#cbcdebate

He wants to talk about gerrymandering. He loves talking about gerrymandering. But the average American can’t even spell gerrymandering, let alone understand the logistics of how it threatens voting rights, and he can’t exactly give a crash course within seconds. So he goes for the next best thing. 

“I love the democracy within our country enough to admit that parts of it are broken. Namely, the power held by the Supreme Court.

"Consider this: Congress has been begging to pass campaign finance reform for over 40 years, but the Supreme Court won’t let them. I’m allowed to marry the love of my life only because the Supreme Court deems it acceptable, but for decades they didn’t. Cities can no longer regulate handguns because, after 200 years of passivity, the Supreme Court suddenly decided against it. They’ve wiped out huge chunks of affirmative action, elected a president in 2000, ruled that schools don’t need equal funding, and are about to start legally favoring corporations over EPA’s environmental protections. 

It takes everything that Will has to stuff down his irritation on seeing Nick Elliott’s face, keeping his expression a mask of calm as much as possible.

“Experience is necessary, I agree. But here’s the problem…for too long, the kind of experience favoured has not been the experience of everyday Americans. Politicians spend years and years inside their ivory tower and understand less and less the reality of those they’re meant to represent. I grew up in one of the poorest communities in this country. When I went back to that community with my foundation, nothing had changed. I am here to show them, and every hard working American, that there are people who care. That they spoke to me, and I listened. I may not have a resume full of political titles but I sure as hell have experience. And I will be bringing that experience and all their concerns straight to the White House.”

Metaphorically, he’s cracking his knuckles in anticipation of his answer. It’s no secret that Oliver abhors the electoral system, and he’s more than ready to recite the answer he’s been preaching for years now. “A democracy should be based on the principle of everyone having an equal vote, and that’s simply not what the electoral college allows for. It takes political weight away from a majority of Americans and places it in the hands of the minority - which is quite literally the opposite of what our Founders wanted the electoral college to be about. Instead, the original vision for the electoral college is to ensure that Middle America wasn’t forgotten, but what it’s ended up creating is a system in which nine states can make or break an election and a vote in Wisconsin has three times the weight as one in California. Pandering to a large group of voters isn’t a pretty aspect of democracy, but pandering to a highly specialized group of voters just because they can sway an election is even uglier. Solving this would be a quick switch of just abiding by a simple one-person/one-vote system. The very intent of the electoral college as framed by the Founders is the opposite of -.” 

He had told his staff that their unending preparation for this debate was too much, that he had been a debate national champion two years in a row throughout college and that meant something about his ability to articulate himself, goddammit. But first question off the cuff and Oliver is thanking god (ie: Amanda Roy) that he practiced enough to know the answer to this question like the palm of his hand. 

“Good evening, and thank you for starting off with such a valid question. In short, my proposals are paid for out of the pockets of the billionaires and millionaires who have spent decades without accountability. 

“A great question, especially in a day and age when many believe the fight for LGBTQ+ rights ended with same-sex marriage. I’d start by focusing on the current state of the United States,” Oliver begins. “I would pass laws that finally make it illegal to deny someone an apartment or fire them from a job because of their LGBTQ+ orientation, in the same way that discrimination based on gender and religion are already illegal. I’d also change the fact that gay people are unable to donate blood and close all loopholes that can make it virtually impossible for the LGBTQ+ community to adopt in certain states.” A topic which is especially close to him, considering the kids he wants to begin adopting the next few years.

Great. Him again.

Will has to grimace, just a little, as the question is first posed. He hates that word when applied to him, grating against his pride - disabled. But it’s not an issue he can avoid and he shifts, grip on the podium tightening his a little bit.