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I am currently in conversation with Rick Berg about his policies. Because of that, I have edit this page down until I can feel comfortable with how I am portraying Rick here.
It has also been noted that I do not have a section for Earl Pomeroy, we disagree on so much that it seems like I don't need one, but it will come in time.
Dallas Rosin vs. Rick Berg
- - First let me say that Rick Berg and I agree on many issues. This page will focus on what we disagree on, or issues relating to us.
- - Also, I don't want to be misrepresenting Rick(or anyone else) on this website, so please Rick contact me, if I am mistaken, or off the mark.
Splitting the Vote
- -Saturday morning(April 11th), I got a chance to have a quick chat with Rick Berg. I was still not sure if I should pursue an independent slot on the ballot. The main issue being "splitting the vote", I get 30%, Rick gets 30%, and Earl Pomeroy gets 40% and we both lose.
- -As Rick was trying to talk me out of running, he looked me right in the face and said that if I was the more popular candidate, that he would withdraw from the race, and was asking that I would do the same.
- -Now this may not have had the effect on me that he was hoping for. I was encouraged, thinking that we can both run the race, and then if I am doing better, that he will bow out so that we don't split the vote.
- -I am not sure how sincere he was, or if he was just trying to convince me to bow out. Only time will tell.
The Constitution
- - I believe that the U.S. constitution is the highest law and guide for the U.S. Congress. It is the law set forth by the states to govern the federal government.
- - One of the most controversial parts of the constitution is the 10th amendment that states: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
- - Meaning, that if the constitution doesn't say that the federal government can do it...it can't.
Splitting the Vote - Part Two
- -As discussed above, splitting the vote is a huge concern of mine. I do not want Pomeroy back in, but in the end, I don't want Berg in either. I would rather have Berg than Pomeroy, but I would rather have me than either of them.
- -Berg and I are the most similar, so we would be the ones splitting the vote...so who should get priority? First come, first serve? Rick doesn't even get into primaries until June 8th. I could have my signatures in by then, and be on the ballot already. Do you think that the Republicans would simply bow out because they don't want to split the vote? Somehow, I think not.
- -I have been confronted by many people, often they are irate, telling me that I shouldn't be running because I am going to split the vote. Why do the Republicans think that they have a right to have the one conservative candidate. Because they voted already at their convention? Rick Berg got less than 1000 votes, that is less than 1% of the 300,000+ North Dakotans that are likely to vote this year.
- -Some people have offered that if two candidates are similar, you just look at the two, and figure which one will appeal to the most voters, and then vote for them. But under close examination, the theory of electability breaks down pretty quickly.
- -Let's say we have EP running for the Democrats, and he is pro-choice. For the Republicans you have an exact copy of EP running, except that this EP is pro-life. You don't like either of them that much, but you are pro-life, so you like the Republican better. But wait there is a third person running. DR. DR's views match up with yours, but he doesn't have a Party to back him. What to do? Some check electability, whoever you think everyone else will vote for, vote for them. But who can see the future? Well let's check the polls and they will be our guide.
- -THE POLLS: Most everyone knows that you get a poll to read whatever you want by phrasing the questions in a certain manner. So if you want a pro-choice person elected, you phrase the question with the pro-choice candidate being for women's rights, and the pro-life against women's rights. But, if you want the pro-life candidate in, you phrase it that he is for protecting the rights of an unborn child, while the other is against protecting those rights. Now pollers can be pretty sly, so if you use the polls as your guide, whoever controls the polling questions, controls you.
- -So what are our options?
1. Whoever was there first?
Well that doesn't make much sense.
2. Whoever can raise the most money?
I hope we don't let anyone buy an election.
3. Whoever is electable? Or whoever we think is going to win?
Under this line of thinking 90% of the split vote may be voting for someone that they don't want in.
- -Without knowing the future, we can only vote on our principles. Without being able to predict the future, we can only support the candidate that we think is the best, and vote to put that person into office. We, as North Dakotans, need to use our vote to express our opinion. To tell the parties what kind of people that we want in office.
Splitting the Vote - Part 3
- -When I first began this journey of running for the U.S. House of Representatives my biggest fear was that I would split votes with the Republican nominee, and Pomeroy would be back in. Since then my fear has grown. Not in that we would have another two years of someone that I completely disagree with, but that the Republican party would continue down the road that they are headed.
- -Too many times I hear of Republicans talking about cutting taxes, but what about cutting spending? If you cut taxes, but not spending, you haven't really cut taxes, you've only shuffled them. Our federal government is out of control, and it needs to be reigned in. Is Rick Berg going to buck party lines to bring the change we need? Or will he just bring change? Will he just play party politics just like the rest have done?
- -We need to send the Republicans and the Democrats a message. We will not stand for this anymore. Do we risk splitting a vote? Yes. But without that risk, what will change?
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