On 19 Aug 97 23:03, Hheagy@Delphi.Com wrote:
 Hh> Granted, it is possible to nominate
 Hh> someone from the floor.  I
 Hh> have seen that done many times since I
 Hh> began attending national
 Hh> conventions in 1975, however, have you ever seen a floor
 Hh> nomination succeed?  I haven't.
The fallacy here is to blame this on "the organization" or the 
leadership or some artifact of electoral or constitutional 
procedure -- anything but the real cause:  those nominated from 
the floor did not have the confidence (for whatever reason) of the 
electorate!  Voters are people, after all, and tend to vote for 
those they know unless said people have been tainted with some 
sort of opprobrium.  True, NFB doesn't have term limits; we 
believe in allowing members to vote for whom they will!
 Hh> Also, again it may be technically true that incumbents are
 Hh> generally but not always elected,
 Hh> their replacements must have the
 Hh> endorsement of the nominating
 Hh> committee before their nominations
 Hh> have any chance of succeeding.
Generally, this is true.  But not always.  As I've said elsewhere, 
one tends to vote for those one knows and has confidence in.  
Generally, nominations from the floor are relatively spontaneous.  
Thus, nominees thus submitted generally don't have time to network 
ahead-of-time and advocate their virtues.  In other words, 
politicking generally has not taken place.  But, believe me, when 
an affiliate presidency changes hands without the consent of those 
currently in power, plenty of politicking goes on beforehand and 
*then* nominations from the floor often succeed.
 Hh> And unless an incumbent voluntarily
 Hh> gives up their position they
 Hh> can have it for as long as they want
 Hh> it except in a few rare
 Hh> cases.
So NFB gets criticized because it's like most elective 
organizations.
 Hh> Again, while this may be true in
 Hh> political elections at all
 Hh> levels, there is a growing mistrust of
 Hh> incumbents that they
 Hh> should not be making a career of what
 Hh> is supposed to be a public
 Hh> service and their numbers of terms
 Hh> have been limited in some
 Hh> states with proposals to do so at the
 Hh> national level as well.
Have you ever considered what advocates of term limits are 
*really* saying?  It boils down to this:  I am unable to resist 
the wiles of those currently holding office who are seeking 
re-election.  I am insufficiently responsible to make my own 
choices.  Please enact statutes preventing me from voting freely 
for any candidate I wish!
resist the wiles of those holding elective office.
Mike Freeman
___ PCRR QWK 1.60
--- Maximus/2 2.02
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