially with the rates at which our area elected officials get indicted. (Come across: This . And this . And this .)
Modern representative democracy (AKA "the ballot process") was practically invented hither in Philadelphia. But our elections feel simply like the royal coronations that the Founders worked then hard to interruption free from.
Everyone cites the famous 7-to-1 registration deficit that Republicans face as a reason for why they don't bother showing upwardly to an election. But Republicans don't meet a seven-to-ane arrears in votes. Not even close. In fact, in Mayor Nutter's re-election in 2011—which was the nigh foregone conclusion of elections in recent memory—the final tally was 74 percent Democrat to 21 percent Republican. Sure, three-to-ane is a veritable beating, merely imagine if Mayor Nutter had an sick-timed scandal break in 2011?
The Democrats, though, are even more to blame. They've built a powerful political car far more interested in consolidating ability than in building a potent, effective authorities. And they use intimidation to proceed their ranks tight. At one bespeak prior to the May primary, a friend of mine joked that he might write in his own name rather than vote for a councilperson who was running uncontested. He was told by several Democratic campaign staffers that if he performed fifty-fifty this small (and basically meaningless) symbolic deed of defiance, there would be serious consequences, and he could basically buss his political career adieu.
Sound familiar ?
That powerful machine has the resources to beat any insurgent or independent campaign. This is why incumbents most never lose , fifty-fifty when they are challenged, no matter how terrible or decadent they are. Here in Philadelphia, 70 per centum of our general elections for commune council seats are uncontested. In fact, half of our district council members faced no opposition in the primary or full general, meaning they could have, say, been convicted of driving a government-owned vehicle while intoxicated and still won.
Other major cities don't seem to have this problem. In New York City, for case, just six of the 51 district council races (12 pct) were unopposed in their near recent ballot. In Washington, DC, not a single 2022 quango race was uncontested. We are, it seems, unique in our utter lack of democracy.
So what'southward different about New York and DC? New York has strong Democratic and Republican parties that both held robust and competitive primaries; it also has several other smaller parties. Despite a voter registration gap like to Philadelphia's, Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg were both elected mayor as Republicans; Bloomberg somewhen switched to Contained, and was still reelected. In fact, prior to current Mayor Pecker DeBlasio, New York City'due south highest post hadn't been held past a Democrat since 1993. Somehow, Republicans in New York, unlike in Philly, have figured out a mode to differentiate themselves from the polarizing national party and exist competitive in citywide elections.
On the surface, DC is much more similar to Philadelphia. Their Republican party is so weak that they failed to even run a candidate in the most recent mayoral election, an act even more pathetic than what nosotros usually go from our Republican party here. Simply onetime Republican Councilman David Catania did run equally an Independent; he lost by a 54-to-34 margin, with another Independent candidate winning about seven per centum of the vote. At to the lowest degree in DC, there is some significant dissenting minority to concord the Democrats accountable.
Half of our district council members faced no opposition in the primary or general, meaning they could take, say, been convicted of driving a authorities-owned vehicle while intoxicated and still won. (Come across: Parker, Cherelle.)
But all is not lost for Philadelphia, as this election cycle may have shown. The chief for Council-at-big seats included an encouraging crop of political newcomers , some of whom were actually elected . While Bailey is not exactly lighting upwardly the Mayoral race, the Republican political party—nether new leadership—did at least attain out to some potential competitive nominees, like Sam Katz and Ron Castille. And Philadelphia is the launching pad for CrowdPac , which allows anyone to nominate candidates for part, and pledge coin to support them. It hasn't made much of a dent yet, but the race for Fattah's seat may exist its testing ground.
In the stop, maybe Philadelphia is unique not considering of how we are constructed politically, but who we are as a city and equally citizens. Are we content to be controlled by Tammany Hall-style party bosses who issue decrees from fume-filled rooms? If non, information technology's time that we stepped upward and did something most it.
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Source: https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/ideas-we-should-steal-contested-elections/
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