#TogetherForJill

[lordzannis]

Rudolph "Butch" T. Ware III is an American historian and the Green Party's vice presidential nominee for the 2024 United States presidential election. Here are key points about him:

Academic Background:

Associate professor in the Department of History at the University of California, Santa Barbara

Previously taught at the University of Michigan and Northwestern University

Received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004

Research Focus:

Specializes in West African history, African-American history, and Islamic intellectual history

His work focuses on Islamic thought, anti-slavery movements in West Africa and the African Diaspora, and the intersection of race, religion, and revolutionary thought

Political Involvement:

Selected as Jill Stein's running mate for the Green Party's 2024 presidential campaign

Nomination announced on August 16, 2024, during an online livestreamed event

Personal Background:

Practicing Muslim

His selection alongside Stein (who is Jewish) has been noted for creating a diverse ticket

Academic Work:

Author of "The Walking Qur'an: Islamic Education, Embodied Knowledge, and History in West Africa," which has received positive reviews for its analysis of Islamic traditions in Africa

Political Stance:

Emphasizes addressing systemic injustice and building a sustainable, just, and peaceful world

Critical of the two-party political system in the United States

Criticism:

Some critics argue that his background is primarily academic, with limited direct involvement in social movements or political activism outside of academia

The selection of Ware as the Green Party's vice presidential nominee is seen as an attempt to create a historically diverse ticket, bringing together different religious and cultural backgrounds in opposition to current U.S. policies on issues like war, climate change, and economic inequality.

Citations: [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butch_Ware [2] https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/08/26/tgug-a26.html [3] https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Quran-Education-Knowledge-Civilization/dp/1469614316 [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jill_Stein [5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ziwTDDcaVI [6] https://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/bware/ [7] https://www.jillstein2024ballotaccess.com [8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jill_Stein_2024_presidential_campaign

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is an electoral system that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. Here's a comprehensive overview:

How Ranked Choice Voting Works

Voters rank candidates in order of preference (1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice, etc.).

If a candidate receives over 50% of first-choice votes, they win outright.

If no candidate gets a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated.

Votes for the eliminated candidate are redistributed to voters' next choices.

This process repeats until a candidate has a majority.

Advantages of RCV

Determines strongest overall support: Reveals the candidate with the most support across the entire electorate, not just a passionate base.

Encourages civil campaigning: Reduces negative campaigning as candidates aim for second-choice votes.

Reduces wasted votes: Voters can support their preferred candidate without fear of "wasting" their vote.

Eliminates need for runoffs: Saves time and money by avoiding separate runoff elections.

Current Implementation

Statewide: Alaska and Maine use RCV for various elections.

Cities: 53 cities and counties in the U.S. use RCV, including New York City, San Francisco, and Minneapolis.

Military/Overseas: Several states use RCV for military and overseas voters in federal runoff elections.

Criticisms and Responses

Complexity: While slightly more complex than single-choice voting, data shows voters adapt quickly and turnout isn't negatively affected.

Cost: Initial implementation costs can be offset by eliminating runoff elections.

Delayed results: While final tallies may take longer, this ensures accurate and comprehensive results.

Conclusion

Ranked Choice Voting is gaining traction as a method to improve representation and reduce political polarization. While it requires some adjustment, its benefits in determining majority support and encouraging civil campaigning make it an increasingly popular electoral reform.

Citations: [1] https://www.lwvme.org/RCVhelp [2] https://time.com/5718941/ranked-choice-voting/ [3] https://www.rankedvote.co/guides/understanding-ranked-choice-voting/pros-and-cons-of-rcv [4] https://www.csg.org/2023/03/21/ranked-choice-voting-what-where-why-why-not/ [5] https://www.acvote.org/voting/rcv [6] https://vote.arlingtonva.gov/Elections/Ranked-Choice-Voting [7] https://www.pbs.org/wnet/preserving-democracy/2023/12/18/ranked-choice-voting-coming-to-more-statewide-ballots-in-2024/ [8] https://www.rcvresources.org/where-is-rcv-used

[lordzannis]

You're correct that the current American voting system presents significant challenges for third parties without ranked choice voting. Here are the key reasons why:

Winner-Take-All System

The U.S. uses a first-past-the-post or winner-take-all system for most elections, including presidential elections. This means:

The candidate with the most votes wins, even without a majority

There's no proportional representation

Votes for losing candidates don't translate into any representation

This system naturally favors two dominant parties and makes it extremely difficult for third parties to gain traction[1].

Spoiler Effect

Without ranked choice voting, third-party candidates can act as "spoilers" by:

Splitting votes with ideologically similar major party candidates

Potentially tipping close elections to the less-preferred major party

This creates a strong disincentive for voters to support third parties, even if they align more closely with their views[1].

Ballot Access Barriers

Third parties face significant hurdles in gaining ballot access across states:

Complex petition requirements

High signature thresholds

Limited time frames for gathering signatures

Legal challenges from major parties

These barriers make it difficult for third parties to even appear on ballots in many states[4].

Lack of Proportional Representation

The U.S. system does not allocate legislative seats proportionally based on vote share. This means:

Third parties can receive significant vote totals but no representation

There's less incentive for major parties to adopt third-party platforms

Campaign Finance Disadvantages

Third parties often struggle with:

Limited access to public funding

Difficulty attracting large donors

Less media coverage and name recognition

This creates a significant resource gap compared to major parties.

While these factors make third-party success extremely challenging without electoral reforms like ranked choice voting, third-party campaigns can still play important roles by:

Introducing new ideas into political discourse

Forcing major parties to address neglected issues

Providing an outlet for voter dissatisfaction with the two-party system[5]

However, for third parties to have a realistic chance of winning elections, significant changes to the voting system, like implementing ranked choice voting or proportional representation, would likely be necessary.

Citations: [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_party_%28U.S._politics%29 [2] https://religionnews.com/2024/08/29/why-im-voting-third-party/ [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Party_System [4] https://baker.utk.edu/2024/02/14/can-a-third-party-candidate-succeed/ [5] https://theconversation.com/third-parties-will-affect-the-2024-campaigns-but-election-laws-written-by-democrats-and-republicans-will-prevent-them-from-winning-226877 [6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jill_Stein [7] https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/politics/2024/06/13/green-party-s-jill-stein-won-t-make-2024-ballot-in-new-york [8] https://ballotpedia.org/Jill_Stein

the american voting system is NOT EQUIPPED to support a 3rd party without ranked choice voting. and until we get RCV, it's one or the other. and it WILL be one or the other.

a lot of 3rd party candidates sound great, but they do not have a realistic chance at winning. be realistic. you know who does have a chance at winning? the household names, trump or harris.

splitting the vote by going 3rd party is what made trump happen in 2016, it was hillary clinton's downfall. it was USED by state sponsored internet trolls to spread propaganda, destabilize and divide the left. it was endorsed by trump himself, he tried it in 2020 too, and he's doing it again now because he knows it might be the only chance he has at winning.

be VERY wary of anyone telling you vote 3rd party. it's trump or harris. it won't be stein, de la cruz, or sherman, or fucking anybody else ive never heard of, because nobody is talking about independent candidates, and EVERYONE is talking about trump and harris.

it will be trump or harris for president, and it will be trump if you vote 3rd party. and ill tell you as an anarchist, i would rather have kamala harris and all her flaws in office over the fascist donald trump who would see me and my queer siblings and my friends and family of color dead.

do not split the fucking vote.

[lordzannis]

https://www.rcvresources.org/state-assessments

An important reminder to vote-shaming liberals on my ass for advocating people to vote for Jill Stein: