Third party candidate surprises everyone winning 27% in mock election

[orphanedhawk]

Western Illinois University hosts a mock election a year before the real one.  It's a week-long event that includes mock caucuses and nominating conventions for each party, speeches, and other related political events.  This event began in 1976, and it has successfully predicted every presidential election since then.

This year, Green Party candidate Jill Stein shocked the event organizers by gaining 27% of the overall vote, finishing in third.  (Obama won with 39% and Romney, who won the mock nomination for the Republicans, took second in the overall with 33%.)  While she obviously didn't win, she did far better than anyone had predicted or expected.

The idea that we don't have to continue to elect corporate-backed politicians is catching on, and the Green Party is the best place to start for progressives that demand a higher standard from their elected officials.  Whether it comes from a general awakening of the populace, or it is spurred by the anti-corporate agenda of the Occupy Movement, the new attitude towards the two-party system is heartening to me.  I can only hope that this is a sign of good things to come for progressives in the future.

http://www.jillstein.org/green_partys_stein_pulls_27percent

[brice1967]

I am all for ending the electoral college.  I'm a registered republican in a largely republican state.  My wife on the other hand is a democrat.... typically, her vote means nothing.  It just seems as if that has no resemblance of "we the people".

Cap on campaign spending?  All for that too.  I am also for looking into any wealth accumulated while in office.  There have been a few eggs going in as thousand aires, and coming out after 2 terms as millionaires.  Kind of tough to do on $147k....

[orphanedhawk]

If there were a cap on spending on campaigns it might help.

[adgal]

As someone who comes from a country where there are multiple parties, I have to tell you there are (as with anything) pros and cons.  It's good in the sense that obviously we have more parties and candidates to choose from, but it's bad in the sense that it can make it far more difficult to get anything actually accomplished.  You think there is in fighting with two parties?  Try having several with seats in the house all voting for their own agenda.  I'm not so sure the problem lies with the number of parties, be it two or a hundred.  The problem lies in power hungry politicians who are more concerned with defeating the others then they are with doing what is right for the people they are supposed to represent.  They can call themselves whatever they like, but it seems to me none are any different from the others.  

[orphanedhawk]

Good idea.

[ILADVOCATE]

     Most other countries have more than a two party system and it creates more room for a democracy because it tends to decrease the influence of corporate lobbies. The liberal and conservative party votes go respectively to the democrats and republicans in many elections. Sometimes there isn't even a candidate. Special interest groups often tend to keep incumbents in power as well. This could change within the current system but I'd also have a separate amendment to end the electoral college.

[orphanedhawk]

You don't discuss substance, you only mock. Did you learn that from FOX ?

The point wasn't about the Green Party !

[el_em_en_oh]

1:1 - In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
1:2 - And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
1:3 - And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
1:4 - And God saw the light, and it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
1:5 - And God said, let their be excellence, honor, truth and justice, and it was so.
1:6 - And God saw the excellence, honor, truth and justice, called it Republican, and it was good.
1:7 - And God said, let their be evil, malice, stupidity and ignorance, and it was so.
1:8 - And God saw the evil, malice, stupidity and ignorance, and called it Democrat, and it was good.
1:9 - And then God farted, and created the Green Party

[orphanedhawk]

I've never voted for a Green party candidate and don't know anything about this one.
But I think its time we throw both parties out.