U.S. Elections Are a “Charade”

In an interview with RT, Ron Paul pointed out that the voting process is there essentially to appease the people, but that it is more of a “charade” and not really what determines who wins. He said whenever there is an “independent thinker” running who’s also gaining traction, the establishment gets desperate and changes the rules.

Ted Cruz’s recent sweeping of most of Colorado’s national delegates has caused an uproar among many voters. Trump and his supporters are livid, calling the system rigged and saying that Cruz won unfairly since “there was no voting,” as Trump told Fox & Friends. They’re using Colorado as yet another example of the establishment trying to stop Trump.

Ted Cruz and his supporters obviously aren’t livid at all, but rather excited that they were able to work within the delegate process to pick up as many delegates as possible. And since the Colorado GOP had decided to get rid of their binding straw poll, the delegates who were selected are unbound and free to vote for whomever they wish at the national convention. (Unless the RNC decides at the last minute to change the rules after they’re done using Ted Cruz.)

So, if the delegates are the ones who end up selecting the nominee, and the delegates have to submit to the rules written by the Republican National Committee (RNC) rules committee (part of the establishment?), then what’s the point of having citizens cast votes in primaries and caucuses for their presidential preference? Especially since theoretically, someone like Paul Ryan – who isn’t even running for president (or is he?) and has garnered zero popular votes (maybe a few write-ins) – could be nominated on the floor of the national convention, if neither Cruz nor Trump have a majority of delegates.

In her introduction, RT host Lindsay France referred to Ron Paul as “someone else who knows a thing or two about being shut out of a rigged system.”

People who were unhappy with Cruz’s Colorado victory think he did something illegal. It’s important to understand that political parties like the GOP and Democratic Party are little more than clubs with membership rules. They can have basically whatever rules they want, and their respective rules committees can change those rules for whatever reason they want to suit their own purposes.

If an “independent thinking” candidate runs, tells it like it is, focuses on substantive issues, doesn’t care too much about his outward appearance, doesn’t look “presidential” (whatever that means), and that candidate gains in popularity, then the party will make sure that candidate loses. And it won’t matter how much that candidate knows and understands the rules and the importance of the delegate process. All that’s needed is a last-minute rule-change.