(Please note)


I have decided to use elements of Feng Shui for this editorial.


I want my readers to tap into their inner "Zen."


So you will notice the wonderful "earth tones", and the peaceful pictures of nature. (Trees, puppies, kittens, etc)


So, if you open up your mind, you will find peace, you may find your missing "Zen" here on this site. You will find love here.


This editorial is called:


"I am piss mad and spitting about the political system"





If you live in Iowa or New Hampshire, you may not want to read further.


(I am warning you..)


Not that I blame YOU for the current mess I see. I am just asking: "why do you always come first?"


Remember hearing about Fidel Castro stepping down? Remember hearing how he nominated his brother to take over? Did you think to yourself: "..Wow, the people of Cuba do not even get to pick their leader.."


That is how we feel in states like Pennsylvania…


With the republican nomination rapped up and if Hillary Clinton doesn't do well on March 4th in Ohio and Texas, millions of Americans have had our presidential nomination picked for us.


We have no say in the nomination process.


Next door in Indiana, it has been 40 years since they have had a say in the democratic nomination, so they are excited that their voice might be heard this time around.


I say to those poor people in Indiana…


"..Don't hold your breath, you poor bastards. Unless Hillary does exceptionally well in Ohio, she ain't going to be around on April 22.."


Ok… Ok…


It would be easy for you "first-ers" to say: "There is no federal law keeping you people with a late primary, just move your primary up.."


We have tried…


But the voters in my state feel an early primary doesn't give local and state politicians enough time to run for office.


To that, I say: "..boo freakin hoo.. Cry me a river.."


How much time do local politicians need to print up a thousand campaign fliers and stick them on car windshields..?? I could have that task completed in two days.


FREAKIN' IDIOTS





I feel like I am living in a dictatorship.


I am a middle-age man who has never had a chance to select my party's nomination. It has always been done for me by the "same freakin states every election."


This has got to stop. I am piss mad..!!





So I did a little investigative reporting and let me clue you into what I have found:


I asked political professionals, (who will remain nameless and faceless) this basic question:


(Question)


"..Why does Iowa come first in selecting the party's nominee..??"


(Answer)


"..That is the way it is. Just except it. If you don't like it, then just move your state up to a earlier date.."


(I hear that a lot) My people will not move. (We have tried.)


Being a person who investigates things further, (Plus, I didn't get the answer that I wanted to hear) I decided to ask another nameless, faceless political professional:


(Question)


"..Why does Iowa come first in selecting the party's nominee..??"


(Answer)


"There is no federal law that states Iowa MUST go first. However, the people of Iowa got together and voted that they SHOULD be first. So they created a state law that claims they MUST be first.."


(Did you know that Iowa could do that..?? I didn't know that Iowa could do that..?? Those sneaky weasels..)


Let's continue with the faceless political professional;


"The Democratic Party and the Republican Party honor this Iowa State law and if any other state tries to move ahead of Iowa, the republicans and democrats will not count their delegates."


"If you do not like it, you can always move your states primary up a little.."


(!!!… must control anger..!!!)


Now, I am not totally sure how legitimate that answer is. But that is the answer that I received. Most people do not know why Iowa and New Hampshire HAVE to go first. We all just except it.


No offence to the people of Iowa and New Hampshire, but…


This situation sucks..!!





I do not even blame the people of Iowa and New Hampshire. Hell, that was a slick thing to do. Way to go..!!


For some reason, we the people of Pennsylvania were too busy milking cows, growing corn, and making steel to think of creating a law that puts ourselves FIRST in the nomination process.


So my hat is tipped to the people of Iowa and New Hampshire for being diabolical enough to think of doing that in the first place.


But, the pinhead leaders of the Democratic and Republican Party have no real reason to follow this law?


It makes no logical, ethical, economic, or legal sense that Iowa and New Hampshire MUST be first in the nomination process, election after election, after election- for eternity.


What is good for Iowa, may not be good for Ohio and Oregon.


This is what has me spitting mad..



We must change the US primary process.


(Change it to what..??)


The most popular system proposed is a division of the country into four regional sections. (Based on population, demographics, and location- we don't need candidates zipping back and forth across the country to campaign.)


Every month, starting in March and ending in June, a region would vote in the primaries. (Roughly 12 states in each region.) This regional division would rotate each election cycle, so that everyone in the country will have an opportunity to vote first in the primaries. (Every 16 years, it would return back to your state.)


With this system, every person in America would have at least two or even three chances to be first in the primaries, during their lifetime.


I feel this system needs to be tried.


The main problem is that there are no federal laws here to change. The system that we have; is in place only because the democrats and republicans have agreed to follow it.


They believe that because Iowa and New Hampshire have low delegate counts, they are the perfect proving grounds to consummate their candidates. If your candidate loses in Iowa, you can calibrate your campaign and you haven't lost too many delegates. However, with the advent of the 24-hour cable news channels and the Internet, Iowa and New Hampshire have become more important. People are tuned into this election.


So I revert back to my original question. The same question that millions of Americans are asking:


"Why must it be Iowa first. Always, till the end of time?"


If you are interested in this topic, who can you contact..??


Well, the top political leaders involved in a change to a 4 regional primary system were:


Former Secretary of State James Baker


Former President Jimmy Carter


Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell


We can try and contact their offices.


In 2005; Ed Rendell, Jimmy Carter, and James Baker tried to form a commission to switch to a 4 regional primary system.


The idea was shot down like a Thanksgiving turkey.


However, with the new- found interest in this 2008 election, half of the country might be interested in this idea. Interested because, like me, they watched 21 candidates dwindle down to a choice of (two) before we even had a change to enter a voting both.


What can we do..??


Well, I am going to contact James Baker to see if he will revisit this issue again. I believe they may see more attention to this issue then they did in 2005.


Contacting your state representatives would also be valuable because it would take a 2/3-majority state vote to implement this system nationally. Contacting our party's leadership would also be important because they will be instrumental in bringing change to the primary system.





You know what folks…


This Feng Shia stuff really works. All morning I have been looking for my "Zen," and I think I found it.


I have a goal. I have a plan. Now I need to take action.


If a million letters roll into James Baker's office, demanding primary campaign reform, he will act on it.


A million letters…


(I better go buy some computer paper.)


Oh..Hell..


I just lost my "Zen." I had it a minute ago. I set it down and now I cannot find it.


What was I talking about..??


Written by AR Babonie for The Angry Republic



(Note)


Ed Rendell, Jimmy Carter, and James Baker all wanted to allow Iowa and New Hampshire to continue to be first in the primaries. Even with the 4-region division. However, we need someone to get the ball rolling. Final details could be hammered out later.