Comments on: Congress should face an Up or Down vote http://saint-rebel.com/2010/02/07/congress-should-face-an-up-or-down-vote/ think for yourself - challenge everything Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:00:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Sean Tierney http://saint-rebel.com/2010/02/07/congress-should-face-an-up-or-down-vote/comment-page-1/#comment-17481 Sean Tierney Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:16:23 +0000 http://saint-rebel.com/?p=288#comment-17481 @David, you completely missed the point of Josh's post which is: "the current incentive structure is flawed." It's not a matter of getting more people to follow politics and vote more consistently- the mechanism used to determine who stays is fundamentally broken in that it encourages people to fight each other rather than to make progress and stand only on track record. No amount of educating voters, encouraging turnout on election day, clean elections programs, etc will fix this until the underlying reelection mechanism is fixed. good post Josh- 100% agree. I would like the see the up/down vote conducted a la Gladiator thumbs up / thumbs down style in a big arena with lions. Sean @David, you completely missed the point of Josh’s post which is: “the current incentive structure is flawed.” It’s not a matter of getting more people to follow politics and vote more consistently- the mechanism used to determine who stays is fundamentally broken in that it encourages people to fight each other rather than to make progress and stand only on track record. No amount of educating voters, encouraging turnout on election day, clean elections programs, etc will fix this until the underlying reelection mechanism is fixed.

good post Josh- 100% agree. I would like the see the up/down vote conducted a la Gladiator thumbs up / thumbs down style in a big arena with lions.
Sean

]]> By: Michael Snyder http://saint-rebel.com/2010/02/07/congress-should-face-an-up-or-down-vote/comment-page-1/#comment-17204 Michael Snyder Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:42:23 +0000 http://saint-rebel.com/?p=288#comment-17204 I agree with you. Washington IS, indeed, broken. I have changed from being a devout conservative to being somewhat of a constitutionalist. I have read the Constitution and Declaration of Independence recently, and they still hold true today. And where they were lacking, they gave us the means to fix them (by amendment). These people, on both sides of the aisle, just do not seem to care about the America in which they live. Yes, a vote by the people where the incumbent runs based on being allowed to keep their position entirely on their own merits (or demerits) looks like an OUTSTANDING idea. And it may get the average American citizen to have a better understanding of the facts about who they elect, based on the same merits. Something that does not seem to be happening in this country now. I agree with you. Washington IS, indeed, broken. I have changed from being a devout conservative to being somewhat of a constitutionalist. I have read the Constitution and Declaration of Independence recently, and they still hold true today. And where they were lacking, they gave us the means to fix them (by amendment). These people, on both sides of the aisle, just do not seem to care about the America in which they live.

Yes, a vote by the people where the incumbent runs based on being allowed to keep their position entirely on their own merits (or demerits) looks like an OUTSTANDING idea. And it may get the average American citizen to have a better understanding of the facts about who they elect, based on the same merits. Something that does not seem to be happening in this country now.

]]> By: David Peterson http://saint-rebel.com/2010/02/07/congress-should-face-an-up-or-down-vote/comment-page-1/#comment-16542 David Peterson Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:41:57 +0000 http://saint-rebel.com/?p=288#comment-16542 Joshua, We are beginning to bring the pieces together to support the Congressional Accountability you seek, we all seek. The accountability occurs on election day. We have successfully chased two congress members out of office and we are ready to share with others the methodology to replicate this effort. Here is a link to a Key Survey result that consolidates constituents wishes around concrete facts illustrating how lame a given congress member is. http://www.my-representative.org/report.php?csn=110&RegionCode=CA-10 435 congressional districts, perhaps you would like to exercise this effort on a MOC near you. Joshua , Abbie, Austin, Nelson, please contact me to participate. saint-rebel@sapphiresolutions.com Others who agree with the comments above and are ready to do something about it, please feel free to contact me. -David Joshua,
We are beginning to bring the pieces together to support the Congressional Accountability you seek, we all seek.
The accountability occurs on election day.
We have successfully chased two congress members out of office and we are ready to share with others the methodology to replicate this effort.

