Hi Bob,   
      
   On Thu 2012-Nov-29 13:34, BOB KLAHN (1:123/140) wrote to RICHARD WEBB:   
      
      
      
    RW> True, but these are often the most difficult to motivate to   
    RW> get involved in the major parties because too much of the   
    RW> party's main thrust is diametrically opposed to the   
    RW> individual's point of view.   
      
   BK>  All too often they mistake rhetoric for real intention.   
   Agreed.   
      
    RW> i registered Democrat back in Iowa, mainly due to the   
    RW> caucus system and my activism with the organized blind   
    RW> movement. IN '88 I got heavily involved in the process   
   BK>  ...   
    RW> specifhying that state government leave the rehab agencies   
    RW> alone in their great reorganization push.  But, had it not   
    RW> been for that issue at that time i probably would have   
    RW> never run for that platform committee seat at the state   
    RW> level.   
      
   BK>  Needed a push to get into it.   
      
   Needed somebody in our organization who lived in the   
   neighborhood who was both literate enough and had the time.   
      
      
      
      
   BK>  And plenty of reason. So many things get passed that wouldn't if   
   BK> people really knew what was behind them.   
      
   Or if they really bothered to read them.   
      
   BK>>  Never underestimate the ability of politicians to evade truth.   
      
    RW> Believe me, I don't!   
      
   BK>  Hmmm... how can I believe you, you admitted above having run for  a   
   BK> platform committee seat. Have you repented your politician  period?   
      
     IT was kind of interesting actually, folks would   
   buttonhole me while standing at a bus stop near my apartment to beat the drum   
   for their pet issue, etc.  it was an   
   interesting experience, but don't think I'd do it again.  IT paid off though   
   later on when I cornered a state legislator   
   who represented me on the last day of the session the next   
   year regarding an issue.  He did the gripe and moan, lastday of the session,   
   lost to do, I really dont' have time to   
   listen to you on this.  I reminded him that he knew me to be quite active   
   politically, and the following year he was   
   going to want people to support him, and I knew of at least   
   two other folks in the neighborhood who might be angling to   
   move up politically .   
      
    RW>> The electoral college was effective, back before the   
    RW>> telegraph, the telephone and other electronic   
    RW>> communications capabilities, but it's been obsolete for   
    RW>> over a century now. it's time to bury it!   
      
   BK>>  Exactly the point.   
      
    RW> And we know it'll never happen.  IT gives the two major   
    RW> parties a lock on power.   
      
   BK>  Mostly it gives the lesser party at the time more of a chance to    
   BK> take power. The party of the people want's the popular vote to    
   BK> rule, the party of the party want's the electoral college.   
      
   Maybe, but i haven't seen a big groundswell to abolish it   
   really.   
      
   Regards,   
              Richard   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:116/901)