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COMMENTS:
Get rid of it I say... it's just a bunch of old carmudgeons who oppose democracy.
by zig on Sun Aug 01, 04 5:34pm
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State boundaries should have no bearing on a FEDERAL election. It's not logical.
I second that, Applerod.
Plus, the Electoral College was originally created because the government thought the people were too stupid to vote on their own. Now it's obvious that the people are too stupid for the Electoral College.
No, it's an outdated idea, and was intended for a time when most Americans didn't have access to information about the candidates.
Maybe if being a politician could not be a life time job ,it would matter.but as long as you can make a career out of it things will never change.If you believe that these over paid windbags can relate to those of us who make 40 - 75 k a year,or have our interests at heart,you live in a dream world
Get ride of it, plus it's one last thing you would need to know in History class!
I understand that history is a weak point for most people, but I am still amazed that people know little about the major concerns of the authors of the U.S. Constitution. One of those concerns revolved around national policy being created by large population centers in relatively small geographic areas. At the time, Virginia and New York had the largest populations and the rest of the states felt that their interests would be overshadowed by them. States with smaller populations would go largely unrepresented in a presidential election. Since large urban areas have very divergent interests from large sparsely populated geographic areas, it was recognized by the founding fathers that steps had to be taken to protect the views and interests of the smaller populations. The states themselves are sovereign entities and feared both the excesses of unrestrained populism and a powerful central government that could threaten their very existence. Two institutions were created to check what was then termed the "tyranny of the majority". The U.S. Senate and the Electoral College. Each state has the same number of senators, and they have longer terms than their House of Representatives counterparts. The senate gave equal representation to each state, regardless of population. The Electoral College was a mixed solution. It was based on both population and geography. The number of electors is determined by the number in each state's Congressional delegation. How electors are chosen varies from state to state. Most states require their electors to vote with the popular vote for that state. The presidential candidate that carries the POPULAR VOTE in the MOST STATES wins if the electoral vote for the candidate totals at least 270. George W. Bush carried the popular vote in 30 states compared to Al Gore, who managed to win the popular vote in only 20 states. The system does work. I'm not thrilled with the possibility of 40 million people in 10 U.S. cities being the driving force in national policy that affects 200 million others. Consider something as simple as home ownership. Most urban dwellers don't own real property; they rent. Most of them are unconcerned with policy that negatively impacts homeowners. Most people live in urban areas. Without the Electoral College, many property rights in this country would be seriously curtailed or gone altogether. That's just one issue. There are many other examples. Just know that the Electoral College is there to protect States and their citizens.
by Anonymous on Jul 25, 2004
from ballot 31993
I don't agree with laws and institutions that are designed to protect people from themselves. If I do something stupid and only victimize myself then the result is punishment enough I do not need the government stepping in and trying to prevent my actions or punish them. If the people elect a president that might only serve to destroy America then that is destiny and they don't deserve to be spared it. The point however is that we have a President in office that was not elected did not win the popular vote or the Florida delegates. He stole it and took a nation that had just seen 8 years of peace and prosperity and turned it into a morally and financially bankrupt mockery. If we somehow let him do it again then we deserve it. I say abolish the Electoral College and at least we'll have an upper hand on that punk.
Robin Gaylord: The electoral college isn't designed "to protect people from themselves". As magdalenasdollar explained, the electoral college is in place to protect the interests of the less populated states. A higher population in a particular state means a higher number of voters. So if we went by popular vote only, then, (pardon my simplification) you would essentially have the people of New York deciding how the people in Montana should live.
The problem is that my uncle's vote in Wyoming is equal to the votes of myself, my mother, my father, and my next door neighbor in CA. It is not a Democratic system and was put into place at a time when it was difficult to count large numbers of votes.
The electoral college nullified the wishes of most Americans during the 2000 campaign, since Gore got the popular vote. It was the only time--so far--that my vote really didn't count. They're a bunch of cheaters.
by Sue on Thu Apr 21, 05 9:08am
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