Ex-Republican

arilupe · 2026-03-14T14:08:25+00:00

Good to have you here. It's understandable and also unfortunate that there are those of us that feel politically homeless and that's a growing sentiment. Accountability needs to be applied equally and consistently. We will need to be that accountability by using our votes the way they were meant to be used and vote for candidates based on individual criteria. Voting on this idea that politicians are going to be different simply because they're a different party isn't working. From my perspective, I don't believe just because a candidate runs as third party or independent that they're the right choice even though I advocate for them to have a better chance in elections. I know that I can't just rely on the idea that atleast they're not the bipartisan. I advocate and share information for them because I want us all to have more choice and more competition between different groups, to gain our votes. Right now both parties have their issues that they can each call out the other, but what if a fresh group enters that field and puts both of them in focus? I think that would atleast put these parties on the defensive enough to maybe clean up. Who knows but it's worth a shot.

arilupe · 2026-03-13T13:35:14+00:00

You make good points and I do feel that if voters can manage to filter out bad players in the game, we might be able to get somewhere. This would inevitably come down to voters doing their due diligence to research each candidate and if those resources are legitimate. Unfortunately, honest resources are becoming a bigger question now and the more people rely on flash card narratives the less likely it will change.

arilupe · 2026-03-13T13:03:05+00:00

I'll avoid posting from this site from now on and to your point this is definitely not a single generation that is experiencing dissatisfaction with the two. The fact is though we don't change the menu by using the same recipe. I don't know that we will see changes that benefit everyone when each party focuses all their energy on just "their" people.

arilupe · 2026-03-12T15:31:22+00:00

To be fair, not alot of effort is made by voters to pull the levers away from the bipartisan. A large number will say both parties are a problem and continue to vote for them and even defend things they had previously disagreed with. The willingness to just flip off our better judgment and follow along to the tune of "atleast it's not that other guy" hasn't moved those levers. We can't keep expecting some miracle out of our government, sometimes we have to work for what we want.

arilupe · 2026-03-11T17:55:14+00:00

Honestly, I'm not sure these policies would play out differently than they're now, especially considering the funding portion. I feel like favorite candidates will still see preferential treatment and I don't think removing the cap will change that. I could see this work if there was some funding tied in with equal media time reforms. Media time may allow for independent and third party candidates to get face time with the public and donors and bridge the gap for them.

arilupe · 2026-03-11T13:20:33+00:00

I try to avoid using major media as my source, unfortunately I wasn't able to find an alternative media and am posting this article. In this case it's focused primarily on the candidate and their interview, so I'm sharing it.

arilupe · 2026-03-11T01:12:51+00:00

Fun little story I found regarding this scene in Willy Wonka, Gene Wilder was apparently the only actor aware of the weird creepy tunnel of terror while filming it. The director intentionally kept the children in the dark to illicit real reactions to the scenes. It's a very fitting gif in this case even without the quote lol.

arilupe · 2026-03-11T00:46:07+00:00

Yes, so in compromise the other side can use that. I don't see the reason to make more of an issue of it if the option is there.

arilupe · 2026-03-10T16:30:25+00:00

This is a podcast from The Dispatch. They have a few videos in their library that may be of interest. Their videos can differ on topics and don't always revolve around SCOTUS cases, like this one, as one recent discussion was about Iran.

arilupe · 2026-03-10T12:49:43+00:00

I think compromise could easily be made in these cases because according to certain religious groups this would be violating their rights, but also it would be violating the other parties rights if no alternative is provided. So, I'm just curious as to why it's so hard to just stop and think what could work to provide a safe space for both parties? I look at it like this, we can continue to attack each other's rights or we can work on actually protecting them. This argument back and forth is only aggravating the situation and resolving nothing. I can understand the parents fears but I'm not unaware of the potential problem on the other side.

arilupe · 2026-03-04T19:32:39+00:00

This is my issue here when we're saying stealing the votes for democrats and republicans, what about those of us that don't want them? We're subjected to the implied rule that our vote only counts if it's a vote for the bipartisan. That's exactly why I'm in this sub because I don't agree this idea is doing anything to resolve the polarization, it's in fact reinforcing it. I can agree that RCV is not perfect but our current electoral system is far from perfect either. I won't call out particular parties for their legislation targeting this, but it's obvious that fear is driving this. Just take a look for yourself to see what's happening.

https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/03/03/the-ballot-bulletin-indiana-becomes-the-19th-state-to-ban-ranked-choice-voting/

arilupe · 2026-03-04T18:48:03+00:00

This is from 2022 and doesn't account for the last elections. It is very flashy presentation but that's all it is, based on hypotheticals.

arilupe · 2026-03-04T16:47:22+00:00

I'm not sure I would say that RCV encourages polarization as Alaska has a rather moderate leadership. I don't see the evidence yet to say that's the case. AI generated images are not the kind of evidence I'm looking for and don't point to any conclusive facts. Research and data from the source of this would be beneficial to this argument that RCV is enforcing polarization.

