[Marxism] Jesse Jackson and the case for protectionist politics

["Jurriaan Bendien" <andromeda246@xxxxxxxxx>]

Rev. Jesse Jackson recently made the case for protectionist politics:

In 2000, "Florida exposed the cracks in the system,'' Rev. Jackson says. "We
need assurances of voter protection. We need to end the schemes of
disenfranchisement. We need constitutional protection for the right to elect
the president. We have sought to meet with the President on this matter. We
will appeal to the attorney general and the head of homeland security." "It
is commonly believed that we have the constitutional right to vote for the
president. The Supreme Court made it clear we do not," Rev. Jackson says.
"Voting is a states' rights area; therefore we have only whatever each state
guarantees. Thus we have attempts to limit the franchise; thus the electors
have the power to elect the president. They are creatures of the state
legislatures. So in this year's election, [in a first-past-the-post system]
the winner could lose again." http://www.rainbowpush.org

So then the reasoning goes, that you have to vote for Kerry, to increase the
chances of an acceptable voting system emerging. The only snag is, that the
Democrats actively try to keep independents off the ballot. There seems to
be more involved than Rev. Jackson allows for - why would people who try to
keep independents off the ballot, be interested in establishing a voting
system which ensures fair representation of political opinion in the country
?

Jurriaan


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