In commemoration of the death of voter registration 2008 and Cal Poly’s “Democracy Week,” I have an idea. An idea that I believe will shake our political system to its core. It is a plan that I think students at Cal Poly can get behind and embrace. It is based on what I have seen on-campus, what I have seen off-campus, and most importantly what I feel in my heart.
Last week, several of my friends were participating in some very American Cal Poly student activities. They were drinking on a Tuesday. Don’t scoff; I’m sure all of you have done it several times in your time here at Cal Poly. I stopped by, and sure enough broke one of the cardinal rules of college life: never drink and debate.
One declaration pulled me in: one indignant vote for Ralph Nader. I know that it may go against my college roots, but, despite my respect for Nader, I think he is an arrogant man who would rather prove a selfish point than serve a greater good. I began debating with someone who had been drinking, and despite all odds, the same politics I have stood by for as long as I can remember vaporized. What he said shattered my world view.
What I made out through the screaming though, made more sense to me than anything I had ever heard on CNN, and it is my proposition to Cal Poly and to our country. Echoed in all of the voices and minds of our population, I believe that plan, straight from the mouth of a Cal Poly student, may be able to turn our country around.
Let us once and for all do away with the two-party system. It is flawed and of course does not support the ongoing trend surfacing in America of choosing “Joe Six-Pack” with an IQ of 42 to run the free-world.
But back to the drunk defender of our freedom and voice, this nameless man opened my eyes and gave me a voice. He taught me that falling in line with the two-party system, even if that is where your true loyalty lies, is conforming to the “man.” He taught me that anyone who votes for Obama or McCain cannot be voting for what they believe in because neither candidate has the ability to represent all of the views of every singular member of society.
I know, crazy, right? It’s hard to believe that no one has ever come up with this genius before. This is what I propose; that we eliminate all political parties. In fact, I propose that we eliminate all campaigns and preliminary elections. On Nov. 4, I think that we should all be able to vote for whomever we think should be in office. Whether you believe that you will be best represented by Barack Obama, or you are like me and believe that you would be best represented by my roommate, you should be able to vote that way.
Casting your ballot in this manner would ensure that voters are able to nominate the candidate who wholly represents them. We would have a bevy of candidates and a lot of options. It would be political perfection.
Though the downside may be that our new president would only represent four percent of the American population, at least we can all rest easy that we were able to vote for someone who we totally agreed with; even if now we are stuck with “Joe Gun-Toting, Drill-in-your-Backyard, Drink-a-Couple-Beers-and-Hold-a-Press-Conference-Drunk Six-Pack.” At least he is one of us.
Or maybe we as Americans, and more importantly, college students should consider the benefits of the two-party system before we fight the “man,” and remember to never drink and debate.
Rachel Newman is an English junior. “That’s What She Said” takes a fresh and lighthearted look at issues at Cal Poly and in San Luis Obispo. The column will be appear in the opinion section bi-weekly on Mondays.