Zakaria explains why US political candidates are getting more extreme

CNN's Fareed Zakaria analyzes the divided US political landscape ahead of the November midterm elections, citing our primary system as a source of today's polarization.
#CNN #news

[canwelook]

Watching the US fall from world leader to Banana Republic is sad

[tommyriley]

This is what every rational person has been saying for the last six years. We as a society have failed at seeing what the internet can do and failed at educating people about that danger. I personally believe we need to put everything we have into educating the next generation.... It' seems ours is already doomed

[Tallacus]

I wish they were in extreme at giving us health care and taking care of inflation

[mikeboy]

Not too long ago, people where ashamed to be dumb, these days they wear it with a badge of honour

[stevenhenry]

Because Americans have been conditioned to consistently vote against their own interests by corporations.

[lornenoland]

The American founders knew full well the dangers of populism and direct democracy.
The original system saw a weak president, senators appointed by state legislatures, and no primaries. Over time we have creeped farther from this balanced and functional system. The President is overpowered, with radicals wanting them to be near dictators. Senators are popularly elected so no different from congressional representatives, and as Fareed so expertly explained, primaries that appeal to the most radicalized elements of society. Now when we throw Gerrymandering into the mix, we are as close to dysfunctional a system as possible without completely collapsing. If the trends don’t reverse, it will collapse completely.

[neondystopian]

Extremism only occurs when dialogue fails. When you refuse to listen, the people you refuse to listen to have to become more extreme in order to get your attention.

[peace_oceans]

Spot. On. Best analysis I’ve heard. Look to Brazil today too. Italy?

[madphantom]

They are so extreme for issues we don't care about.

[nmarks]

Thank you Fareed, exactly my assessment.

[Doug-muev]

Wow, learned something new, thank you! I would not have understood the weakness of the primary system without this analysis. Question: is there something that isn’t the smoke fill room nor primary as we know it? I.e. how about ranked choice or open primaries?

[gmbenz]

Fareed Zakaria's explanation of why candidates are more extreme today, points to the symptoms rather than the cause of the problem. There were major Supreme Court decisions including Buckley vs Valeo which ruled that money equals speech, and then Citizens United vs FEC, which blew the doors off any limits that existed to regulate the size of the donations from corporate entities to political candidates, to the extent that they don't even have to identify who themselves. If we knew who they were we would be able to make better decisions as to who benefits the most from any given piece of legislation.

[alpines]

Impeached for FAILING TO SECURE THE BORDER. Which was in the oath he took upon inauguration. 🤔

[clairerobinson]

I look forward to your Sunday talks. Much respect.❤

[augustus]

The Netherlands and Germany have a parliamentary system with proportional representation. 1% of the vote, 1% of the seats, etc.
It gives voice to everyone, proportionally and therefore a more accurate representation of the views and priorities of all people.
We in the Netherlands have an animal rights party, market-liberals, social democrats, far-right, christian-right, green parties, etc.

[thundershirt]

Some proposals to fix this (rejecting the “smoke filled room”): ranked choice voting. The voter selects, say, 4 choices. If someone gets a plurality they get elected. If not, the #4 candidate (in popularity) drops out, and their votes reapportioned. If your #1 was #4, your #1 vote goes to your #2, and so on. Nobody’s vote is ever “wasted.”
Another, at least for a limited period of time, is for the voter to be able to select “none of the above.” The previous candidates are all fired, and the thing is run again. So much of our government is on regulatory auto pilot as it is.

[greatAfricana]

THIS JOURNALIST IS SHAMELESS, CALLING OUT CERTAIN POLITICIANS AND IGNORING DEMOCRATS

[TheHighlanderprime]

Although a frightening specter of where we’re heading, great educational presentation! Thanks Fareed!

[krustymadrid]

"How did we get here" The media has some culpability

[chelittle]

That answers simple it's because there's no accountability being enforced. Until accountability is enforced the extreme and lies is going to continue. And the accountability must be paid to the highest and fullest account for each and every single one of them up to and including the death penalty for high treason.