It also becomes a larger issue in the USA because 49 states have a common law system where previous rulings affect future rulings. Elected judges are more likely to go against previous rulings, affecting how the law is applied.

Hm. A while back, I suggested that attorneys who represent in court switch roles after every case: Prosecution -> Defense - Prosecution, and so on. That would make attorneys more inclined to want a fair trial, because they know a court that purely favors prosecution will work against them when it is their turn.

In that vein, perhaps the attorneys can give a judge an upvote/downvote after a case is finished, alongside their reasoning for it. This is added to the judge's dossier. When lawyers for the defense and prosecution are going to court, they could make one of two choices: mutually agreeing on a judge to oversee the case, or just one side preferring a randomly selected judge.

There would be issues with this, but I think it would also make it harder for bad justices to become a fixture. If lawyers consistently agree a justice is shit, that justice would eventually get fired for wasting time and money.

Levearging an onion article doesn't make your argument here. I mean I could accuse the homosexual industrial complex that eisenhower warned us about, what with their pernicious influence, in referencing another onion article, but it doesn't quite fit does it? That's a satire article, a joke, so don't pretend to get offended under false pretense.

Electing our judges and politicians gives us a chance to take them back, giving that power to politicians and their appointees is surrendering it. We are so far passed where we can trust the system. So far.

I agree that money isn't everything in a run, but it's in the same way that money doesn't buy happiness: you have to have a baseline amount to contribute to get your name out--or not be suffering in the case of happiness.

So for me there are really 3 routes:

1. Congress. My district is deep red because of gerrymandering. My congressman is a second generation congressman and their resting warchest is about $3M. I'm fairly certain if he wins this time it will be at least his 3rd term maybe his 4th.

2. State representative. This position is held by one of my personal friends and I've worked for her campaign. She does a good job. Her district is now also super gerrymandered and is solidly blue.

3. State senate. Gerrymandered red, but the candidate worked for our ex governor / university president and is politically clouty. I don't really know how to break in here but it's more feasible than, say, being an actual senator.

The problem is, by local DNC guidance--and they are mostly shit heels and massively underprepared in my area--they want you to bring money, a campaign manager, and odds and ends parts of a team before you get their support. I don't WANT to kick in 20k, and have 12 friends who will give at least $1000.

More than I don't want that though, I don't want to go to people's houses, knock on the door, ask them what they think about issue XXX, and then say thanks and walk away after giving them a flyer after they tell me something pants on head idiotic. People are by and large ignorant, stupid, or both, and it's very difficult for me not wear that on my face. I have enough friends, I don't want to go to neighborhood chili cookoffs and kiss babies, and I don't want to go to weekly mixers. I want to read legislation and politic. The whole business of elections is a drag. It's not that I'm autistic or something and I don't understand people or hate public speaking (I quite enjoy that) or that I CANT navigate social situations, it's that I have a young family and I don't want to dick with earning social credits.

I decided instead to join my HOA board to try to do some good, and that has cured me of wanting to do anything like city council; the juice isn't worth the squeeze.

That's how the SC runs...really fucked us over.

You're going to need about 2 hours, an Arduino, a taser, and a Twitch account...

xToys is an open source project.