Text 3593, 80 rader
Skriven 2010-01-24 16:15:23 av Michiel van der Vlist (2:280/5555)
     Kommentar till en text av Robert Bashe (2:2448/44)
Ärende: Fox stoops even lower
=============================
Hello Robert,

On Friday January 22 2010 16:18, you wrote to me:

 RB>>> I know you're talking about the electoral system (incidentally,
 RB>>> not all states use the "winner takes all" system),

 MV>> Actually I was referring to the system of presidential elections.

 RB> That _is_ the electoral system, i.e. a system by which electors are
 RB> selected by popular vote, and then cast their votes to elect the
 RB> president. Don't confuse the _electoral_ system with an _election_
 RB> system.

Then maybe I should have used a different term. I did NOT mean the system of
electors and all the other local folklore thyat comes with it. The people of
the US go cast their votes and out of the box comes a president. ONE winner who
them selects his ministers and other aids.

Contrary to the what happens on Europe where it is not one winner who decides.
It is always a coalition government.

 MV>> What strikes me is the extremness of the unhappiness. Here in The
 MV>> Netherlands, voters who's party does not make it into government
 MV>> of course are disappointed. But they take their loss and say
 MV>> "better next time" and then they give the winners a fair chance to
 MV>> do their job.

 RB> Do they?

Most of the time they do.

 MV>> What I see from here on the other side of the pond, is that the
 MV>> losers won't give up and will do everything in their power to make
 MV>> life as hard as they can for the winner.

 RB> If that's not the case in the Netherlands, congratulate your
 RB> countrymen for their behavior - but I suspect election losers can be
 RB> very bitter indeed even where you live. At any rate, what you note
 RB> above is nothing specific to the States.

To me it looks like it is. I do not see that much hate here.

I may add that in our system it is generally not a good idea to fight to the
death. Because there is always a next election, and then what now is a party in
the opposition might be called to be part of a coalition. Mortally antagonising
a potential coalition partner in the next round is not a good idea.

 MV>> I supspect that comes with the "winner takes all" system.

 RB> I don't think so,

I think it does.

But I suspect we are not talkking the same thing whan we say "winner takes all
system".

So let me rephrase it. I think it is because in the US the powers that be are
not forced to form coalitions.

 RB> You'll also notice that Democrats and Republicans, at least since the
 RB> early 1900s, tend to alternate in the presidency. The Americans have a
 RB> deep-seated attitude of "throw the bum out!" after a certain period,
 RB> regardless of how good or bad a politician might be.

Which in itself is odd.

 MV>> Then again, they may just be bad losers.

 RB> You'll find those everywhere, Michiel. The only difference is that the
 RB> Americans make no secret of the fact.

I think it goes a bit deeper than that. What I see from across is that they
really seem to HATE each oher.


Cheers, Michiel

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