Election congratulations are due

[unixronin]

...to Barack Obama (D-IL), who becomes the first black Democrat in the Senate since Reconstruction (and only the third black Senator of either party), David Vitter (R-LA), the first Republican ever popularly elected to the Senate from Louisiana, and Ken Salazar (D-CO), who becomes the first latino Senator ever.

Comments

[docwebster.livejournal.com]

Indeed. So. How do we get the Greens and/or Libertarians up to snuff for 2008?

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Well, for starters, the Greens are practically just a wing of the Democrat party. The green candidate this election, according to ilcylic, was a complete patsy specifically chosen to be no threat to Kerry.

As for the Libertarians, the primary problem isn't getting them up to snuff. It's getting the vast bulk of Middle America to accept (a) the idea that there is another party to vote for that isn't composed of tree-hugging pot-smoking hippy liberals, (b) that it might actually be better for them than the Ass or the Elephant, and (c) that a vote for a third party is NOT automatically a wasted vote.

The other major part of the problem is that the current electoral system is heavily rigged to favor the Republicans and Democrats, and getting that system changed to be more friendly to third parties is going to be a monumental endeavor that almost certainly cannot be accomplished in a single Presidential term (particularly since the aforementioned Ass and Elephant will fight any such reform tooth and nail), and may not be accomplished in the next ten terms.

[cymrullewes.livejournal.com]

For the Presidential election? I don't think it is possible. Unless you can convince George Soros or Paul Allen or Bill Gates to give you a huge chunk of change to advertise in every newspaper in America.


What needs to happen is that we need to go volunteer for the political campaigns. We need to get them elected on the local level and then on the regional level and then on the state level and then on the national level. Otherwise they haven't got a leg to stand on.

[shadowcat48li.livejournal.com]

the fact that Alan Keyes got 30% of the vote was amazing, and sad...
the mans rhetoric was just plain scary. after the morons in the party tossed out Jack Ryan over a scandal that it looks like was a complete non issue, they got everything they deserved for their arrogance and incompetence. Barak Obama is very good... theres no denying that, but the race should have been a lot different.