Opinion | If Trump Is Not an Insurrectionist, What Is He?
www.nytimes.com
The former president is just the man the 14th amendment envisioned barring from office.

Trump sought and actively tried to subvert constitutional government and overturn the results of the presidential election. And what he could not do through the arcane rules and procedures of the Electoral College, he tried to do through the threat of brute force, carried out by an actual mob.

  • Melllvar@startrek.websiteEnglish
    61·
    11 months ago

    Is it antidemocratic to disqualify Trump from office and deny him a place on the ballot?

    Third parties are often denied ballot access. Is that antidemocratic?

    • silence7@slrpnk.netOP
      34·
      11 months ago

      If you can’t cough up the fee (typically $100 or less for most state and local offices) and get several dozen people to sign your nominating papers (varies somewhat by state and office) you’re wasting your time running in the first place.

      The big reason we don’t see third parties doing well in the US is that the bulk of the country uses first-past-the-post general elections. These mean that a vote for a third party candidate hurts the people most apt to implement the policies you care about.

      Three cases:

      Case 1:

      D - 10 votes, R - 9 votes, I - 0 votes

      Democrat wins

      Case 2:

      D - 9 votes, R - 9 votes, I - 1 vote

      Tied election and a coin toss used to decide winner

      Case 3:

      D - 8 votes, R - 9 votes, I - 2 votes

      Republican wins

      • sugar_in_your_tea
        3·
        11 months ago

        Case 4:

        D - 9 votes, R - 8 votes, I - 2 votes

        Democrat wins.

        There are systems that solve the spoiler effect, such as:

        • Approval voting - multiple selection, most votes wins
        • STAR voting - ranking, solves the “uncounted votes” issue that RCV has

        In each system, the candidate preferred by the most people (usually a majority) wins.