Mark Cuban is passionate.
Sports fans know his passion for the Dallas Mavericks, his NBA team of which he is the number 1 fan.
He was never one to keep quiet. In 22 years as owner of the Dallas Mavericks, he paid multiple fines for insults and unsportsmanlike behavior. Cuban does not hesitate to provoke and taunt the players of opposing teams.
He is usually seated a few rows from the field. He is recognizable among all: he always wears a t-shirt. Outside of the players, he’s one of the most recognizable faces in the NBA.
In the hit TV show “Shark Tank” he stands out for his energetic and outspoken attitude. When the investor believes in an idea, he makes every effort to make it happen.
It also does what many have tried and failed, the nearly impossible task of driving down the price of prescription drugs. Last January, the entrepreneur co-founded CostPlus Drug Company, an online pharmacy. It has enabled consumers to find drugs at unbeatable prices, saving them huge bills.
Cuban will not run for president
CostPlus Drug Company “fills and delivers prescriptions at cost plus a flat 15% markup,” the company says on its website. Cuban is able to provide these prices because there are no intermediaries. CostPlus Drug Company bypasses health insurers and negotiates directly with drug manufacturers.
All of his successes, coupled with his popularity, have often led some to encourage him to run for president. In a recent interview with TheStreet, Cuban said he would not be a candidate in 2024.
“NO interest at all,” he said when asked if he would run. “I think I can have more impact outside of the system.”
He added: “Our political system is broken.”
However, the billionaire turned reality TV star remains very involved in political affairs. He encourages people to vote for the midterm elections scheduled for November 8.
And he just took a stand on a very sensitive political issue that will be put to the vote in Nevada on November 8.
In addition to congressional and state elections, voters in this state are called upon to vote on three ballot issues. Question 3 is about preferential voting. On Election Day, voters would rank their top five candidates based on their choice. They would no longer choose just one person. If passed, the change would apply to all Nevada elections.
A “yes” vote means that in the primaries, registered voters, regardless of the political affiliation of the candidate or voter, will narrow the list of candidates down to the top 5. The five candidates who receive the most votes in the primary advance to the general election.
A victory on the ballot will mean that the system will apply to congressional, gubernatorial, state executive, and state legislature elections.
Opponents of the ranked choice system argue that the system is complicated and confusing for most voters.
But for Cuban, who believes that the two-party system is not fair and does not represent a large part of the electorate, the preferential voting system is the lesser evil. He has just encouraged the people of Nevada to vote in favor of this proposal.
“Facts. If you live in Nevada, vote Yes to question 3. Pass it…” the billionaire posted on Twitter on November 5.
He later defended the system using a food metaphor when a user pointed out to him that ranked voting was “useless and confusing”.
“It’s simple,” replied the billionaire. “You choose the candidates in order of preference. Kind of like telling someone which flavors of ice cream are your favorites.”
The billionaire has never hidden his aversion to bipartisanship.
“The duopoly I would shut down in a nanosecond? The Democratic and Republican parties. Together, they are the definition of the anti-competitive collusion that has successfully shut down competition in a way that is detrimental to the American people every minute of every day,” he posted on Twitter in October 2020.
Preferential voting is a system in which voters number candidates on a ballot in order of preference. At each ballot, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and the ballots that ranked him first are then redistributed. The candidate having obtained the majority of the votes after the counting of all the ballots wins.
Proponents say this system allows voters to have a say in the results, even if the candidate they ranked first is eliminated, and reduces polarization as politicians are encouraged to appeal to voters far from their bases.
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