Our current election system is pretty screwed up.  Consider if you will...

  • Electoral College can over-ride popular vote.
  • Electoral College may sometimes elect a president that does not have the popular vote.  (see: Bush Jr., aka Satan)
  • Electoral College makes it so that if you vote in a state that generally votes differently than you that you may as well not bother voting since your vote has no impact.
  • Primaries pre-dispose people to thinking their candidate can or cannot win, swaying their vote.
  • Polling can sway results by convincing people that their ideal candidate can or cannot win, forcing them to pick a different candidate so their "vote is not wasted".
  • Paper-based and/or piss-poor shoddy electrical systems that do not take advantage of current technological advances. (not all states and districts, but most)
  • Candidates who are not insanely wealthy unable to effectively compete in any election.  Elections wind up being "bought".
  • Relatively low voter turnout.

So I have a new idea to resolve these issues.  I'm totally serious about this.  Fox, give me a call if you want to talk about licensing the right to do this from me.

The answer?  We do the elections in a hybrid American Idol/Apprentice style.



The candidates spend sixteen weeks completing various social, business, political and diplomacy tasks.  We watch as they go through this process, and the viewers at home call in to vote for who they like best.  Each week the candidate with the least votes is eliminated.

Consider this quote (stolen from some web site, who stole it from some other web site):

"In the complete 2005 season of American Idol just over 500 million votes were cast.  In 2004 the American Presidential election garnered a paltry 122 million votes"

Benefits:

  • Everyone in America will be hooked and watch.  Significant increased involvement in the American political system.
  • Everyone in America will vote.
  • Gives the benefits of a "run-off" election where you can continue to vote for your next-best ideal candidate until a clear winner is chosen.
  • Significantly levels the "playing field" for all candidates.
  • Real opportunity to see the candidates at their best and worst.
  • Eliminates the opportunity for Electoral College-style interference and missteps.

Drawbacks:

  • We have to establish a clear ID method to ensure everyone gets only one vote.  (I have to believe this needs to happen anyway, even with our current system)
  • Some risk of candidates getting bounced too early.
  • Have to sort out best way to have the show be produced in a way that is impartial... we all know that these shows tend to be produced for drama and effect and don't always show the truth of all events.
  • Not everyone has a TV.
  • Could result in the election of a retard.

Honestly, I think most of these drawbacks can be dealt with relatively easily with some creative solutions.  The real challenge would be getting the impartial representation of the events, but I think that would also be doable.  I have some ideas on this I can discuss with Fox when they call.

As far as the voting for the retard part... well, frankly, I don't see how that would really happen, and if it actually did, I don't see how it could get any worse than Bush.  In this model, at least I'd get a few laughs at his expense along the way.  It doesn't seem like a good trade for my various freedoms, but it's better than getting absolutely nothing for them as is the case now.

So there you go.  My ultimate solution.  Call your local Fox network outlet and tell them you want this now and to give me a call.  We can begin preparations for 2012.