Comments on: Moderation Chutney http://www.joeventures.com/archives/297 Always on the move Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:29:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: tedb http://www.joeventures.com/archives/297#comment-232 tedb Tue, 02 May 2006 23:35:41 +0000 http://www.joeventures.com/archives/297#comment-232 But here is the problem: Congress and state legislatures have gerrymandered the districts so badly that moderate candidates can't make it through the primary because the participaing primary voters are so far to one side of the spectrum. Even if the district at large is more moderate than the primary, they will select the extermist closest to their positions. But here is the problem: Congress and state legislatures have gerrymandered the districts so badly that moderate candidates can’t make it through the primary because the participaing primary voters are so far to one side of the spectrum. Even if the district at large is more moderate than the primary, they will select the extermist closest to their positions.

]]> By: Kick The Donkey http://www.joeventures.com/archives/297#comment-231 Kick The Donkey Mon, 01 May 2006 15:11:51 +0000 http://www.joeventures.com/archives/297#comment-231 I guess the problem becomes mobilzing the 'slient majority' to the polls. When the politicos starting beating thier 'issue' drumbs, then the people most likely to respond are the 'wing-nut wingers'. Case in point: Gay marriage ammendments from the 2004 election. I honestly feel (although I have no emperical evidence to back it up) that most Americans could have given two flips about the issue. It didn't effect them, why should government get involved? However, this issue spoke loudly to the folks on the +0.18 side of the Romer-Rosenthal scale. Therefore, they got their butts to the polls. On the otherhand, I made sure I was in line before the polls opened to vote against the amendment. I guess my point is: It's the hot button issues that are going to drive people to the polls. Sane campaign finance reform isn't as sexy as 'gay-marriage'. I guess the problem becomes mobilzing the ’slient majority’ to the polls. When the politicos starting beating thier ‘issue’ drumbs, then the people most likely to respond are the ‘wing-nut wingers’.

Case in point: Gay marriage ammendments from the 2004 election. I honestly feel (although I have no emperical evidence to back it up) that most Americans could have given two flips about the issue. It didn’t effect them, why should government get involved? However, this issue spoke loudly to the folks on the +0.18 side of the Romer-Rosenthal scale. Therefore, they got their butts to the polls. On the otherhand, I made sure I was in line before the polls opened to vote against the amendment.

I guess my point is: It’s the hot button issues that are going to drive people to the polls. Sane campaign finance reform isn’t as sexy as ‘gay-marriage’.

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