Like my friend Cody Willard, I believe that one of the most important things that could happen politically would be to break the stranglehold that the Republican/Democrat duopoly has on the political process. This evening, I am here to offer a simple way that this could be achieved without creating a third party
(Wait a minute: could we bring “restraint of trade” charges against the Republicans and Democrats for their suppression of third parties? After all, politics is a business, albeit a twisted one…)
NOTA: None of the above. Whether by law or by constitutional amendment, all elections should allow for “None of the above” to be a choice. If “none of the above” wins the election, the candidates are thrown out, and a new election would be held two months later, with none of the prior candidates participating. Existing officeholders would continue until a new officeholder is elected.
My opinion is that if “None of the above” were an option in the current Presidential race, it would win handily. Also, as far as the Republicans are concerned, it would have won their nomination, and the convention would have been old-style, where a compromise candidate would have arisen, far more amenable to average voters than Mitt Romney.
We need a brake on the system to arrest the power of the two parties, and give them real competition. “None of the above,” helps provide that, so that when you have two lousy polar opposite candidates, they will be forced toward the center, or be eliminated by “None of the above.”
NOTA worked to destroy the politics of the Soviet Union; maybe it can help us as well. If you’re tired of the polarized opinions of the Republicans and Democrats, then I would suggest pushing for legislation or Constitutional amendments that require the ability for all elections to have “None of the above” as a choice.
By David Merkel, CFA of alephblog
