Here’s a three item glossary for you for the November 5 election.
1 — POPULAR VOTE does not determine the winner of the US presidency. In 2000 and 2016, George W. Bush and then Donald Trump took the presidency after losing the popular vote. This is because of the centuries-old Electoral College.
2 — ELECTORAL COLLEGE gives individual citizens in states with smaller populations, like Wyoming, close to four times more voting power than voters in larger states, like California.
As bad and obsolete as it is, there is a benefit to the Electoral College that is not well known. It’s a benefit for those who want to push for a real democracy with choices beyond two Titanic Parties, and who want their vote to push for what they want and need in life.
Wouldn’t it be nice to be free to vote “for” a candidate whose positive corporate-free policies you support, rather than vote “against” the candidate whose policies you fear or dislike the most? A recent blog of mine explained how Millions can “SAFELY” vote for Jill Stein! She is the only anti-war-and-genocide, pro-worker, climate action candidate who will be on ballots across the country.
In brief, because of the obsolete (but long-lived) Electoral College, if you are in a state that you can bet will go one way or the other, you and millions of others in this country can vote outside of the two-party system and NOT give in to the (long-lived!) threat that your vote will help your nemesis candidate.
In addition to Jill Stein’s peace, planet and people policies, she’s Green so she takes no corporate money. This is in stark contrast to the two Titanic candidates who have collected millions of dollars from corporations and billionaires, and millions from their war-promoting, peace-and-planet ignoring lobbyists and PACs. Follow the money: those who pay your way when you’re a candidate get the payback when you get elected, not those who merely vote for you. See also What’s the problem with having billionaires?
3 — SCAPEGOAT is what both Titanic Parties focus on rather than elementary needs like providing everyone with better healthcare, education, housing and justice. Immigrants have been a favorite scapegoat, currently and for a long time. After the global financial meltdown in 2008 I was shocked to hear regular folks talk about the terrible effects immigrants had on the economy, unfortunately echoing what they heard from government and media. I think it’s good to avoid sarcasm, but it was hard. “Gee, I didn’t realize it was immigrants. I thought in 2008 the Wall Street banks tanked the economy!”
What’s the meaning of the graphic with the two maps?
This week I received an email from the Jill Stein campaign. (If you want to learn about the state of the US democracy, I wholeheartedly invite you to go to this link and join to subscribe to her emails.)
The Newsweek article and accompanying map is shocking, really, even if you already know you don’t get the full story from mainstream media. The correct information that the Jill Stein campaign provided to the magazine was left out. Compare the map on the left with its scant ballot access to the map on the right showing the actual ballot access achieved, despite incredible roadblocks, by Jill Stein’s grassroots no-corporate-money campaign! Here are three map links to the Jill Stein ballot access map; a map of red/blue/”swing” states; and the wrong (can we say “lying”?) Newsweek article.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF US!
And may we use all the power we have toward the world we want and need for ourselves, our children, our communities, and our world.