Our winner takes all system is tailor made for a two party system...

[WCGreen]

The only way we can get any kind of proportional representation is to develop a proportional electoral system and then elect a prime minister.

The reason European governments have strong liberals involved is because seats in Parliaments, or Diets or what ever they choose to call it, are meted out proportionally.

That is why we have a Center Right government because the winner take all system allows for deep corruption by business interests over individuals.

Until we change the system, we will never achieve representation for our wants and desires even though what we are pushing is basically what the majority of people want.

You know what the first thing the party asked me when I wanted to run for State Rep. How much money can you raise and then, do you have a base. after that, no one gave a whit about what I stood for. It was meaningless.

Our system is stacked against us and until people realize that we will continue to wander in the electoral wilderness...

[hfojvt]

1. unfortunately, what you stand for IS meaningless

especially if you do not have a lot of money. I certainly did not lose because my message was rejected. Most of the voters never heard my message. Most people voted for me based on location - I won my base, my own town and the ones nearby. My opponent won her base - her town and the ones nearby, and then perhaps carried the day because of her gender and because her base turned out to be 3,686 voters and mine was only 3,019. I spent $700 on last minute newspaper ads, but that was seemingly totally ineffective. A third candidate polled 20% of the vote without even campaigning.

[WCGreen]

2. It's the truth....

I was, as are most newcomers to the game, behind the 8 ball right from the start...

Here in Cuyahoga County they elected people down the ticket pretty much because the name sounds familiar.

Be that as it may, the real problem is that long campaign season and the winner take all outcomes pretty much assure only the two richest and well connected people will get the knod...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. And that's what most people do.

They normally will vote for the name they recognize. Since most folks don't (for whatever reason) acquaint themselves with the issues and where the candidates stand on them, name recognition plus who had the snazziest ads will win the day.

It is a real shame...

Good smart people like yourself get left by the wayside.

And we are the poorer for it...

[hfojvt]

6. I don't know that name recognition always counts

it seemed to be more location, and, I suspect, gender. I may have been hurt though, because I have a well-known name, which is Koch. As in the Wichita billionaires David and Charles Koch, my fake uncles. That may have hurt me, if people figured that I was part of that odious family. I spent $700 on newspaper ads that should have given me more name recognition in the five largest cities - Topeka, Leavenworth, Manhattan, Lawrence and Pittsburg. But I got slaughtered in Pittsburg, because that is her home turf and barely edged out a win in Topeka, only getting 700 more votes than Tevis, who did not even campaign. It almost looked random in Topeka, with all of us getting about 1/3 of the vote, with a slight edge for me. So one week worth of advertising did not accomplish anything.

Mostly what they voted for was the town that they recognized as being neraby. I also think a fair number of women voted, really didn't know any of the candidates, but voted for the one candidate who was a woman.

[4lbs]

4. Well.... we could go back to the original results of a presidential election.

The winner is the President, and the second-place person is the vice-president.

So that's....

President Obama and Vice President McCain.

[WCGreen]

5. Not that at all...

W would get rid of the VP slot all together and a cabinet official would take over until new elections are held...