Sunday, October 12, 2008
How Could This Be?
How is it that in a democracy we face the possibility of the highest office in the land being occupied by one of two candidates, neither of whom were selected by the people?
Both Sarah Palin and Joe Biden were selected by their parties' candidates; neither was selected (or came in second) in any primary election. Yet the vice-president is not only a heartbeat away from the presidency -- he or she casts the deciding vote in a tied Senate.
In the case of Biden, Democrats are proposing that this office be filled by someone, who while qualified, was marginally attractive -- at best -- to his party's voters, while in the case of Palin, Republicans are proposing the office be filled by someone who until a few weeks ago was unfamiliar with even her own party's platform, and whom no one outside of Alaska had ever heard of.
How could this be? Surely in a Democracy the second spot on the ticket should be filled by the second-place voter-getter. That would reflect the will of party voters.
As it is both choices were selected by the candidates. That puts the presidency within reach of two people who were never the choice of any significant number of voters -- or in the case of Palin, by any voters.
How could this be?
Both Sarah Palin and Joe Biden were selected by their parties' candidates; neither was selected (or came in second) in any primary election. Yet the vice-president is not only a heartbeat away from the presidency -- he or she casts the deciding vote in a tied Senate.
In the case of Biden, Democrats are proposing that this office be filled by someone, who while qualified, was marginally attractive -- at best -- to his party's voters, while in the case of Palin, Republicans are proposing the office be filled by someone who until a few weeks ago was unfamiliar with even her own party's platform, and whom no one outside of Alaska had ever heard of.
How could this be? Surely in a Democracy the second spot on the ticket should be filled by the second-place voter-getter. That would reflect the will of party voters.
As it is both choices were selected by the candidates. That puts the presidency within reach of two people who were never the choice of any significant number of voters -- or in the case of Palin, by any voters.
How could this be?
