Hillary is our genetically engineered candidate, recombinant with Wall Street DNA

[whereisjustice]

Like a carefully controlled science experiment, Hillary continues to develop in a bubble, carefully protected from contamination by the problems of common American lives. This level of purity in a candidate has never before been attempted.

Are we really this pure and sterile? Are we wrong about Democracy?

It would seem so. Why else would Democrats be so willing to let Wall Street engineer our candidates?

Denying the opportunity for a diverse field of candidates and opinions in American politics has created an environment where corruption interferes with the process of good government.

From: The Decline of Competition in U.S. Primary Elections, 1908-2004

...However, over the course of the past century, the screening function of primary
elections appears to have weakened dramatically. Today, only about 25 percent of statewide
candidates face serious primary opposition, and less than 8 percent win after competitive
primaries but uncompetitive general elections.

...The weakening primary election screen is not balanced out by more general election competition. The result of declining primary election competition, then, is less competition overall in the U.S. electoral system.

...Given the utter lack of competition in primary elections it seems unlikely that incumbents are “running scared”
that they might lose the next primary. That being said, the overall decline in competition is tied to incumbency, as there is less competition when incumbents run.

...Finally, we are concerned by the very fact that electoral competition in the United States is waning. Political science takes virtually as given that electoral competition is good. It improves accountability of government and representation; it is the venue for deliberative democracy. It may be that we, as a discipline, are wrong about this conjecture. Careful consideration of why electoral competition has declined and how might help in understanding the conditions under which competition matters. However, it seems more plausible that the conjecture is right—that more competition is generally better. With the decline of primary election competition Americans have lost an important instrument of electoral accountability.


http://www.wallis.rochester.edu/conference12/primary_competition_7_11_05_mh.pdf

[99Forever]

1. K&R