Presidential Lottery: The New Reality Series
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As a citizen of one of the far western states here in California, I am tired of feeling that my vote in the Presidential Election every four years does not count. Lets face it, nowadays it is the president who sets the National Agenda after all deciding on the policies and laws for the entire nation. Other residents of States such as Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska and Hawaii are all in the same frame of mind, believe me. Left out of the influencing thePresidential vote, us poor Western colonies are constintly dragged into the Supreme Court at a greater pace than most eastern states in order to defend our state laws. How this mis-balance of checks and balances occured is now a fact of goverment, unfair yet true. In light of all this I propose that come election time America livens things up a bit more, here is my plan.
I believe that we should keep the electorial college system; only wait untill EVERY state has tallied their votes, then it's showtime Hollywood style. Imagine onstage are the two candidates standing at respective podiums. Bright lights and a live audience add to the level of excitment as the time draws near to reveal which party will secure the seat setting the moral tone for the nation over the next four years. Onstage behind them a Vanna White look-a-like gestures towards a spinning bingo cage with 50 balls churning within. Each ball contains a state and the number of votes represented by the state. I also believe a President should be able to think on thier feet, by tossing in a pop quiz question from the Senate and Congresinal Representives along the way could be added in as an incentive to the candidates. The chance for another single electoral vote for the correct answer is one possibility, the list is endless.
Behind the opponets there can be a lighted scoreboard. The respective tallies in blue or red lights glowing behind the next possible President. A small section across the bottom could be added, keeping track of the optional answers to the questions asked by the states. Making it possible California could be chosen from the hopper first this year. Maybe Rhode Island will be picked adding to one candidates score, this method allows for equality in the process, unlike today where temporality and physicality are major factors to the electoral process. Democracy in vote counting should not be linked to the time zone or the physical location of any state withing a nation. Every state should have the opportunity to be an active participant in the process of goverment. Choosing to live the U.S.A. not only east of the Mississippi should not negate anyones vote in a true democracy. Elections drawn out in this method allows democratic voices to be heard not to only from the east, but from the west as well. This process injects the element of the unknown, causing politicians to spread thier promises Nationwide. Key turning numbers will no longer be held by a certain few select states as in current electorical voting methods today.
Beside what better reality T.V. could be programed? Think of the ratings this would generate, not to mention some sembalance of a true Democratic process once agin on American soil. "Who will be your next President America?" drawn in this fashion states out west may actually start to feel that their votes do count, where as now it is painfully obvious that they do not.
KMS