Rhian,

Yes I'd forgotten about the 1998 election. So two with 8 years where the winner of the TPP didn't win government.

The thing is this. The aim is to win seats, so parties will not bother campaigning to hard in seats where they stand no chance. If the TPP was the criteria for government then campaigning would look very different. If you got equal points for behinds as goals, AFL would look very different.

Ditto USA. The republicans stand zero chance of winning California so don't bother campaigning there. Nor do they complain too much about the rampant cheating there since it makes no difference anyway. The results of the TPP there is immaterial.

"I don’t think that means The Economist (or Harris) will dispute the result if she loses...."

Well we'll see. Remember last time the Dems lost they complained bitterly, sought to subvert the Electoral College voting and launched a two year campaign to try to prove that the Russian had won the election for Trump when they knew that to be false and based on evidence that they themselves fabricated. They also started working on impeachment proceeding BEFORE he'd even taken office!! So let's see.

America's flawed democracy?

We've seen Trump's attempts to undermine a legit election.
We've seen him refuse to concede.
We've seen the making of false claims of fraud. We've seen
the fanning of the flames of conspiracy. The refusal to
certify any win by the other side. The 2020 election exposed
where American democracy was failing. It did not remain
unscathed.

The American voting system needs reform. The popular vote is how
most democracies hold elections. Not the US. The outcome is
decided by the electoral college. Their president is chosen
not by "we the people," but indirectly by 538
electors apportioned by state.

There's little chance of the electoral college being scrapped
any time soon. It would require a constitutional amendment
which is all but impossible in these partisan times. Historically
the electoral college was intended to insulate the presidency
from popular control.

There's many other problems that also play a part. However,
the scariest thing is - another election of Donald Trump -
under him - what we've witnessed thus far will
become standard Republican practice for future elections.
A man who refused to concede and will undoubtedly continue to
inflict fatal wounds on American democracy - if elected.

.

Dear Foxy,

.

Yes, America’s kairos, its critical moment, is fast approaching. The choice is less a question of who to vote for, as it is what to vote for : democracy or autocracy, freedom or authoritarianism.

Americans stand at the crossroads. They must decide, by the 5th November, which route to take : the road paved with laws freely defined and accepted, or the iron railroad track of submission and obedience to the will of authority.

It is their choice, but is it a truly democratic choice ?

The electoral system is so designed, it is more than likely that the result of what is predominately a bi-partisan competition, will finally be determined by just 7 of the (mainly smaller) states among the 50 that constitute the nation.

The 7 states in question represent only 93 (17%) of the 538 members of the electoral college that elects the president.

Needless to say, if that is again the case, as it was in 2016, anybody not elected directly by the people, but by just 17% of the electoral college that is supposed to elect the president, can hardly be considered to have been “democratically” elected.

.

Dear Banjo,

I'm hoping that Americans will cast aside authoritarianism.
That Trump will not get re-elected.

I'm also hoping that their flawed electoral system will
eventually be reformed. Although I don't see that happening
any time soon.

The question in my mind at the moment is - what will Trump
do if he loses?

Banjo Paterson,
If you want the same rights for all then a Govt should expect the same responsibilities from everyone.
As the latter is not so, the idea of Democracy goes out the window instantly !
The majority of Socialists are of a mentality not in tune with contributing only for demanding that others give !
so, Democracy is dead in the water there.
Working people know that it's impossible to continue as we've been going for the past 50 years.
It's up them to show the rest how to contribute & the only way to do that is by Symbiosis. Parasitism has reached the end of the road for the present so-called "Civilisations" !

Again making American democracy more flawed is one Donald Trump, who unfortunately is likely to win November 5th's Election:

"Does Donald Trump meet the definition of a fascist? His former chief of staff thinks so" reported neutral SBS on 24 October 2024 at http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/does-donald-trump-meet-the-definition-of-a-fascist-his-former-chief-of-staff-thinks-so/jokbhmwpf

"Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump meets the definition of a fascist and "prefers the dictator approach to government," his former White House chief of staff said in a series of interviews with the New York Times.

With less than two weeks until the 5 November US presidential election, [no leftwing "wimp" but a retired US Marine Corps general as well as Trump's former White House chief of staff] John Kelly [reported Trump] had no understanding of the US constitution or the concept of the rule of law.

Kelly said the former president would seek to rule like an authoritarian if he returned to the White House. In the interviews published on Tuesday, he quoted Trump as having told him German Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler "did some good things."