tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.comments2023-09-28T04:08:46.005-04:00The HanksterNancy Hankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428253702914703243noreply@blogger.comBlogger2522125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-54053521175562191422019-03-02T14:17:28.404-05:002019-03-02T14:17:28.404-05:00A great interview. Still (more than) relevant toda...A great interview. Still (more than) relevant today.David Belmonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04540534066753791412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-89973864329290093602014-07-24T15:35:44.596-04:002014-07-24T15:35:44.596-04:00It's been 4 weeks since you posted anything. ...It's been 4 weeks since you posted anything. I miss you!richardwingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13470637786166917187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-52774514136653407752014-06-10T12:38:29.626-04:002014-06-10T12:38:29.626-04:00At least in Ohio, there will be Green Party and Li...At least in Ohio, there will be Green Party and Libertarian Party candidates on the November ballot for some statewide offices (including Governor, for the Greens). By contrast, California will be one of only three states this year with a complete Democratic-Republican monopoly on all the statewide offices. richardwingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13470637786166917187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-74061943276969489362014-05-30T21:17:58.589-04:002014-05-30T21:17:58.589-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Nancy Hankshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428253702914703243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-27775956807740284482014-05-30T21:17:57.454-04:002014-05-30T21:17:57.454-04:00Catana Barnes, thanks so much for your insightful ...Catana Barnes, thanks so much for your insightful and thoughtful PICTURE of our present political state!<br /><br />No admittance to independents, in my opinion,amounts to no democracy.<br /><br />Thanks for all your hard work on the ground to develop democracy in the USA.<br /><br />Look forward to building with you.<br /><br />NHNancy Hankshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428253702914703243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-67112701706770887012014-04-20T09:24:20.566-04:002014-04-20T09:24:20.566-04:00me gusta mucho!me gusta mucho!Nancy Hankshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428253702914703243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-17293159237580053012014-03-20T11:27:14.861-04:002014-03-20T11:27:14.861-04:00It is certainly true that independents will soon o...It is certainly true that independents will soon outnumber Republicans in Arizona, if trends continue. However, that hasn't happened yet. The new voter registration tally lumps in Greens with independents. When anyone subtracts the Greens out, the independents are still below the Republicans.richardwingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13470637786166917187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-29688333191675740132013-11-29T14:36:52.836-05:002013-11-29T14:36:52.836-05:0090% of the incumbents in Congress who are defeated...90% of the incumbents in Congress who are defeated, are defeated in the general election, not the primary. The voters know this, and that is why voter turnout in general elections is always at least 50% higher than in primaries, and sometimes twice as high.<br /><br />When California had its first top-two primary in 2012, it had the lowest voter turnout for any primary that was held in conjunction with a presidential primary in 100 years, and California has only had a presidential primary for 100 years. No incumbent in federal or state office in California was defeated in the 2012 primary.richardwingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13470637786166917187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-90005007060106043272013-10-29T21:14:48.064-04:002013-10-29T21:14:48.064-04:00I have to say, one thing among many that I love ab...I have to say, one thing among many that I love about this video is the countdown in the degrees -- from Jackie Salit creating a new force for independence tied to communities not parties at 29 degrees, to Adolfo about the new progessivism at 76 degrees, to Adolfo and the doing the right thing at 60 degrees. Good job!Nancy Hankshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428253702914703243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-90457288266150570262013-10-14T18:56:29.987-04:002013-10-14T18:56:29.987-04:00Thanks Randy. We will miss Athleen, but we trust y...Thanks Randy. We will miss Athleen, but we trust you will carry on! My sympathy. And in the words of Mother Jones: Don't mourn, organize! Nancy Hankshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428253702914703243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-80118849534367914382013-09-11T12:54:56.903-04:002013-09-11T12:54:56.903-04:00Randy, thanks so much for pointing us to this arti...Randy, thanks so much for pointing us to this article by Bob Henline. Smart statement!<br /><br />Also, please keep us updated on your City Council campaign! Nancy Hankshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428253702914703243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-57328939802714488892013-09-03T13:01:37.189-04:002013-09-03T13:01:37.189-04:00We will get out of it, if we can get tolerant and ...We will get out of it, if we can get tolerant and equal ballot access, and easier access to candidate debates. We won't get out of it with the top-two primary, which leaves us with general election ballots that give us only Democrats and Republicans to vote for.richardwingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13470637786166917187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-35713816274444357682013-08-29T15:15:01.417-04:002013-08-29T15:15:01.417-04:00Agonistes redux! Will we ever get out of this plac...Agonistes redux! Will we ever get out of this place?Nancy Hankshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428253702914703243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-47846660012986602912013-08-12T12:20:06.233-04:002013-08-12T12:20:06.233-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Brandihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09171093256848110204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-45362271218672192292013-08-12T12:19:17.637-04:002013-08-12T12:19:17.637-04:00I think Richard raises a good question - are indep...I think Richard raises a good question - are independents really just 'wimpy'? Lets unpack this idea. True, every state has procedures to get candidates on the November ballot. Lets take a closer look at the mechanisms involved. I will speak to New York State, as this is where I live and am familiar. Here are a few structural barriers I see which complicate such a general critique. <br /><br />Every party needs signatures for ballot access. To issue a Wilson Pakula, parties need five percent of enrolled voters to sign. Mechanistically, it is much more difficult to gain five percent of signatures for 400,000 people than it is for two or three million people. Smaller pools of voters means a bigger effort to contact them. Here, the structure benefits well-established parties. Smaller parties have to go door to door, calling and setting appointments, democrats and republicans stand on a street corner and grab passerby's to sign petitions. The system works differently for these two entities. <br /><br />Campaign funding reimbursement for any political party who