The Political Parties Are Gaslighting Us With Eric Bronner
Why is it that every time I vote, I look at the candidates and think, “Is this the best America can do?” According to most surveys, roughly 70% of Americans don’t want to see a Biden/Trump rematch in 2024. Guess what we’re getting, though? More of the same. It doesn’t sound like our election system is representing the will of the people.
On this week’s Leadership After Hours episode with Veterans for All Voters COO and co-founder Eric Bronner we discuss their efforts to make elections more fair, more representative, and get better candidates on the ballot.
What’s wrong with the current system? Well, this is how my simple mind sees it.
If you look at the political viewpoint of our representatives in Congress, it is a U-shaped curve. The majority are far left or far right, with very few towards the middle. In almost every issue, the actual views of the American people are a bell curve. With the majority of us represented slightly left or slightly right. So basically, our two-party system creates a government that looks completely opposite from the people it’s supposed to represent. I believe it’s time for a change.
There are several different voting innovation models out there. However, VAV promotes open primaries and top four or final five voting. Around 60% of Veterans are not affiliated with either political party. (I’m one of them.) Tennessee is currently trying to make it a crime to vote in a primary election unless you are officially registered with that private political party. Someone like me, who has literally fought for my constitutional rights, has two options if I want to have a say about who is on the general election ballot. (By the way, nearly every district in TN is not competitive in the general election. It’s either heavily Democratic or Republican. So the primary is the election.) 1. I’m forced to swear allegiance to a private political party against my personal beliefs. 2. Vote in the primary and become a criminal. (Also, by the way, these public primary elections that I’ll not be allowed to vote in are paid for by my taxes.)
Leadership After Hours isn’t a political podcast, but it is about true leadership. At West Point, we were taught that leadership integrity means choosing the harder right over the easier wrong. This is what leadership looks like. Veterans out front again, fighting dark money and corrupt political parties that have hijacked our democracy. Please listen to this episode and reach out to Veterans for All Voters; even if you’re not a Veteran, they can use your support and connect you to like-minded groups in your local area to get involved.
I consider myself a strong Patriot. A Patriot doesn’t fight to keep a corrupt system. I believe that it is our duty to strive for “a more perfect union.” The current system is inefficient at both governing and representing the American people. What are you going to do about it?
Quote inside the World War I Kansas University Campanile Memorial. “Free government does not repose upon its citizens, but sets them in the vanguard of battle to defend the liberty of free men.”
-Sean Patton
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