Lessig Ends Presidential Campaign • Hacker News Board

Re: Lessig Ends Presidential Campaign

#11

Post by Apocryphon » Mon, Nov 02, 2015, 7:05 PM UTC

scrollaway wrote: post #2

Can someone give me a rundown of how anyone expected anything different to come out of this? Polling at 0% isn't exactly fixed by a televised debate. Sanders is competing with Hillary on a fairly close scale and yet a lot of people still say he has no chance (though I definitely think he does at this point, but I'm not a US citizen so...), so what could possibly happen with Lessig?

He could have at least gotten the chance to make it to the debate stage, spread knowledge of his issue and proposals, and gotten it absorbed by the other, more viable candidates.

Re: Lessig Ends Presidential Campaign

#12

Post by scrollaway » Mon, Nov 02, 2015, 7:06 PM UTC

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #6

scrollaway wrote: post #2

Can someone give me a rundown of how anyone expected anything different to come out of this? Polling at 0% isn't exactly fixed by a televised debate. Sanders is competing with Hillary on a fairly close scale and yet a lot of people still say he has no chance (though I definitely think he does at this point, but I'm not a US citizen so...), so what could possibly happen with Lessig?

I'm not sure Lessig expected anything different to come out of this. Sometimes people run to draw attention to some ideas, rather than because they think they have a realistic chance. In other words, Lessig didn't need to win in order to win. (Whether he actually won, in the second sense, is a different question...)

I get what you're saying but, is that really the case? Did he "win"? Most people around the debate didn't even know there were more than 2-3 candidates; if you tell them about Lessig they'll ask you if that's a country or a city.

Re: Lessig Ends Presidential Campaign

#13

Post by ermacaz » Mon, Nov 02, 2015, 7:07 PM UTC

scrollaway wrote: post #2

Can someone give me a rundown of how anyone expected anything different to come out of this? Polling at 0% isn't exactly fixed by a televised debate. Sanders is competing with Hillary on a fairly close scale and yet a lot of people still say he has no chance (though I definitely think he does at this point, but I'm not a US citizen so...), so what could possibly happen with Lessig?

Its hard to poll above 0% when your only issue is being against freedom of speech

Re: Lessig Ends Presidential Campaign

#14

Post by Apocryphon » Mon, Nov 02, 2015, 7:10 PM UTC

ermacaz wrote: post #13

scrollaway wrote: post #2

Can someone give me a rundown of how anyone expected anything different to come out of this? Polling at 0% isn't exactly fixed by a televised debate. Sanders is competing with Hillary on a fairly close scale and yet a lot of people still say he has no chance (though I definitely think he does at this point, but I'm not a US citizen so...), so what could possibly happen with Lessig?

Its hard to poll above 0% when your only issue is being against freedom of speech

Is that you, Citizens United?

Re: Lessig Ends Presidential Campaign

#15

Post by Navarr » Mon, Nov 02, 2015, 7:11 PM UTC

This link doesn't work for me (completely blank page) and his Facebook page doesn't say anything about him dropping out.

(For those curious: from the US, using Chrome, no ad or privacy block - Facebook is outputting 21 lines of HTML and then nothing. Looks like PHP is just dying for some reason)

Re: Lessig Ends Presidential Campaign

#16

Post by schackbrian » Mon, Nov 02, 2015, 7:16 PM UTC

Navarr wrote: post #15

This link doesn't work for me (completely blank page) and his Facebook page doesn't say anything about him dropping out. (For those curious: from the US, using Chrome, no ad or privacy block - Facebook is outputting 21 lines of HTML and then nothing. Looks like PHP is just dying for some reason)

http://www.npr.org/2015/11/02/453980015/campaign-finance-cru...

Re: Lessig Ends Presidential Campaign

#17

Post by bsimpson » Mon, Nov 02, 2015, 7:17 PM UTC

Navarr wrote: post #15

This link doesn't work for me (completely blank page) and his Facebook page doesn't say anything about him dropping out. (For those curious: from the US, using Chrome, no ad or privacy block - Facebook is outputting 21 lines of HTML and then nothing. Looks like PHP is just dying for some reason)

It still works for me.

The tl;dw is that the Democrats changed their debate qualification threshold from polling at 1+% 6 weeks before the debate. This means Lessig went from probably-in-the-next-debate to definitely-not. He figured if the Democrats are actively changing their rules to disqualify him, his effort is probably best spent on things other than running for a primary that doesn't want to include him.

Re: Lessig Ends Presidential Campaign

#18

Post by mtgx » Mon, Nov 02, 2015, 7:17 PM UTC

scrollaway wrote: post #2

Can someone give me a rundown of how anyone expected anything different to come out of this? Polling at 0% isn't exactly fixed by a televised debate. Sanders is competing with Hillary on a fairly close scale and yet a lot of people still say he has no chance (though I definitely think he does at this point, but I'm not a US citizen so...), so what could possibly happen with Lessig?

I would've liked him to participate in at least one debate to discuss the corruption of money in politics.

Unfortunately, even if they would've allowed him in the first debate, he totally murdered that chance by saying he will quit as soon as he fixes this issue. Even if he really wanted to do that, he would be lucky if he solved that issue in one mandate, making it completely unnecessary to announce before even the first debate that he would quit during his first mandate.

So it seems Lessig isn't a great politician, but I still think he's a great activist for this issue.

Re: Lessig Ends Presidential Campaign

#19

Post by mayneack » Mon, Nov 02, 2015, 7:18 PM UTC

WCityMike wrote: post #7

scrollaway wrote: post #2

Can someone give me a rundown of how anyone expected anything different to come out of this? Polling at 0% isn't exactly fixed by a televised debate. Sanders is competing with Hillary on a fairly close scale and yet a lot of people still say he has no chance (though I definitely think he does at this point, but I'm not a US citizen so...), so what could possibly happen with Lessig?

As far as I understand, at least per Lessig's team: Dems said in order to participate in debate, you must poll 1% in three polls IN the six weeks prior to the debate. Depending on what polls were counted, Lessig either qualified or were one poll away from doing so. Dems then “clarified” rules as being 1% in three polls AT LEAST six weeks prior to the debate. HuffPo op-ed from Lessig's campaign manager: http://www.huf…

He also wasn't an option in many of the polls.

Re: Lessig Ends Presidential Campaign

#20

Post by logfromblammo » Mon, Nov 02, 2015, 7:20 PM UTC

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #9

nostromo wrote: post #5

Honestly, his plan never made sense. Even if he somehow won the election, he still would not have the power to change congress (or the Citizen's United ruling) one bit.

That's true of Sanders, too.

And also of every other candidate for any office within the executive branch. Those wanting to counteract Citizens United would have to run for legislative office instead. But those races have less media visibility, especially in gerrymandered safe districts or primary races against an entrenched incumbent.

People run for President of the U.S. to parlay some of their popularity or notoriety into slight changes to their party's platform, or to implicitly nominate themselves for another executive position, like vice president or cabinet member.