Eric Oines: If our national races were somewhat on the more even playing field that > local MN races are, if registration were as easy as it is here, if ballot > access were as easy as it is here, if national public affairs media were as > inclusive as TPT and MPR, then we might have similar results in national > races and be able to have a little more diversity of politics.
Instant run-off voting (IRV) would eliminate the vitriolic attacks against Nader as a voter would be able to vote for his/her choice without worrying about throwing the vote away. Those wishing for better candidates feel trapped by our inadequate and undemocratic electoral system. There was an effort in Minneapolis a few years ago to get IRV on the ballot. It seems time to renew this effort and provide Minneapolis residents with a more democratic mechanism for electing local officials. What starts locally can grow statewide and, who knows, perhaps one day we may enjoy IRV nationwide.... a distant dream. But, we can make it happen locally. If anyone is, or is interested in, working on this issue, please contact me off list. Jeanne Massey Kingfield ----- Original Message ----- From: "Eric Oines" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: September 13, 2004 12:49 PM Subject: RE: [Mpls] RALLY with RALPH NADER! > I think you've been reading too much propaganda Mr. Plante. He's not > aligned with either, and you knew that, right? > > The fact is that a significant number of people in Minneapolis have elected > Greens and Independents in recent years at various levels of local > government. > > If our national races were somewhat on the more even playing field that > local MN races are, if registration were as easy as it is here, if ballot > access were as easy as it is here, if national public affairs media were as > inclusive as TPT and MPR, then we might have similar results in national > races and be able to have a little more diversity of politics. > > But cynicism is much more fun, right? > > This will be my last thought as it is starting to get pretty non-Minneapolis > specific. > > Eric Oines > Lind-Bohanon > North Minneapolis > > "One day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal we > seek, but that it is a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue > peaceful ends through peaceful means." > ~ Martin Luther King Jr., Agitator > > > ----Original Message Follows---- > From: "Dennis Plante" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [Mpls] RALLY with RALPH NADER! > Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2004 12:22:27 -0500 > > You're absolutely right Eric. Who am I to fly in the face of conventional > wisdom and assert that most of those (in Mpls) that vote for Nader would > have probably voted for Kerry? I mean afterall, Nader is much more > similarly aligned to Bush than he is Kerry. > > dennis plante > jordan > > > REMINDERS: > 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. > 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. > > For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html > For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract > ________________________________ > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls > REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
