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SvennoJ on 19 November 2023
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Bofferbrauer2 said:
LurkerJ said:

Legacy media doesn't control the news anymore. Most Americans support a ceasefire, more than 80% of Dems do and more than half of the republicans support it as well. they're the people Biden's meant to be catering. The backlash he's getting from his base is unprecedented, young voters don't need more reasons to skip the election. Netanyahu is a liability and the only reason he's got Biden's support is because of the pay-to-politics that defines most western democracies especially the USA. 

Sir Kier was heading for a slam dunk but looks like he's willing to sacrifice this too just to please a far right politician. 

They shouldn't skip, they should field a better candidate instead.

The first past the post / winner takes all system pretty much prevents that. We have more than 2 parties in Canada but it's the same problem for any new candidate / party to get any significant representation. The percentage of voters for each party is no reflected in parliament. In the US it's even harder with more states and a 2 party system. Any new candidate needs to beat both entranced parties in multiple states to make any impact at all.

The primaries are all over the place, fielding a better candidate for an existing party, you need a lot of money and influence basically.
https://www.usa.gov/primaries-caucuses

It's a problem here as well, vote for the green party for example or pick the non worst option of those much more likely to pass the post in your voting district.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-canadas-election-laws-have-sidelined-green-voters-for-far-too-long/
Last election the support for the green party collapsed as there's just no point voting for them :(

The most seats it has ever won in the House of Commons (in 2019) was three, even though the popular vote, of which the Greens commanded 6.5 per cent, demonstrated they should have been awarded at least 20 of Parliament’s 338 seats.

Not surprisingly, after such a long record of dismal results, many supporters have given up on the Greens. In the 2021 election, their support dropped to less than 3 per cent.

It's not surprising many people rather cast a protest vote by not voting than 'legitimizing' the election by casting a vote that doesn't count. Or vote for a party you don't really agree with at all :/

Let's face it, we don't really live in a democracy, only by name.