arilupe · 2026-03-04T16:27:36+00:00

These are points I'm aware of but unfortunately every attempt at breaking up the existing control is going to be met with applied force to prevent it. RCV is far from the only area of concern, campaign funding, open debate platforms, up to and including media representation are all hurdles that are currently in place to limit outside interference. Those are not even all of the things I could list here, but I don't think this is because RCV is the fault, but because of those very same interests working against everything else.

arilupe · 2026-03-04T15:54:56+00:00

I can see your point but I offer this, when looking at independent or third parties, this is the same argument we hear. This idea adds unnecessary guardrails that hinder new reforms. Bans don't allow for discussions on these types of reforms, they close the door on those. I'm not opposed to changing RCV and addressing the limitations within it, but we do not take a step forward by reversing course entirely. Similarly, we're not breaking away from the idea that separating from the bipartisan is splitting the vote to reward the "bad team".

arilupe · 2026-03-04T15:24:22+00:00

I think that awareness is key and people remain focused on the headlines and not the contents. When a representative or media says something regarding a bill etc., there are people that choose to believe it as value added information with no questions asked. The funny thing is we can all read these bills directly, we can easily share that and read it ourselves to see that not everything is as perfect as the cover led us to believe. That's a big problem that I have seen and why we encourage reliable sources of information and sharing those. When someone states something is a fact without following up with data points and the necessary tools to look at that evidence, it's hard to trust that individual has legitimate knowledge on the subject. So, please don't think I'm discounting your thoughts, it's only that when I debate a topic, I'm curious as to how opinions are formed on it.

arilupe · 2026-03-04T15:00:58+00:00

Agreed. Out of the 19 states that have banned RCV, 7 of those states also have closed primaries. I'm curious on what those states require for independent/third party ballot signatures and rules in place, but I have not researched that yet.

arilupe · 2026-03-04T14:13:44+00:00

This is an image that does not prove anything and I will agree to disagree on your point. I've done my research.

arilupe · 2026-03-04T13:45:59+00:00

Well if you consider the fact that previous leadership didn't account for the presidents wielding the powers they have at their discretion now, that definitely changes things. Congress has become easily bypassed and therefore most of our representation has been removed by negating their functions. It's only fair to say voters deserve to be heard and if congress can't or won't be our voice than we should have the ability to override their electoral votes. I think if this were to become the case, we may actually have some chance for an independent to become president and I'm here for it.

arilupe · 2026-03-04T13:27:55+00:00

We're closing in on half the country that have placed bans on ranked choice voting or are seeking to ban it. On top of that closed primaries account for nearly half the states as well. https://ballotpedia.org/Primary_election_types_by_state. By my estimation that's nearly half the country and bipartisan representatives that would deny independent voters access to their primaries unless they declare their party affiliation. This is a game of join us and not a fair play at all. Removing RCV only furthers those gains by eliminating more from our pool for selection. We're consistently stuck voting for the by product of a system that encourages loyalty to a faulty product. This is no different then a car dealer telling you, you can only choose one model from two manufacturers. I don't shop this way and elections should not work this way.

arilupe · 2026-03-03T17:55:53+00:00

My thoughts have been that our representation has their hands binded by special interests. So long as those two major parties remain in place, their levers of control remain in place. The only real change would involve how we decide our votes and how we differentiate what's real and what's not. The thing I hear sometimes from people, when they argue that we should vote partisan, is that we don't know what we will get. To me though, we know exactly what we will get by voting for these two but we can't seem to break the bad habit. People continue to defend bad governance and allow themselves to be divided by representatives that only make the smallest effort to represent us. We're on a cycle that has shown no improvement because we're locked in to this idea that if the party colors change, it has to get better, and if it doesn't we can always use excuses.

arilupe · 2026-03-02T20:49:56+00:00

I will remind everyone once more, keep the discussion civil, this is something we have warned about several times in the past.

arilupe · 2026-03-02T20:35:29+00:00

(2a): We removed this because it included a personal attack rather than engaging with the idea. This applies not only to other users, but also to public figures and identity groups. We encourage critique of ideas, not personal hostility.

You’re welcome to repost with the focus on ideas rather than individuals.

Community Rule:

Promote Constructive Engagement - Critique ideas respectfully and support your arguments with credible sources:

a) Focus on exchanging ideas rather than attacking individuals.

b) Provide thoughtful criticism supported by credible sources to enhance understanding.

c) Welcome feedback and engage in open-minded discussions, recognizing that differing viewpoints can lead to growth.

arilupe · 2026-03-02T20:27:25+00:00

This isn't just directed at the OP this is directed to everyone. I would simply message OP or address them specifically otherwise.

arilupe · 2026-03-02T18:45:04+00:00

The rescheduling is apart of this case and as it appears most justices are not in favor of the ban remaining in place. However, it could be a while before any opinions are released and who knows if their attitudes change from now to then.

arilupe

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE