Kerry unveils new definition of term "secret"

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2004-01-19 05:26pm

cnn.com link

At the end of the article, Kerry states that this race isn't about forming "secret deals," despite the fact that the agreement has now been announced and finalized. I have no idea what he's talking about, or what he's trying to prove.

As for the deal itself, I don't see any particular problem with it. Frankly it's just good politicking. If any of the frontrunners misses viability anywhere by a few percentage points, I'll bet that they'll be kicking themselves for not having a deal like this with one of the lower-downs.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-01-19 05:46pm

Damn it I wish ballots came with a none of the above option.

Darth Raptor · Post by **Darth Raptor** » 2004-01-19 06:09pm

Stormbringer wrote:Damn it I wish ballots came with a none of the above option.

There is. It's on your couch. You select it by applying pressure with your ass during the appropriate period.

Mayabird · Post by **Mayabird** » 2004-01-19 06:29pm

Lazy Raptor wrote:
Stormbringer wrote:Damn it I wish ballots came with a none of the above option.
There is. It's on your couch. You select it by applying pressure with your ass during the appropriate period.

I think he means an actual "None of the Above" box you can check. That way, if nobody likes the people on the ballot (majority vote "none of the above") the parties have to pick new candidates. Hopefully they'll pick some that don't suck.

It also helps with those annoying "no opposition" ballots. So nobody is running against the bastard? Well vote him out anyway, even if there's nobody who dares oppose him. When he's gone the parties will have to get a new person to run.

Darth Raptor · Post by **Darth Raptor** » 2004-01-19 06:35pm

Mayabird wrote:I think he means an actual "None of the Above" box you can check. That way, if nobody likes the people on the ballot (majority vote "none of the above") the parties have to pick new candidates. Hopefully they'll pick some that don't suck.

I know. It was a joke. I also hate how you're forced to vote on the tiny, tiny, local elections you know nothing about and have absolutely no opinion on. It gets worse when you're voting on multiple candidates from the same party.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-01-19 07:29pm

I'm sorta disgusted by this. If they don't think they can hack it, one of them should fucking bow out of the race altogether.

revprez · Post by **revprez** » 2004-01-19 08:11pm

The "none of the above" vote fantasy is amusing, but the fact is you already have one of those, it's called any of the other candidates on the ballot besides the Republican and Democrat (or the write in, if available).

Rev Prez

Mayabird · Post by **Mayabird** » 2004-01-19 08:41pm

I wrote:It also helps with those annoying "no opposition" ballots. So nobody is running against the bastard? Well vote him out anyway, even if there's nobody who dares oppose him. When he's gone the parties will have to get a new person to run.

Did anyone else not read the second part of my post or have trouble comprehending the meaning of it? Hmm?

revprez · Post by **revprez** » 2004-01-19 08:56pm

Mayabird wrote:
I wrote:It also helps with those annoying "no opposition" ballots. So nobody is running against the bastard? Well vote him out anyway, even if there's nobody who dares oppose him. When he's gone the parties will have to get a new person to run.
Did anyone else not read the second part of my post or have trouble comprehending the meaning of it? Hmm?

You mean the part that reads as if Section 1 of Article II of the Constitution doesn't exist?

Rev Prez

Mayabird · Post by **Mayabird** » 2004-01-19 09:11pm

US Constitution wrote: Article II
Section 1. The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his office during the term of four years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same term, be elected, as follows:

Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States, shall be appointed an elector.

The electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for two persons, of whom one at least shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves. And they shall make a list of all the persons voted for, and of the number of votes for each; which list they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes shall then be counted. The person having the greatest number of votes shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such majority, and have an equal number of votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately choose by ballot one of them for President; and if no person have a majority, then from the five highest on the list the said House shall in like manner choose the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by States, the representation from each state having one vote; A quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. In every case, after the choice of the President, the person having the greatest number of votes of the electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal votes, the Senate shall choose from them by ballot the Vice President.

The Congress may determine the time of choosing the electors, and the day on which they shall give their votes; which day shall be the same throughout the United States.

No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty five years, and been fourteen Years a resident within the United States.

In case of the removal of the President from office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by law provide for the case of removal, death, resignation or inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what officer shall then act as President, and such officer shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.

The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services, a compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States, or any of them.

Before he enter on the execution of his office, he shall take the following oath or affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

So what the hell does that have to do with not being allowed to have a "None of the Above" on the ballot? So I can't have it for Presidental elections? There are plenty of other elections.

revprez · Post by **revprez** » 2004-01-19 09:18pm

Mayabird wrote:So what the hell does that have to do with not being allowed to have a "None of the Above" on the ballot? So I can't have it for Presidental elections? There are plenty of other elections.

Point taken. In that case, doesn't your "none of the above" favor incumbents?

Rev Prez

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-01-19 09:59pm

revprez wrote:
Mayabird wrote:So what the hell does that have to do with not being allowed to have a "None of the Above" on the ballot? So I can't have it for Presidental elections? There are plenty of other elections.
Point taken. In that case, doesn't your "none of the above" favor incumbents?

Rev Prez

Actually no. Since it would mean neither candidate. Pick some one else.

revprez · Post by **revprez** » 2004-01-19 10:02pm

Stormbringer wrote:Actually no. Since it would mean neither candidate. Pick some one else.

But the incumbant stays in power, right?

Rev Prez

Andrew J. · Post by **Andrew J.** » 2004-01-19 10:30pm

revprez wrote:
Stormbringer wrote:Actually no. Since it would mean neither candidate. Pick some one else.
But the incumbant stays in power, right?

Depends on how long it would take to pick new canditates. If it wasn't too long, the office could just stay vacant for a little bit.

revprez · Post by **revprez** » 2004-01-19 11:02pm

Andrew J. wrote:
revprez wrote:
Stormbringer wrote:Actually no. Since it would mean neither candidate. Pick some one else.
But the incumbant stays in power, right?
Depends on how long it would take to pick new canditates. If it wasn't too long, the office could just stay vacant for a little bit.

Correction on my part. For Representatives this may be true, but Senators would still lose their seat to an appointee selected by the Governor.

Rev Prez

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-01-19 11:07pm

Andrew J. wrote:
revprez wrote:
Stormbringer wrote:Actually no. Since it would mean neither candidate. Pick some one else.
But the incumbant stays in power, right?
Depends on how long it would take to pick new canditates. If it wasn't too long, the office could just stay vacant for a little bit.

No, theres time between the election and the actual swearing in. And if it's not enough, we replace them with chimps (they couldn't do any worse).