November 28, 2014
I sent the following response to the Star Tribune concerning two of their editorials. The links to the editorials are below. They have chosen to not print my response.
Cynicism deters candidates, voters
Worrisome trends in Minnesota voter turnout
Why the low voter turnout? Some say it is a lack of respect for people in office. Many people in office feel that lying to the public is a legitimate form of public policy and do not deserve respect. This is easy to correct and will not deter honest citizens.
What about negative campaign advertising causing low voter turnout? If the government were to allow more major parties, that possible problem would be fixed. When there are more than two major parties running on principles different from D & R, there is a greater chance that voters will find a candidate that shares their views. To compete, the candidates will have to emphasis their positive points rather than bashing their only opponent.
Maybe its low compensation? Being in public office is a civic duty, not a full-time job. People need to understand what their civic duties are. Perhaps the Star Tribune or our government schools could explain this.
Others blame cable, the internet, and social media claiming that they create a partisan divide. It is true that mainstream media provides only one point of view. Due to competition, the other forms of media provide a full spectrum of ideas that make elections more exciting. This is not the problem.
How about failure to control money? The government has done a great job of keeping money away from third parties. Being able to hear voices other than democrats and democrats-lite would create excitement from competition.
Could it be a lack of ballot choice? Almost all judge positions have only an incumbent running. The ballot even says incumbent. There is rarely an open seat because judges leave office before their term is up. These open positions are then filled by appointment. No lawyer wants to run against an incumbent judge since incumbents can be vindictive. This can be fixed in part by not allowing judges who have been appointed from running in the next election so there is a competitive open seat.
There were another 400 spots on local ballots that also had no competition. This could be corrected in part by term limits. One person running this year has been elected 18 times to the same position. New people running would spark interest and create competition for that position.
What would fix elections is free market competition, in politics. The same excitement and involvement that the free market generates in other areas would be transferred to politics. This would include having third parties in the debates and allowing more major parties other than boring “Pepsi” and “Coke.” Not only do citizens need to acknowledge that our system of elections is flawed, but that the suggestions to remedy it by the Star Tribune are flawed as well.
Bob Odden, 2014 Libertarian candidate for Secretary of State
612-987-2063
bobodden@hotmail.com
Concerned about the expansion of government control and the erosion of individual liberty? Please consider joining and becoming active with the Libertarian Party of Minnesota. Libertarians support liberty on all issues, all the time! Libertarianism is a philosophical and political movement to promote personal freedom, strong civil liberties, a genuinely free marketplace, and peace.