Worst Idea of the 2012 Election Is ...

Gail Collins: Americans Elect is deeply 'delusional'
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 31, 2012 5:58 PM CDT
Worst Political Idea of the 2012 Season
Former Louisiana Gov. Charles Elson 'Buddy' Roemer III speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Event, Monday March 7, 2011 in Waukee, Iowa.   (Getty Images)

If the worst new political trend isn't super PACs or Donald Trump robo-calls, what could it possibly be? "Since I still have some space here, let me throw in a plug for the terribleness of the idea of Americans Elect," writes Gail Collins in the New York Times. This new movement aims to choose a political candidate with a running mate from a different party in an online June convention. "The whole Americans Elect concept is delusional, in a deeply flattering way," writes Collins.

Why flattering? Because it assumes "we the people are good and pure, and if only we were allowed to just pick the best person." But their most popular candidates are straggling also-rans like Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman Jr., and Buddy Roemer. Americans Elect somehow paid for 2.5 million signatures to get on the November ballot, but, says Collins, that just proves we "have discovered yet another part of the presidential elections process that loopy billionaires could purchase out of their petty cash. Tired of financing right-wing contenders for the Republican nomination? Buy your own ballot line." For the full column, click here. (More Gail Collins stories.)

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