US democracy in a sorry state
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A far cry from the representative model of democracy that US Constitutional forefathers envisioned, the electoral-college system has proved to be an outdated, colour-coded albatross. In 2000 Al Gore won 48.38 per cent of votes compared to George Bush's 47
Campaign strategists have learned how to manipulate, spin and falsify statistics, so it is imperative that each and every vote becomes truly meaningful.
In states where the result is a foregone conclusion, the electoral college acts as a disincentive for a minority-party individual to bother voting. Presidential candidates are much less likely to campaign, spend advertising funds or hold voter-registration drives there. Campaign-financing rules and hateful ad distortions must be impartially reviewed, with honest televised debates continuing to be nurtured and encouraged.
It is necessary to pass a constitutional amendment to reform the obsolete system. The 12th Amendment expands voting rights, but does not adequately reflect new technology challenges in our ever-changing e-world. The only trustworthy, just solution is a direct national election of the People, by the People and for the People, where every vote is counted fairly and counts equally.
Charles Frederickson
Bangkok
