If the vote is rigged....

Everyone says that the elections will be rigged. Well, what are your ideas if you do not believe that voting will work? Here are some of mine.

Magic Contest. Think about it, politics speak the ultimate bull#, and magic is the most action bull#, mix the two, you have bull# squared! Strap the candidates in straight jackets, drop them in the Atlantic Ocean, and first one up wins! The others will get a Full Ceremony at Arlington.

SAT Have them take all their SAT�s again. Highest score wins, lowest score gets put on Hooked on Phonics and is prohibited from running for office for the next 6 years.

American Gladiators Think about Bush vs Gore on the rings that hang down. Or the contest where they get Nerf balls shot at them. It�d be perfectly American.

Beer Chugging Now I know George would have the upper hand since he did this until he was, well, he has had to cut back a little now on camera a lot, but hey, not on camera all the time! Now, each person has to chug down 20 beers and then recite the Bill of Rights. First one to do this wins.

And last, but not least, my favorite.

Gender Gap All candidates have a Female VP. When they are elected they shoot themselves. I know this isn�t really a contest, but at least we would finally get a female president. About the only way��

Relax, James, the U.S. Presidential elections will not be rigged! Even if Bush or Kerry or Nader (or all three!) wanted to rig the elections, they couldn't, because the 2000 fiasco has created an environment where all eyes will be on the ballot boxes this November.

I don't know what to think about your suggestions, but I do have a few ideas on what I'd like any U.S. Presidential candidates (or any political candidates at the national or state level, for that matter) to do before everyone votes for or against them:

1. Each candidate is locked in a room alone and given 3 hours to write their own speech on a subject chosen by an (protected against people voting multiple times, or from people outside of the voting area voting) Internet poll. No speech writers, or even editors allowed, and no teleprompters when they go on camera. It will be their speech, in their own words, with their own ideas. Their speeches are published in all city newspapers and on the Internet for all to see afterwards, as well as seeing them speak on live TV.

2. Again each candidate is locked in room alone for 3 hours. A list of the major issues of the year is drawn up, and each issue is presented as a question on a list of questions. Each candidate must write a paragraph response to each question. Again, it is published in all city newspapers and on the Internet for all to see.

3. We go back to the open debates of the past, like the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates when both were running for the U.S. Senate from Illinois (a random example). Timed responses allowed, perhaps, but no answers asked ahead of time, and no pre-prepared answers!

Do these three things, and the voters will see in short order who can cut the mustard, and who doesn't know what mustard is. Personally, I think Bush and Kerry and Nader would all three fail miserably at these three tasks!

Heh, if Nader wins the election, then we know for a fact that it was rigged.

I agree with Thundercloud on the No Speechwriters clause. Except I think that No political official should EVER be allowed to use speechwriters. Make them write their own speeches. The use of speechwriters has made campaigning politicians look more like used-car salesmen that anything else. It's not about who better qualified for the job, it's about who LOOKS better qualified.

Maybe we should vote for their speechwriters instead. Then again, we basically already are.

If a canditate can't even write a somewhat intelligent sounding speech, why in the name of all thats Holy should they be allowed to hold public office.

Well, I have no problem with politicians using speechwriters when they hold an office; but I don't think it's ethical to use speechwriters when running for an office. (I imagine there are many famous speeches that would sound less polished and diplomatic if the Presidents at the time didn't have any speechwriters to help them...)

I'd go with rock, paper, scissors. After elected you could use either of those 2 lethal objects, wrap them in paper, then go out and get a "real" leader. Man, the choice between those 2 must really be eating voters up, no one to vote for.

Alright, the locked in a room for 3 hours idea is good. But one would have to help Bush. "Which end do I write with? What's a sentence? What's a paragraph? What's this "English" you speak of?" And Kerry would need some help to. "Ok, I want a speech with emotions in it. I need a dictionary to look up what this emotion is" And Nader? "Man, 3 hours? I could do alot of, uh, writing, thats right writing, not what I was thinking of doing in a room for 3 hours, but ok, I'll right, maybe."

I still like my Gladiator Idea, it is so American! Or maybe a football game! Republicans vs Democrats. Bush is the QuarterBack, Cheney is the coach, Rice is the cheerleader, John McCain is a WR, have Powell be a Line Backer, so forth while for the Dems you Got Kerry as a QB, Edwards as a WR, Mr. Clinton as a cheerleader, Bill Clinton as the coach(get the joke?) and have Al Gore be a commentator! "And they throw the ball. Running. Oh no, he was tackeled. Fumble."(All in a robotic emotionless voice) Who ever wins goes on to play Nader at the Political Bowl and winner takes all!

But hey, the elections could be rigged, and if anyones asks about it, Bush can just do what his daddy did with the Franklin Scandal, media blackout, if you still gonna run with it, you are threatened with lawsuits and other things that wouldn't be legal.