NationStates Jolt Archive

You have to appeal to the American people right?

Ergo it can't be that different. Just maybe a little a little more personality

Sweet I timewarped the OP

The guy behind American Idol is looking to create a similar format but the end result is the winner receives 1 million, with the requirement that they either donate it to a political candidate or run for office themselves.

Mark Burnett Prods. is partnering with MySpace to discover the modern-day Mr. Smith.
The two entities are behind “Independent,” an online project targeted to become a full-fledged TV series built around a search to find the next great politician.

The show, timed to the 2008 elections, hasn’t yet been pitched to networks. It comes with a $1 million prize … and a catch: Winner must donate the money to a political cause or use it to run for office.

“This is the ‘American Idol’ of political action,” said Burnett development head Roy Bank. “We’ve been exploring for a while how to do something in and around what is going to be the topic on everyone’s tongues next year — the elections. We wanted it to be legit, and there’s no greater democracy in play right now for people in their 20s than MySpace.”

Is this good in that it gets people involved in politics or is it bad in that it makes politics more of a celebrity game that it already, debatably is?

Link (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117963735.html?categoryid=1009&cs=1)

This is just making the process transparent. This is pretty much how politicos are selected anyway! I bet they get a full day during the week to shop for their outfit just like the American Idol contestants do.

i like the tie-in with myspace and look foward to seeing the campaigns.

judging from the variety of political allegiances here, it should be pretty wild with that much more of a user base.

There should be an NSG candidate, able to draw on all NSG for policy ideas

There should be an NSG candidate, able to draw on all NSG for policy ideas

hmmmm maybe we can nominate someone from here and help them out. would it have to be a US citizen over 18?

hmmmm maybe we can nominate someone from here and help them out. would it have to be a US citizen over 18?

Given it's not yet been pitched to the networks, I'm not sure there's any rules so far. However, given it's Mark Burnett, I can't see a network turning this down.

I suspect a US citizen over 18 would be required though

It couldn't produce anything worse than the current system.

At least it may keep Goldman Sachs out of it.

The guy behind American Idol is looking to create a similar format but the end result is the winner receives 1 million, with the requirement that they either donate it to a political candidate or run for office themselves.



Is this good in that it gets people involved in politics or is it bad in that it makes politics more of a celebrity game that it already, debatably is?

Link (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117963735.html?categoryid=1009&cs=1)

Fuck me.

The Revolution will indeed be televised.

..::Chokes down a gun barrel::..

DONATE 1 MILLION TO A CANDIDATE??? That would violate federal law. The cap is far much lower per individual donor.

DONATE 1 MILLION TO A CANDIDATE??? That would violate federal law. The cap is far much lower per individual donor.

That's my mistake, the text says 'political cause'.

I'm torn.

The good: This show could actually spark general public interest in the American electoral system... :)

The bad: ...which would imply that this show gets on the air yet another of those wildly popular abominations known as "successful reality TV shows", of which American Idol is the most popular (and hence annoying) member. :(

The fuzzy: I really hope that any new voters the show creates actually know something about American government... :eek: