PUTNEY — I would like to start a wide-spread conversation about how we elect our president.
I think our political system has become ludicrous. We elect a president for four years, but two years in, we start the whole campaign process all over, distracting ourselves from lots of other things going on on the planet for half of our time - if we happen to be paying attention.
It's a huge circus, and unfortunately, I think we should all be asking whether or not what happened in Iowa was criminal.
There is certainly the appearance of insider Democratic operatives having worked to rig the caucus outcome for Pete Buttigieg - especially since his campaign paid thousands to those same operatives and creators of the app that did not work. And especially since the alternative reporting hotline was entirely inoperative, as well.
I have watched highly biased debates, whereby worthwhile candidates were nearly shoved off the stage, so to speak, by the way they were marginalized and barely allowed to add two cents to the conversation - essentially, allowed to be seen but not heard.
During one debate, I was utterly surprised when a third candidate finally got a question. I thought the moderators might spend the whole evening focusing their attention on only two of the numerous candidates on stage.
I think all media is biased and often tries to direct how we think and how we vote.
In the end, when the field is finally winnowed down to two candidates, I think most of us often feel as though we're choosing between the lesser of two evils, and the impulse to not engage in the final part of the process is quite strong.
• I would like to see the primaries, the delegates, the conventions, and the electoral college go away - in other words, all of the circus elements and all of the things which can override the popular vote.
• I would like to see the field and the conversation remain large and intellectually challenging.
• And come Election Day, I would like to do rank-choice voting for president.
Because, right now, there are several candidates whom I would be happy to see in the White House. But, there are at least two or three who would cause me to stay at home and not vote.
And then I would be accused of helping to re-elect a president with an odious personality - which really isn't fair.
Given two candidates that one finds utterly odious, why should one bother?