The thing with election reform is it has no direct impact on most people's lives. Most issues that get a lot of attention concern the government giving or taking money (of interest to the people losing or receiving money), killing or arresting people (of interest to the victims and people of conscience), or influencing the environment (of interest to everyone).
Election reform affects how ballots are laid out, but the connection between that and actual important impact on people's lives is not so direct and much harder to get emotional about. It's something that, if you explained it to people, they might support, but aren't gonna get riled up enough to petition for it or write their congressperson or anything like that.
I don't think that's actually the main criteria for what people feel strongly about. If people didn't care about things that didn't affect them, we'd have a lot more personal freedom.
You're right emotion goes a lot further than logic. People get excited when they perceive their own group to be under attack, or someone is built up as a villain, or someone is being discriminated against, or there's a threat to women and/or children. In fact, the two party coalition is all these things, some more indirectly than others. It just needs to be sold to the public in the right way.
You're right that the obstacles are great though. The villains are parties that people have supported their whole lives. The parties have trained them well to direct their hatred and frustration at only one of the parties. The challenges just mean we need to try harder. This has the potential to change the course of this country's future in a very big way. I've already written to my state representatives, and I encourage you all to do the same.
Election reform affects how ballots are laid out, but the connection between that and actual important impact on people's lives is not so direct and much harder to get emotional about. It's something that, if you explained it to people, they might support, but aren't gonna get riled up enough to petition for it or write their congressperson or anything like that.
You're right emotion goes a lot further than logic. People get excited when they perceive their own group to be under attack, or someone is built up as a villain, or someone is being discriminated against, or there's a threat to women and/or children. In fact, the two party coalition is all these things, some more indirectly than others. It just needs to be sold to the public in the right way.
You're right that the obstacles are great though. The villains are parties that people have supported their whole lives. The parties have trained them well to direct their hatred and frustration at only one of the parties. The challenges just mean we need to try harder. This has the potential to change the course of this country's future in a very big way. I've already written to my state representatives, and I encourage you all to do the same.
edited 22nd Oct '12 10:07:01 PM by Topazan