Elections. That is the key word in United States. All must be decided through a democratic popular vote. More over if the charge in election is the most powerful in the nation: the Presidency. Since George Washington was elected President on the recently formed American nation in the latest XVIII century, many things has changed and other ones remains the same. Two centuries and a quarter later. Meanwhile other political structures have derivated into a most perfect systems. Like the British, who specially after the loosing of the 13 America colonies treated its King as it was mad and introduced many reforms in their system that could bring them and the whole kingdom into a new era of proto democracy. And we must say also that United States democracy in its beginning is like the ancient Athens one. Only for free men. As you could have seen in Monticello, home of the father of the Declaration of Independence, Mr. Thomas Jefferson, where Black people were only 4 / 5 parts Human.
Presidential election was decided into the states of the Union. In ancient times, when Washington DC was a far capital from the states, a representation of each state was sent to the capital by the territory’s Governor. And they all decided who would be the next President. It is the so called “Cascade” system. Where the people elects the state politicians (including the Governor) and when it was an election year, the Governor sends a representation. Unique and uniform. An indirect election. You can say it is democratic … because you elect the state representatives that elects the presidential electoral committee. Soon after that the local peoples, in restricted suffrage, started to elect that committee.
As everyone can say it is an specific presidential election. Separated. But you do not elect the President. Even the new reforms. Like a splendid historical remora in the United States the people elects today 50 committees (one per state). And the majority gets the whole representation. That is the reason why a global victory in votes can suppose a real electoral defeat.
New era of politics in United States started with the new mass medias. In early XX century and in the whole first third there were two elections that a half century after that could have not took place. Two of the so nominated “Best American presidents in history”: Wilson and FD Roosevelt. These two men had medical problems and they had problems in their legs. In the age of communications it is virtually impossible. Everything is calculated millimetrically. A type of Teledemocracy or Parademocracy. As you prefer. Because if it was a normal presidential election there could be a statal division by political option in order to reveal each state plural situation, or put all votes in common to decide the next President in popular vote. Direct election. The one that is not made.
Former President Clinton said in an article that to become President one person must be seen as a potential President. “¿Do you see him as President?” The image is vital. Not your ideas, but the way you express your ideas, where do you express them, when …
In a month in future we will see the elections. Bush against Kerry. The fight promises to be epic. Principally because of “2000 Florida” X File. In 1960 the 8 year Vice President Richard Nixon competed with the young Irish catholic from Massachusetts JFK (John Fitzgerald Kennedy). In the presidential debate Kennedy won Nixon. Specially the ones that watched the show on TV. And for a close margin of votes Kennedy won the popular vote and the Presidency. 2000 is different. Florida would vote Bush. Whatever the electors could say. And Black men and women returned to be something similar to 4 / 5. Because if computer said that you had the 75% or more similarity to a condemned guy you were out from the census. And this is only one of the circumstances that happened and could happen again. Because this elections and its rules makes the parties transform their strateges into political surgeons. When it could be simplified if it were a direct popular vote. A real democratic vote. Even if there is an international observative commission. There will be no way to see the day after tomorrow what will be voted just a month in tomorrow.
As Woody Allen said, and I subscribe, I believe in democracy, liberties and equality … but I also think that the American political system can work.
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