gets at least 5% of the vote was created to help smaller parties, but as movements start off small, and may not reach that threshold, this reimbursement ends up consistently helping major parties. For major party run-offs, funding is available for the primaries. Smaller parties must wait much longer for their funds to come through. This is a major setback for small operations on a grass-roots budget. <br /><br />Laws have been created with the intention to fight corporate donations, however, they come with loopholes that require teams of lawyers to navigate the laws - lawyers that minor parties and independent candidates cannot afford. <br /><br />Also, as we have already experienced in the Carrion campaign, there is a palatable reluctance of news organizations to cover minor political party campaigns, as well as independent candidates. <br /><br />We also face gerrymandering of election districts by those already in power, reducing or eliminating political competition. <br /><br />Independent candidates must also overcome the public view that third parties and independent candidates have no chance of beating the ‘major players’ of the dominate parties, and fear being a 'wasted vote'. <br /><br />The actual number of voters locked out of the primary process here in New York State is 2,276,912 - right around twenty percent. This is a group of people nearly the size of the Republican party, who have no say regarding who makes it to the November ballot. Regardless how you frame this discussion, this is not democracy. As tempting as it may be to write of independents as ‘wimpy’, I’m afraid the environment is a bit more complex.<br /><br />While I agree that rejecting the democratic and republican parties does not necessarily presuppose a rejection of the party system, I will stand firm behind my assertion that this is a growing movement among my generation. Rejection of the party system is a relatively new concept, and it is gaining traction very quickly with young adults. Stay tuned, because it’s coming. Brandihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09171093256848110204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-39683436072628013332013-08-05T00:41:09.985-04:002013-08-05T00:41:09.985-04:00Sasa kama tunaweza kupata tu Richard Winga kuanza ...Sasa kama tunaweza kupata tu Richard Winga kuanza posting katika Kiswahili ;)Randy Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15842403254981165845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-5404794808778019862013-08-04T17:20:22.544-04:002013-08-04T17:20:22.544-04:00Richard, really? "wimpy"? Maybe you have...Richard, really? "wimpy"? Maybe you have a more analytical analysis?? Wow!<br /><br />-NHNancy Hankshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428253702914703243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-82190471355024193822013-08-04T17:17:06.530-04:002013-08-04T17:17:06.530-04:00Si, si! -- Todos creemos en esta campana!
Gracias...Si, si! -- Todos creemos en esta campana!<br /><br />Gracias, Ramon!!Nancy Hankshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428253702914703243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-29623226903045598132013-07-28T22:18:22.718-04:002013-07-28T22:18:22.718-04:00Every state has procedures for independent candida...Every state has procedures for independent candidates to get on the November ballot for all partisan office. If independents are really 40% and rising, why are independents so wimpy that they can't just run for office themselves and win in the general election?<br /><br />It is not accurate to say voting in a primary is "the" first selection step. Partisan primaries are not the only way to get candidates on the general election ballot.<br /><br />Also, just because people are rejecting both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, it does not follow logically that they are rejecting the concept of a political party.richardwingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13470637786166917187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-65856440499596872982013-07-03T18:26:39.068-04:002013-07-03T18:26:39.068-04:00Bill - any chance you could post some of his work ...Bill - any chance you could post some of his work on The Hankster? Would be great!Nancy Hankshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428253702914703243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-69495425147835470572013-07-02T22:08:04.326-04:002013-07-02T22:08:04.326-04:00I like the work of political cartoonist Doug Davis...I like the work of political cartoonist Doug Davis, at the Los Angeles Downtown News – more info at http://douginks.com/William J. Kelleher, Ph.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16795242019533325261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-19380623986957558842013-04-29T13:09:41.144-04:002013-04-29T13:09:41.144-04:00First, I would like to say that I have a lot of re...First, I would like to say that I have a lot of respect for Richard Winger and his Ballot Access News. Many years ago, he volunteered me (as only a self ordained democracy activist) much useful information about ballot access issues.<br /><br />However because "corruption" is defined by the state, those who agree that the U.S.has a very, very, limited democracy would naturally support democracy issues over corruption issues.<br /><br />Those who feel they lack the power to make the rules will always tend to lack moral obligations to those rules.<br /><br />The traditional power of jury nullification gives the people the power to corrupt the CRIMINAL laws! However, both our "founding fathers," and modern day New Hampshire, have found it acceptable and perhaps even praise worthy.Jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05175486585660850429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-45560041707849870532013-04-29T11:46:02.518-04:002013-04-29T11:46:02.518-04:00Chicago has non-partisan elections for all city of...Chicago has non-partisan elections for all city office, and a few months ago, a political scientist published objective research, showing more corruption convictions from Chicago on a per-capita basis than any other big city in the nation. Another city high in corruption with non-partisan city elections is Detroit. When it is alleged that non-partisan city elections reduce corruption, one wants to see some evidence.richardwingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13470637786166917187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-20442823347905599732013-03-26T10:48:18.889-04:002013-03-26T10:48:18.889-04:00Concerning California registration, the percentage...Concerning California registration, the percentage of independent voters in the new tally is lower than in the last tally. The last tally, from October 2012, had independents at 20.94%, but the new tally shows them at 20.86%. The Secretary of State's press release doesn't compare the new data with the last tally; instead it compares the new data with the data two years ago.richardwingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13470637786166917187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26340222.post-8063991762181514312013-03-13T11:27:13.513-04:002013-03-13T11:27:13.513-04:00But just changing partisan elections into non-part...But just changing partisan elections into non-partisan elections doesn't seem to help with that goal. New York city is far better run than Detroit, or Chicago, don't you agree? Yet New York city has partisan city elections whereas Detroit and Chicago have non-partisan elections. richardwingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13470637786166917187noreply@blogger.com