Seth Bodnar - independent US Senate candidate

[SAJ-99]

just wondering how to address that angle.

Eventually people will become disappointed enough in their representation they either change the system or get out the guillotine. Seems the former is easier than the latter.

 

[406dn]

The electoral college is a product of our federalist system of government in which sovereignty was envisioned to be shared between the states and a central government. It was designed so that candidates from Philadelphia, Boston, or NY couldn't win the presidency simply by running up the score in the big cities in which they live. It forced candidates to speak to the issues important to voters all over the country, not just the major metropolitan areas. Doing away with it today would mean the candidates spend 100% of their time talking about the issues important to the folks in NY, Chicago, LA, etc., many of which are completely irrelevant and/or impractical to life in the rest of the country. The electoral college at least forces them to give lip service to fly-over country once in a while.

Thanks for the civics lesson. I remember passing the class pretty easily.

Everything you say only applies to the voters in rural states who vote with the majority of their state. The minority in those states essentially wasted their time.

I keep coming back to one person one vote. That gives every citizen, the same power. There would be no quarters asked or given.

The constitution was not and is not perfect. If it was perfect it would not have been amended so many times.

 

[Alpine01]

Thanks for the civics lesson. I remember passing the class pretty easily.

Everything you say only applies to the voters in rural states who vote with the majority of their state. The minority in those states essentially wasted their time.

You mean like republicans in Washington, Oregon, California, and Colorado ..... To name just a few.

 

[G5flinger]

This is a podcast episode that I did with Seth Bodnar. He is running as an independent candidate for United States Senate.

Most know my frustration and dislike for the symbiotic duopoly of the two party system. It makes me wonder if Montanans are willing to vote independently or if they will fall back to the comfort of their party allegiance. I will be interested to see how Bodnar performs in the upcoming election.

With the stunt that Senator Daines did to handpick a candidate without exposing the candidate to a primary, I’ll be interested to see how many people find that as distasteful as I do. Given the amount of focus and chatter that Republicans are starting to point towards Bodnar, it seems they are more worried about him than they are the Democrat.

Anyhow, here is Seth Bodnar‘s thoughts on hunting, conservation, and public land.

Hunt Talk Radio

Wilderness Podcast · Updated Semimonthly · Hunt Talk Radio, Randy Newberg Unfiltered is a podcast covering hunting politics, public lands, and conservation topics; even a few things you didn’t need to know. The best hunters you’ve never heard …

podcasts.apple.com

Nice!

 

[406dn]

You mean like republicans in Washington, Oregon, California, and Colorado ..... To name just a few.

Yes, to every voter in every state who votes for someone other than the winner of the state.

I'll say it again, imo every citizen's vote should count equally to every other citizen.

Then tally up every vote, and the candidate with the most votes is the winner.

 

[Irrelevant]

Eventually people will become disappointed enough

that they stop participating entirely and just complain on the internet.

 

[Goodfish]

20 plus years ago Montana was famous for voting in the right candidate. We’d often have republican senators and a democratic governor etc. With the last decade of political “R” refugees moving here from crazy democratic run states I just don’t know that it will happen any more. I for one am pissed about the Alme situation though and I may vote Bodner out of principle if Alme doesn’t start outright supporting my causes.

 

[SAJ-99]

With the last decade of political “R” refugees moving here from crazy democratic run states I just don’t know that it will happen any more.

Spoiler alert...The people moving there are crazy, too. Just the opposite way.

 

[rogerthat]

20 plus years ago Montana was famous for voting in the right candidate. We’d often have republican senators and a democratic governor etc. With the last decade of political “R” refugees moving here from crazy democratic run states I just don’t know that it will happen any more. I for one am pissed about the Alme situation though and I may vote Bodner out of principle if Alme doesn’t start outright supporting my causes.

Does Trump support your causes? Because that’s what Alme is going to support.

 

[MTGamecock]

Thanks for the civics lesson. I remember passing the class pretty easily.

I assumed as much! I think most Americans pass civics pretty easily because, if my high school was representative, coach Jones read straight from the textbook and his tests were all multiple choice. At any rate, maybe my civics lesson was helpful to some of the other participants in the thread.

We agree to disagree on the electoral college. I think the founders got that one exactly right. But I also like Federalism.

 

[bayoublaster7527]

Yes, to every voter in every state who votes for someone other than the winner of the state.

I'll say it again, imo every citizen's vote should count equally to every other citizen.

Then tally up every vote, and the candidate with the most votes is the winner.

When I hear folks clammering for pure democracy and deriding our current system, it brings me back to the famous Ben Franklin quote, “A republic, if you can keep it”. I believe the electoral college, the Senate, and three branches of government all represent built in concessions to the minority in order to keep this republic together. A great compromise to maintain the union. It also speaks to federalism, where the states conduct elections.

But there is a growing, powerful segment of one party that seems intent on eliminating the Senate, Supreme Court, and Presidency. I must admit that is a bit alarming.

 

[INMT]

When I hear folks clammering for pure democracy and deriding our current system, it brings me back to the famous Ben Franklin quote, “A republic, if you can keep it”. I believe the electoral college, the Senate, and three branches of government all represent built in concessions to the minority in order to keep this republic together. A great compromise to maintain the union. It also speaks to federalism, where the states conduct elections.

But there is a growing, powerful segment of one party that seems intent on eliminating the Senate, Supreme Court, and Presidency. I must admit that is a bit alarming.

Are you meaning the minority being republicans or rural Americans? Last I looked registered r’s vs d’s is pretty close to 50/50 nationwide.

And according to republicans they reflect the values of rural Americans, if you can actually believe that. Trump won the popular vote in ‘24 so electoral college or not rural America won.

I don’t understand the fear of 1 person 1 vote, like every other election in America. All parties have to do is connect with voters and deliver on the platform they run on.