Here is a link to a Key Survey result that consolidates constituents wishes around concrete facts illustrating how lame a given congress member is.
http://www.my-representative.org/report.php?csn=110&RegionCode=CA-10

435 congressional districts, perhaps you would like to exercise this effort on a MOC near you.
Joshua , Abbie, Austin, Nelson, please contact me to participate.
saint-rebel@sapphiresolutions.com

Others who agree with the comments above and are ready to do something about it, please feel free to contact me.
-David

]]> By: Nelson Lee Walker http://saint-rebel.com/2010/02/07/congress-should-face-an-up-or-down-vote/comment-page-1/#comment-16418 Nelson Lee Walker Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:20:09 +0000 http://saint-rebel.com/?p=288#comment-16418 A Congress of career politicians will never allow us to constitutionally term limit them by an amendment. But we can IMPOSE term limits on them by taking these steps in the coming Congressional elections (‘2010, 2012, 2014): 1. Don’t reelect your Congressman or Senator. 2. Always vote, but only for the strongest challenger ,regardless of party . 3. If your incumbent runs unopposed, vote for his strongest challenger, regardless of party. If Congress has not passed a term limits bill by 2014, repeat this in 2016, 2018. Our only intelligent choice is to NEVER REELECT any of them! The only infallible, unstoppable, guaranteed way to get a truly new Congress, AND a new politics, is NEVER REELECT ANY INCUMBENT! DO IT EVERY ELECTION until term limits is ratified. In other words, don't let anyone serve more than one term until Congress passes a term limits bill! NEVER REELECT ANYONE IN CONGRESS. DO IT EVERY ELECTION! ... until we have term limits. A Congress of career politicians will never allow us to constitutionally term limit them by an amendment. But we can IMPOSE term limits on them by taking these steps in the coming Congressional elections (‘2010, 2012, 2014):

1. Don’t reelect your Congressman or Senator.
2. Always vote, but only for the strongest challenger ,regardless of party .
3. If your incumbent runs unopposed, vote for his strongest challenger, regardless of party.

If Congress has not passed a term limits bill by 2014, repeat this in 2016, 2018.

Our only intelligent choice is to NEVER REELECT any of them!

The only infallible, unstoppable, guaranteed way to get a truly new Congress, AND a new politics, is NEVER REELECT ANY INCUMBENT! DO IT EVERY ELECTION until term limits is ratified. In other words, don’t let anyone serve more than one term until Congress passes a term limits bill!

NEVER REELECT ANYONE IN CONGRESS. DO IT EVERY ELECTION! … until we have term limits.

]]> By: Austin Baker http://saint-rebel.com/2010/02/07/congress-should-face-an-up-or-down-vote/comment-page-1/#comment-16414 Austin Baker Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:45:13 +0000 http://saint-rebel.com/?p=288#comment-16414 I know what you mean. That was kind of my point. We havent really had anything that worked towards a positive america in ages. Arizona is pushing to require the State Justices to be voted on every 4 years by the state legislature. Seems to me like a poor check and balance if they are allowed to decide if they don't like how SC votes on issues that they pass through. I know what you mean. That was kind of my point. We havent really had anything that worked towards a positive america in ages. Arizona is pushing to require the State Justices to be voted on every 4 years by the state legislature.

Seems to me like a poor check and balance if they are allowed to decide if they don’t like how SC votes on issues that they pass through.

]]> By: joshua http://saint-rebel.com/2010/02/07/congress-should-face-an-up-or-down-vote/comment-page-1/#comment-16406 joshua Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:03:36 +0000 http://saint-rebel.com/?p=288#comment-16406 Patriot Act was Important.. but for all the wrong reasons. I consider the patriot act the single biggest afront on our civil liberties since.. forever. It was anything but patriotic. Patriot Act was Important.. but for all the wrong reasons. I consider the patriot act the single biggest afront on our civil liberties since.. forever. It was anything but patriotic.

]]> By: Austin Baker http://saint-rebel.com/2010/02/07/congress-should-face-an-up-or-down-vote/comment-page-1/#comment-16405 Austin Baker Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:58:03 +0000 http://saint-rebel.com/?p=288#comment-16405 I don't know that i totally agree with the up / down vote stuff but i totally agree that they are a waste of time right now. Term limits for senators would be great. I am getting so tired of NOTHING getting done. I remember how both McCain and Obama abstained from almost all of 2008 votes while they were campaigning which seems completely absurd to have a person representing our state not participate because they are hoping for bigger and better things. Also congress passed the patriot act which was a fairly major piece of reform. I don’t know that i totally agree with the up / down vote stuff but i totally agree that they are a waste of time right now. Term limits for senators would be great. I am getting so tired of NOTHING getting done.

I remember how both McCain and Obama abstained from almost all of 2008 votes while they were campaigning which seems completely absurd to have a person representing our state not participate because they are hoping for bigger and better things.

Also congress passed the patriot act which was a fairly major piece of reform.

]]> By: Abbie http://saint-rebel.com/2010/02/07/congress-should-face-an-up-or-down-vote/comment-page-1/#comment-16402 Abbie Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:51:55 +0000 http://saint-rebel.com/?p=288#comment-16402 What a refreshing and wonderful idea! What a refreshing and wonderful idea!

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