It’s time to get serious about coming up with real solutions
for this country.
I have a couple and I’m going to write them in this stupid
blog with hopes that a couple of the 6 people who read it will see some appeal
in one solution I am going to offer for this country and then pass it forward
and encourage others to pass it forward as well.
I’ll start with a question. Do you believe you are properly
represented by your government right now?
Here is my answer…no.
Now here is the title of my first proposal…The Five
Presidents Project.
The title alone should tell you that I believe having five Presidents, instead of just one, would be a great start to solving some deep problems with our current system of government. But now let’s dig deeper.
The title alone should tell you that I believe having five Presidents, instead of just one, would be a great start to solving some deep problems with our current system of government. But now let’s dig deeper.
The main problem I am having right now, in particular, is
that I am not represented by the Executive Branch of the US Government since a
Democrat, Barack Obama, is the President, and the lone person in the Executive
Branch, for all intents.
Also, all three of the politicians from my state of Delaware
are Democrats, as is the Governor. While I don’t have representation in the House
from Delaware I, at least, can point to other Representatives from other states
who are from my party or believe in the things which I do and can vote
accordingly. The same thing goes with the Senate.
In the third branch of government, the Supreme Court, I do
have some representation because there are nine judges who stand on different
sides in any argument.
So if we have hundreds of people creating and voting on
legislation in Congress and nine people making decisions in the Judicial
Branch, why do we only have one in the Executive Branch still to this day?
I know that the technical answer is because the Constitution
calls for one President, yes.
In 1789 when George Washington became the first President of
the United States there were roughly 4 million citizens of what was then 13
states in the Union.
At that time not all 4 million people believed they were represented according to their needs and desires, I am certain. However, one President making decisions in the Executive Branch for 4 million people was perhaps not as unwieldy as it is today.
At that time not all 4 million people believed they were represented according to their needs and desires, I am certain. However, one President making decisions in the Executive Branch for 4 million people was perhaps not as unwieldy as it is today.
Washington, in his infinite wisdom, wanted to make sure that
his position did not look like one that resembled a King. After all, he helped
fight a revolution against a King.
How would he think that the Presidency would look right now
with our population over 300 million…almost 100 times more than when he was the
first President of the U.S.A?
Let’s do some real quick math here. In the last election,
and basically all elections had relatively similar numbers, Obama received
roughly 52% of the vote from those who actually voted.
Immediately that tells you that the other 48% of the people
who voted for someone else were instantly not represented in the Executive
Branch.
Then understand that while that 52% is a majority of the
voters it was not 52% of all Americans. There are plenty who didn’t vote and plenty
who were not yet eligible to vote. So 62 million people of the over 212 million
eligible voters (http://www.statisticbrain.com/presidential-election-voter-statistics/)
voted which means only 30% actually supported Obama…and the same rings true for
every election, as mentioned, and even less support for both of Bill Clinton’s
terms each in which he didn’t even get reach 50% of the total vote.
We watch on TV, and social media and read in papers, and
online, news about this current election cycle. We see vitriol increase by both
people on both sides of the political aisle and it’s easy to see why it is that
way; because no matter which person gets elected he, or God forbid, she, will lead
the Executive Branch of Government and not truly represent 70% of the
population.
We can certainly break that down even further because we all
know that whichever candidate wins, both the Democratic and Republican parties
have splits in ideology within them. People have to coalesce around the person
that ultimately wins their party’s nomination, even though they might only
agree with just half of what that person stands for ideologically. Certainly,
voting for the other candidate to make some sort of statement is stupid.
Yes, there are other candidates from other parties running
for President for whom someone can vote…Libertarian Party, Green Party, Party
of Socialism and Liberation, American Freedom Party, Constitution Party,
Objectivist Party, Peace and Freedom Party, Reform Party, Socialist Party,
Socialist Workers Party, Veterans Party and Workers World Party, off the top of
my head.
So, it is true that there are more than just two choices; one
can go vote for any of the above but we all know those are wasted votes…let’s
face facts.
