PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION REFORM
Salvaging the Original Intentions of the Founding Fathers
through Modern Electronic Technology
IV. The National Primary Debates.
A new procedure will be introduced in the fourth step of the process. In the National Primary Debates there will be two evenings of debate, one on domestic issues, and the other on foreign affairs. The four regional winners will be such prominent people that their opinions on these separate subjects will be well worth having. The debates will be held on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of October. There will be two one-hour debates each evening. Contestants will be randomly matched by the F.E.C. computer, and different debaters will square-off each night.* This setup enables the electorate to see each candidate in action against the others. Also, the second night will be a test of stamina and will let the people see how well the debaters hold up under stress.
Following each debate voting lines would be open for three hours, for preferential voting as with the previous steps. On Thursday evening the F.E.C. will announce the two-day vote totals. The TWO persons with the highest number of votes will go on to the next step in the contest.
Why will there be two winners of the primary debates rather than one? Because the people of the United States might want to replace both the incumbent president and vice-president in the election. If only one person won the primary debates, then at least one of the other two incumbents would be assured of retaining office. However, if the voters feel the two challengers are more worthy of the nation's two highest offices than the present occupants, they should have the opportunity to "throw the rascals out."
Let us pause for a moment and consider what has transpired in these first four steps of the new election game. We supposed that 1000 American citizens qualified for the presidency and wanted to be considered by the electorate for the job. The number 1000 would include all types of Americans, rich and poor, black, red, yellow, brown, tan, and pink, men and women, all starting from the same line with no advantages.
The first step they took was the Presidential Literacy Test. Then the field was narrowed down to those who had proven their presidential literacy. Here is a group of 200 mature, intelligent, and knowledgeable people representing all walks of life. Imagine the wealth of talent in this bunch! Did the two-party system ever give the voters such a variety to choose from? None of these prospects will be party hacks picked in a back room by a few wheeler-dealers. Nor will any of them be at all dependent upon the charity of the contributing class, the leaders of which are unknown to the public. From this mountain of talent the American people can select their very best. Their final choice will not be two "old boys," one representing the Republican elite, the other representing the Democratic elite. The winners in the new election game will have no political debts. They will owe their positions only to the people. In steps two, three, and four a field of 200 superb prospects was screened and pruned until only two people remained to be pitted against the president and vice-president in one more contest before the final election.
THE PRESIDENTIAL LITERACY TEST THE STATE ELECTION DEBATES THE REGIONAL RUNOFFS
THE NATIONAL NOMINATING DEBATES THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DEBATES