All this talk about voter apathy.......yes, another call to change the system.

[Sheepshank]

Is it in part because they don't think their vote counts? Or is it because of the policies of the officials running for office?

Would one man, one vote improve the imperative for both situations? Wouldn't counting votes by this method make people feel like their individual voice is being noticed and of worth?

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Here's some light reading on the problem...

5 articles by someone who is paid to know about these things. I would say the most immediate problem is the tone of political discourse, which is turning people off in droves. But, the tone was was worse years ago when it inspired people. Go figure.

Anyway, some good insights and possible solutions to a complex problem:

http://hnn.us/articles/1104.html

(an except from the first article)

"The change in party politics also helps to explain why candidates now have trouble crafting messages that voters find compelling. Candidates have never had so many communication weapons at their disposal, yet they have never found it so hard to frame their message. As Franklin Roosevelt's voice crackled into living rooms through the vacuum-tube radio, his pledge to "the forgotten man" had a persuasive power that today's media consultants would envy. Listeners didn't have to be told what FDR had in mind or to whom he was speaking. Campaign messages today are strikingly different in the wide range of issues they address, the contradictions they contain, the speed with which they turn over, and the small percentage of voters with whom they resonate. After their defeat in the 2002 midterm election, Democratic leaders were roundly criticized for failing to put out a message that captivated voters. However, Democratic politicians are neither stupid nor apolitical. If a simple and compelling message was readily available, they would have seized it. Such messages are today quite rare. If Republicans could not rely on their perennial "let's cut taxes" pitch-which is now closer to a fight song than a true governing philosophy-they would face the same problem.

A century ago, James Bryce worried that the growing complexity of American society threatened the parties' ability to forge and mobilize cohesive majorities. Social complexity is now orders of magnitude greater and has clearly overtaken the parties. The consequences include a lower rate of electoral participation."

[MineralMan]

2. Are you talking about the Electoral College?

That only applies to the Presidency and Vice-Presidency. I think a better idea would be public financing of campaigning and a prohibition on all donations from anyone, individual or corporation, over a certain, rather small amount. I'd eliminate all PACs by making it illegal for them to ever mention a candidate by name in any way in any of their advertising.

Get elections back in the hands of individuals and take it out of the hands of big business and big organizations.

Maybe a limit on the timeline for campaigns, too.

[Sheepshank]

3. interesting thought.

I'm originally from a country whre I simply don't remember the politically charged rhetoric 2 years before an election. Perhaps the voting public is overwhelmed and overused well before the voting booths are even set up?

[MineralMan]

4. Campaigning now never ends for national offices.

It begins again right after every election. I think this is absolutely toxic. Look at that cretin, Crazy-Eyes Bachmann. She's not even campaigning in her own district. She lets the money do that for her. She's running around the country running for something altogether different from her little House seat. I'm still hopeful that her nonsense will end in November.

[grilled onions]

5. To vote or not to vote

So many do not vote anymore because they do not see change no matter who wins the elections. They become soured on the entire process when they hear about vote stealing,voting machines more crooked then the shadiest slot machine. They become bitter when those elected seem more interested in lining the pockets,passing out raises to the upper crust leaving the crumbs to the humble little voters who got them in. True the younger generations are either more interested in their texting obsession and have little patience but many of the rest are just tired of hearing the same old song while they try to shuffle their little income between bills,college educations,healthcare and saving all the while hearing how tough it is "at the top" for the CEO's,the Congress critters. They get rather cynical when they hear that more money is being pumped into endless wars or to other countries all the while this country is looking more like a third world country in many ways. They see dangerous bridges,roads in bad shape and many large parks with shortened seasons. They also see roads to nowhere being built. They see waste. They see many things that will have to be be built because they are in such sad shape. They become bitter. In order for the system to work, in order for them to have more voters to count on they have to show us that our votes count. There is little point into going through the motions of voting if nothing will ever change. No one expects miracles and its' twice as difficult when you half around half of Capitol Hill against whatever it is you desire,hope for. But when your own party doesn't seem to be in any hurry to help things along you get resentment in a hurry. We cannot afford to wait. We don't have the luxury of time as they do. Many have jobs that are hanging on by a thread or jobless benefits almost at the end of the line. Kids still get hungry. Utilities still demand to be paid. Doctors and dentists want their cut as well(not including those costly drugs). Many want healthcare for all NOW. Priorities that many voters have do not seem to be on the same time table as Congress. It seems at time we are not even on the same tracks. Our train is running one way and theirs another. Add to the mix the different parties plus parties within the parties you have even more tracks headed every which way. LIttle is getting done and our "train" can't seem to get rolling in ANY direction.