David C. et al: This American on the EM-list thanks you for your 'what-if' forwarded message, which cites some of the current aspects of our obviously superior USA Presidential selection system. To complement your message let me note some current aspects of our obviously superior USA Congressional election system. This note will in fact serve to reply to a question posted about two months ago to this EM list from one of your countrymen (and thus far apparently unanswered for the case of the USA). The question was whether in other lands besides Australia it is customary for the currently governing parties to appeal for votes on the basis of a vicious-circle claim: the voters would have more influence if their representative were 'in the government'. US Congressional election campaigns feature few such vicious-circle claims on behalf of the majority PARTY. There is merely a plethora of individual vicious-circle claims on behalf of INDIVIDUAL INCUMBENT members of Congress of BOTH major parties (both for intra-party primaries and in the final elections). Thanks to the seniority systems in use in awarding Congressional committee posts, an incumbent of either major party has a citable advantage, usually presented - softly but unmistakably - in claims such as 'I can do more for this district'. Joe Weinstein Long Beach CA USA _____________________________________________________________________________________ Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com
