fandomhigh | US Government (Friday, April 14, 4th period)

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US Government (Friday, April 14, 4th period)

Josh didn't look particularly happy today. Wonder why.

"Okay," he said, stalking around the room. "Today we get started talking about how you might go about getting elected to public office. Since you're in government class and not political campaigning--he smiled at Elizabeth--I'm not going to get into the real nitty gritty. You won't have to memorize campaign finance law or try to make sense of McCain-Feingold." He raised an eyebrow. "You do have to know that McCain-Feingold exists, though, so write that down."

"Next week we'll talk about the electoral college and what that means for presidential politics. For now, let's say you were trying to run for, um, the Senate. Say you're 30 years old already. What do you think you would need in order to run and win?"

He turned and scrawled "Money" and "Votes" on the board. "Seems ridiculously easy, but yeah, this is pretty much all you need." He paused, then wrote "Ideas" on the board as well. "Well, and a reason for the voters to choose you."

He winked at Elizabeth. "And to win? You need fifty percent plus 1 vote. Never waste your time trying to convince everyone to vote for you. Just convince more people than the other guy."

He sat down. "Questions?"

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...

Peter signed in. Yay.

Lindsey signed in.

Alphonse signed in.

Isabel signed in.

Angela signed in.

Elizabeth signed in.

John signs in.

Sam signed in ~~with absolutely no snickering~~

Duo signs in.

Kawalsky signed in late.

About elections? Or maybe Josh's secret plan to fight inflation?

"So, how do you go about convincing more people to vote for you? Would plans to deal with major issues help? Like, say, inflation?"

"Yes, plans on major issues..." Josh trailed off. "Very funny." He coughed. "Yeah, secret plans can be good too. It just helps when you, you know, don't come up with them during a press conference. Little tip from me to you there."

Lindsey grinned. "I'll try and keep that in mind next time I'm holding a press conference."

Josh grinned. "You do that. Around here, that might be the next weird phenomenon."

"What, we'll all be holding spontaneous press conferences? Think the weetiny bunnies'll come back to act as reporters? Or maybe we'll get wombats for that."

"Wombats ask tough questions, yeah," Josh said, nodding seriously. "If this actually happens, I'm taking no responsibility for it."

"I figured wombats would be tough. They look like they'd be vicious." Lindsey shook his head and wondered when conversations like this became ok.

"I won't blame you if it happens. I'll blame the wombats."

"I think I'll blame the Republicans. It's been working for me so far."

"They could be republican wombats?"

"Terrifying thought, isn't it?"

Angela raised her hand. "So how do you think elections would be different if the money factor was taken out of it? Like, if the state financed all of the candidates equally, or something."

"It would change the landscape of politics entirely," Josh said. He walked to the board. "In the 2004 cycle, it cost an average of a million bucks to win a seat in the House of Representatives--$6.5 millon for a Senate seat," he said, scrawling those numbers on the board. "Practically speaking, this means a Senator needs to raise $21,000 a week every week for his six year term. A House member needs to raise $10,000. This is grinding, degrading and the candidates hate it."

He turned around. "Take away the money? Everything changes. Interest groups change, leadership PACs change--how the party itself influences a candidate changes. Take out the money? It's a whole new ballgame."

He gave Angela a wry grin. "Which is why they'll never take out the money."

Angela nodded. "So ... is it a good thing or a bad thing? Or kind of neutral?"

"Personally? I don't know anyone who enjoys the fundraising necessary in modern politics. But if it's going to change--it has to change completely, and it has to change for everyone."

Josh shrugged. "And I don't see that happening. I disagree with the Supreme Court's thought--I don't really see that writing a check is the same thing as freedom of speech when everyone can't write that kind of check. It's not guaranteeing freedom for everyone. It's skewing our laws towards people with money and influence. So the way it works now? Yeah, not great. But not going to change. I work with the rules I'm given and find a way to win."

"And at least you're usually better than the other guys," Angela said. "Thanks."

"No one who has to do it regularly," Elizabeth nodded. "I've known some people who thought all the fundraising dinners and dances were fun."

"Only if there's an open bar," Josh said. "Other than that, completely skippable."

"Alas, a very rare thing," Elizabeth sighed, before sitting up straight, eyes wide. "Um. Not that I'm old enough to drink at them, open bar or not."

Josh had seen his fair share of politicians' kids getting wasted at fundraisers. So he smirked. "Of course not."

"Weren't the laws originally written to skew towards men with money and influence?" She slipped some hair behind her ear, and continued, "It's not common for people to want to give up power, or a system that works for them. So how do you elect progressives, or people who have ideas and care about the people, but have no money?"

"Basically, isn't the system set up to keep the status quo intact? And what steps would you list for someone who was trying to break into politics who wanted to shake things up? How would that campaign be different?"

"Good point," Josh said. He walked around the room as he pondered Sam's other questions. "There are some fundraising groups out there now that target candidates with interesting ideas--EMILY's List, for one. The internet is being harnessed as a huge fundraising tool, as you could see from Howard Dean's campaign before he imploded."

He smiled. "You can still shake things up--people are very tired of the status quo, you just have to approach them right. Heck, the guy I worked for was never supposed to get out of the primaries and we got him elected president. You just need the right approach."

"But you don't always need to win fifty percent of the popular vote," Elizabeth said. "At least, if you're running for president."

"That's the fun of the electoral college, yeah," Josh said, "but for pretty much everyone else, it's two candidates going head to head. If you're not in Louisiana, of course, but those electoral laws are enough to drive a man to drinking and I have a delicate system."

Elizabeth ducked her head and snickered slightly. "Does that explain your secret plan to fight inflation?"

Josh sighed. "Yes, yes it does." He smiled. "And that's the story I'm sticking to."

The Student Council was arriving soon, but Josh was here if you're quick.

...

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US Government (Friday, April 14, 4th period)

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After class

OOC