In the end, it remains a fact that at least 70% of Americans
will NOT be represented in the Executive Branch.
So, here is a real solution.
It’s time to change the Constitution to create FIVE
Presidents, or Co-Presidents, of the United States leading the Executive
Branch.
I might go as far as to say seven…might compromise at three…but
believe we need at least five.
Five people leading the Executive Branch would equate to one
for every 60 million people in the country, or so, which is still not on par
with the Washington days, but it’s a good start.
Now start to think about it more in depth.
First, let’s break down the five parties and name them,
temporarily.
Left Wing
Liberal
Moderate
Conservative
Right Wing
Left Wing
Liberal
Moderate
Conservative
Right Wing
Primaries held during election year would result in
determining the top two leading candidates for each of those 5 parties and the
election on the first Tuesday in November would give us 5 new leaders. People
would still have the ability to vote outside their party on Election Day but it
would probably be senseless since they would have two candidates for the party
in which they were registered.
Those five leaders would then debate and vote on legislation
that came from Congress. They would debate and craft budgets that would get
sent to Congress, etc.
A coalition of leaders instead of just one leader.
Let’s face it. That job is just too much for one person. And
the INSTANT they announce their candidacy for President as either a Democrat or
Republican they are HATED by half of the WORLD.
I imagine that with 5 parties, each with equal votes in the
Executive Branch, that many more people would feel that they had a true voice
in their entire government and not just parts of it.
There would still be battles within each party. There would still be battles for inclusion by other parties, but with 5 ideological positions from which to choose there would be fewer major battles and less hate involved.
There would still be battles within each party. There would still be battles for inclusion by other parties, but with 5 ideological positions from which to choose there would be fewer major battles and less hate involved.
I would imagine that most decisions would end up somewhere
in the middle. I could see the moderate leader becoming very important. But
that’s OK. As it stands there is only one person there now and it just does not
work for most of the people in this country. At least people would know that
there is someone fighting for what they believe in the Executive Branch.
With this proposal I would also suggest TWO Vice Presidents
for each of the parties. I would also say its time to add at least one Senator
for each state also, but would prefer 5 for each now. The population count
warrants it. The House, at least as far as I believe, grows along with
population, but let’s get more people involved in there too. We need MORE
people voting and representing us.
This is supposed to be a government of the people and by the
people, according to Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address. Currently the power is
concentrated in way too few hands in our government.
This would have an effect on money in politics also. With
more people in government the donations would have to spread more widely, if
someone was trying to grease all of the wheels of government, anyway. We could
see with more precision where bigger donations go and how we would then be able
to see the potential effect on the person who received such donations.
All Cabinet positions would come from nominations voted on
by all five leaders before being sent for further confirmation and the same
would ring true for Supreme Court nominees.
One of the Presidents could go golfing one day and, at
least, we would have the illusion that four others are working that day.
One of the Presidents could go to a school and read children’s
books to kids and, at least we would have the illusion that four others are
working that day.
Surely other new issues would arise as a result of any
successful implementation of such a new idea let alone trying to arrange a
Constitutional Convention, or whatever process is necessary, to change the
Constitution. But the most recent poll I saw of Americans who think this
country is on the right shows that 67% believe we are on the wrong track and
only 26% believe we are on the right track. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/right_direction_or_wrong_track
That means its time for real change. It means its time for real solutions. I have zero power and zero notoriety. But this is still the country in which I was born and in which I will remain. I believe I have a duty to do whatever I can to help make my life, and those around me, a better one. At the very, very least, I have years of life experience and am willing to think outside the box and offer up ideas which I find out there.
That means its time for real change. It means its time for real solutions. I have zero power and zero notoriety. But this is still the country in which I was born and in which I will remain. I believe I have a duty to do whatever I can to help make my life, and those around me, a better one. At the very, very least, I have years of life experience and am willing to think outside the box and offer up ideas which I find out there.
This can’t be a foreign, or new, concept. I believe its worthy
of examination and debate and worthy of being forwarded to as many people as
you believe might find it worthy as well.
