THE UNDEMOCRATIC WAY OF PICKING NOMINEES FOR THE U.S. PRESIDENCY

HOUSTON, TEXAS - The United States of America has always boasted itself as the beacon of democracy. When it is not preaching democratic principles to the world, it is enforcing them by invading countries like Iraq, or criticizing the political system of "enemy states" like Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. But the truth is, nothing about the way the United States picks its president is democratic. Historically, ordinary Americans were left out of the nominating process as members of Congress determined the nominees for president. Eventually, this system was decentralized to allow the two major political parties to pick their nominees - thus the convention system. This new presidential season if anything demonstrates that there is nothing democratic about the way the two major political parties choose their nominees for president.

In the United States there are two major political parties manned by party loyalists and bigwig businessmen. Each party designed its nominating rules in order to circumvent the will of the voters. So your vote is really meaningless. Allow me to explain:

Take for example, the Democrat party - even though there are primaries and caucuses in many states where people actually come out to vote, the truth is, these people are not voting for candidates, but for delegates. To make matters worse, the Democrat party has "super delegates" mostly office - holders like governors and congressmen and political insiders who for the right price and positions will throw their support behind a candidate regardless of what the people want. For example, Bernie Sanders won the New-Hampshire primary by 150,000 popular votes. He received 15 delegates out of 24. Hillary Clinton who lost got nine delegates in addition to six super-delegates for a total of 15 delegates. Why the super-delegates you ask? After the 1980 presidential election, the Democrat party decided to create super delegates in order to ensure that people like you could not vote for an activist candidate - that is democracy in action.

The Republican Party is not better either. It has super-delegates too. But its rules are cumbersomely reposed in a complex layered-system of electing local delegates who then elect state delegates who then elect national delegates to vote at the convention. All in all designed to frustrate the will of the American voter. If you thought your vote matters, I am here to tell you it does not. The idea of one-man one vote does not work in this country. The party establishment's job is to ensure that only candidates approved by it get to be nominated regardless of what the voters think. Otherwise why would the republican establishment work so hard to get rid of Donald Trump? Donald Trump is the reason why the rules were put in place, to prevent activist candidates from taking over the party. I am not suggesting that Donald Trump is an ideal candidate, but in a democracy people must be able to vote their conscience.

Come to think of it, it probably makes sense. To allow ordinary Americans to decide which person becomes president is not actually a good thing. For one, the majority of voters are seriously uninformed. Most of them do not understand even issues that affect their pocketbooks. The establishment is there to impose candidates who would toe the line and protect the interests of the powerful - you know Wall Street bigwigs. It does not take a brain surgeon to understand that the entire system of electing a president is rigged, but it has always been that way since 1776. This country was founded on fraud and smoke screens. Perhaps, Bernie Sanders is onto something when he called for a political revolution - only a political revolution will make the United States a true democracy - one man one vote. But meanwhile, please spare me the shenanigans about democracy.

Emmanuel Roy is a freelance writer, legal subject matter expert and an independent LorinsPost contributor. Follow him on Twitter @EJRMANNY