If campaign finance reform and electoral reform is so high a demand for Americans, there is one change that can make life just a tiny bit easier for all. Early voting is great, but you should add this to it as well. Term limits is nice, but I don't see it as a magic pill to solve many problems. In Singapore they call it the 'cooling off day' and here in Indonesia they call it the 'calm period'. France and I think Russia also have this. It is one or more days before the election where ALL campaigning is forbidden. The night before all the campaign posters, signs and flags are taken down, during the day no rallies are permitted and no campaign adds are allowed. Here in Indonesia the calm period is 3 days which I feel is too long and should be reduced to 2 days. This tweak is not logistically hard and does not need a constitutional amendment. And if you think this is too much, I know that in America (I was there during the 2008 election) no campaign related material is allowed anywhere near the polling station and talk about the candidates is forbidden in the polling station. Think about the advantages. During the day before the election, voters have a chance to quietly contemplate who to vote for, it will give the politicians and campaign staff a long needed rest before the tense election day. And I've heard how many people are just so tired of this long election. This suggestion would cut this painful drag one day shorter. Oh and I would also suggest this to people in the UK because I heard during election day in 2010, Nigel Farage of UKIP was campaigning on election day even as people were voting! That's ridiculous!
It's a lovely thought but Americans would fight over that, too!!! I would like to see all political TV ads banned. They serve no real purpose but to hypnotize and brainwash the stupid and irritate the intelligent.
Forgot to add on top of term limits, electoral reform and campaign finance reform one more thing: banning political parties. Nebraska has already done this as well as two of the territories in Northern Canada.
Why on earth would you want to ban political parties? If me and a bunch of people want to get together and push our beliefs as a group what right is it of yours to tell us we can't?
Freedom of speech is not an absolute. It has its limits. I'll give you an example. There is something called defamation. "Hey did you hear how Rush Limbaugh had sex with the animals at the zoo?" That's not true, but me saying that would be allowed if freedom of speech was an absolute. Besides, you'd still be entitled to conversations among each other as long as you don't wear a campaign t-shirt in a public place.
People are accusing Trump of colluding with the Russians and nothing is being done to those people and their baseless claims.
This is blatantly unconstitutional. If anything violates the 1st amendment, it's a ban on political speech. SCOTUS judges these first amendment cases by the strict scrutiny test, and there isn't a chance in hell this would pass it. There could be 9 Ginsburgs on the court and it wouldn't pass. This is the sort of thing I call no mas on. I would violate the law. If fined I will not pay it. If imprisoned I will go on a hunger strike. If force fed I will commit suicide in protest.
Strong words for something with the mere intention of giving everybody rest from election fatigue. You'd still be entitled to private conversations as long as you don't wear a campaign button, hat or t-shirt.
I take freedom of speech seriously, especially when it comes to political speech. As I said, fine me and I won't pay. Imprison me and I'll hunger strike. Force feed me and I'll suicide in protest.
And how am I worse off where I live because of 3 days without elections posters of ugly politicians looking at me everywhere? I can hold my thoughts temporarily until I express them at the ballot. Do you honestly want to pass by a congressional candidate taking to the stage and microphone less than a mile from the polling station on election day?
I'd have thought someone with the name GreenLeft would be more supportive of freedom of speech. You have no right to tell me when I can express my views. If fined I will not pay, if imprisoned I will hunger strike, if force fed I will commit suicide in protest.
I want a "No Campaigning" month. It is literally non stop now. At least when I was growing up they didn't start till about 3 months before the election now they are starting more than a year before the election. I love politics but even I have my limits and its one of the reasons I watch all my shows online because I don't have to deal with political ads (or commercials in general). And for **** sake are there literally on 3 different voice actors for ALL political ads. I swear that the voices for both the DNC and GOP ads are almost identical. I suppose why not since they all use the same ****ing cheesy melodramatic music.
You need not repeat yourself as I can read. Freedom of speech is not an absolute. Regardless, you need not worry about an anonymous person on the Internet telling you when you can express your views. I have no power as I am not even American.
"Freedom of speech is not an absolute" does not condone any restriction whatsoever on it. This is a gross violation. Not to mention unenforceable.
Then I personally have no restrictions spreading slander? I am legally allowed to go around telling people Rush Limbaugh rapes zoo animals (within the United States)?
Sounds like an interesting publication. I haven't read it but I'll Google it now. My forum name is the direct English translation of the name of my favorite political party in the Netherlands (I was born there): GroenLinks. edit: looks interesting. I would not agree with everything the magazine says. I'm not a rock throwing anarchist militant left type. I'm more pragmatic.
The United States should adopt a No Campaigning day The United States should adopt a no political advertising policy.
How being a fan of inconsistency. It demonstrates one can change their mind. I say I'm biological, not geological.
What about media, News stories about the election. If we had a not campaigning day(s) last election in those days the media would fill the air waves with positive Hillary stories and negative Trump stories. Si? No to no campaigning days, unless it includes an election news & programming blackout too.
