The US has
projected itself as the global leader of democracy through its worldwide mass
media, huge economy and lavish military expenditures. A close look contradicts
that notion and reveals that the country needs extensive reforms before
claiming to be truly democratic. The presidency itself needs reforms.
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The White House – The official residence of the
President of the United States in Washington, D.C. lit by the setting sun in
the evening. © solomonjee / shutterstock.com
Despite its repeated and resolute claims to being a thriving
democracy, the US has never been truly democratic. While the Western superpower
does have some features of democracy, so have many authoritarian regimes, such
as Azerbaijan, Chad,
Russia
and Venezuela
to name a few.
In my previous article,
I discussed how the two domineering political parties enjoy overweening perks and
privileges. This two-party duopoly over power undermines democratic ideals. In
a supposedly representative democracy, people’s elected officials are supposed
to consider people’s ideas, interests, concerns and welfare. Instead, US
elected officials are indebted to megadoners who finance their elections. So,
they serve those who pay for their election campaigns, not the people who vote
for them.
In my other article,
I evaluated the ways in which the rich and the “deep state” have manipulated US
elections. They have brought politicians under their thumbs, and the American
two-party system—which George Washington famously warned
against—is now more corrupt than ever before. This system is unlikely to last
very long and the 2021 insurrection
that stormed the US Capitol is proof of the fragility of American democracy.
In this article, I shine the light on the problems with the US presidency and why its selection process is affront to democracy. The president is not elected by the popular votes but chosen by electors whose royalties are to the two political parties and not the people.
Over the years, the presidential electoral process has
become incorrigibly corrupt. The 2010 Supreme Court’s ruling
in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission has made money critical to
campaigns. Since that infamous decision, corporate entities and wealthy
institutions/people can donate unlimited money to elections. The presidential
campaign has become so expensive that the candidates compete to please the
rich. Without enough finance, no politician can run a campaign and win.
Candidates with low ethical values willing to sell their royalty to the rich
end up pursuing the presidency. Those with the most money usually win. This is
catastrophic.
It is clear, the presidency needs major reforms. The public
agrees: in a 2020 Pew survey,
two-thirds of American adults took this view.
Do You
Understand Presidential Election Process
The US president is chosen by the Electoral College (EC)
whose members are chosen by the Democratic and Republican political parties.
All other political parties are left out. The EC was not in the 1788 US
Constitution, but the concept was ratified in the 12th
Amendment under “electors” in 1804. To chiefly address the issues arising
from that amendment, the 20th
Amendment also known as “Lame Duck Amendment” was ratified 1933. This
second amendment let the vice president-elect to rise to presidency if the
president-elect dies before taking the office. In case both president and vice
president are found unfit, it also gives the US Congress authority to select an
acting president until a president or vice president can be selected.
Unfortunately, the 1804 election process is still
continuing. The mere fact that Donald Trump became
the US president-elect in 2016 despite getting substantially less popular votes
than Hillary Clinton has demonstrated
that getting the majority of the votes does not matter. To win, a candidate
needs a majority in the EC. Trump was chosen to be the US president by the EC
whose members’ first loyalty is to the two political parties, which depend on
the support from the rich. What is true for Trump is also true for George W.
Bush. In 2000, he became
president even though Al Gore won more votes.
Given such results, you may even wonder why we have
presidential elections. The pseudo-elections remain because the rich, the “deep
state,” want them to legitimize the process in the eye of the voters and delude
them into thinking they are participating in a democratic process. However, the
rich are selective in choosing and financing candidates. To ensure high return
on their investments, they seek the candidates based on their charisma and
cunning to entertain and excite people. Unfortunately, they do not give much
attention to the candidates’ qualifications, experience, expertise, management
skills or sometimes even physical and mental health to lead the nation for a
better future for all Americans. In recent years, the US has had presidents
like George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, none of whom had met those
requirements.
Increasingly, candidates depend on money to win elections,
particularly after the 2010 Supreme Court ruling in favor of the rich. In the
2016 elections, Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump spent
a combined sum of over one billion dollars on their political campaigns.
Candidates do not spend such a large sum from their personal funds. They depend
on donors to back them. Few Americans donate
to political campaigns and less than 1% donate over $200. Thus, the candidates
are left at the mercy of the rich.
Elections
Have Turned Sordid
These elections have degenerated into a celebrity
competition. They attract narcissistic individuals who often lack a moral
compass. There is no process to filter out undesirable candidates. In fact, the
process is so corrupt that political, in particular presidential, candidates
feel desperate to win favor from the rich. They even forsake their countries’
interests to please the rich.
Sometimes, one wonders if the candidates are running for
elections in another country. In 2007, Joe
Biden declared, “I am a Zionist. You don’t have to be a Jew to be a
Zionist.” He did so to please the Zionist rich after Obama chose Biden as his
running mate. As a presidential candidate in 2020, Biden wooed
the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) by declaring his
loyalty to Israel. As president, Trump made Israel the foundation of his
foreign policy decisions. He bent over backwards to please
Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire who backs Israel and Jewish causes. To both
Biden and Trump, Israel came first because they needed money from Jewish
donors. Like prostitutes, US presidents now serve the highest bidders.
Furthermore, the rich also do not like to see certain
citizens participate in these elections. So, they have their lackeys to prevent
some territories from becoming states, leaving them out of the elections.
According to the U.S. Constitution, Article
II, Section 1, much of its population living in Puerto Rico, Guam, the
Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and other US
territories are not qualified to vote in the presidential election. An example
is Puerto
Rico, which has a population of over 3.2 million, which is greater
than any of the 21 states.
Another problem with the 20th Amendment is that it gives
authority to the US Congress to elect president or vice president if either of
them is found unfit for office. Rather, that election should be left to the
people.
Thankfully, Americans are wising up. In 1981, 75% of
Americans favored abolishing the EC system. In 1987, the American Bar
Association called the EC “archaic” and “ambiguous.”
Reform
Presidential Elections
The US presidency must be democratized. Otherwise, troubles
lie ahead. In the long term, such a flawed process to elect presidents will
cause a loss of faith in the office and in democracy itself. I recommend three
key reforms.
First, the popular ballot must decide who becomes president.
The EC must go. That requires amending the 12th Amendment and the 20th
Amendment.
Second, the media must provide free “equal
air time” for all presidential candidates. This will take away the
advantage candidates with more money have in the current process.
Third, we must limit contributions
from all sources to any candidate. There has to be a cap on the amount
individuals can donate and the amount any candidate can raise. That will take
away the disproportionate power of the wealthy in deciding US elections and
hand back power to the people.
By Mehdi Alavi
This article
was first published by Fair
Observer.
