Electoral College

[Alejandro1]

I know that we have plenty of time before the presidental election, but I had a thought:

Do you think that the US should keep the electoral college or do you think that the electoral college is no longer necessary for voting in the president?

[TheShrike]

I can see the benefits of the electoral college, but I think it is no longer necessary.

Yeah... that's about it.

[arnamenta]

It's definitely time to go. The sooner the better, so we don't have another Florida fiasco.

[wonton01]

Part of the reason for the electoral college in the first place was to perserve states' rights. The idea is that a couple of large states would be unable to solely elect the president. The electoral college gives people from smaller states a stronger voice. For example a vote in Montana counts about two times as much as a vote from California.

Because the US as a country is a collection of smaller states, I think it is important to preserve this system.

[Jlop985]

I think that as a country, we have moved past a collection of states into one single nation. The electoral college preserves the archaic view that the country is a collection of states, and gives certain voters an unfair advatage because they live in smaller states. Also, I was anti-EC long before Bush got elected, and I'm a Republican, BTW.

[FUNKbrs]

we quit being a collection of states after the civil war, shit, states rights was what the civil war was ABOUT. That being said, it's time to get rid of the EC. Popular Rule and Electoral College are mutually exclusive.

[mysecondstar]

i remember touching on this before many moons ago. the purpose of the electoral college is for the masses to pick someone that would be more educated themselves to vote for the president. that was the 18th century.

we're now in the 21st where information is available to us at a click of a button. we are just as informed as the educated aristocracy of the 18th century without needing "connections" at the upper most rungs of government to understand what's going on. and as we are educated about our leader's qualifications and politics, we become a real gauge of the people's will thereby making a popular vote a better indicator than the electoral college.

let's think simply. if a vote in a state goes 49-51, wouldn't it be more fair to keep that vote as it is as opposed to giving out a state like, say, California. it isn't fair to give out 54 (i think) votes to one candidate when it really should be dead even.

[FUNKbrs]

damn straight, my_second_star

[Shih]

You know everyone can mock me for this is if they want but I've never understood the electoral college and I've tried. As far as I'm concerned it would make more sense to have the final decision mad by sacrificing a sheep and reading the answer in it's entrails. So in short yes throw the wholoe arcane confusing mess out and replace it with a simple straight popular vote. We are the people and the choice (good, bad, or ridiculous) should be solely ours.

[nitroxide]

The eniquities of the electoral college have long been disscussed.It has failed at times to reach a absolute majority.The electoral college system generally gives all of a state's electoral votes to the winner in that state, no matter how slim the margin this is a huge mistake many candidates are elected even though they have recieved less popular votes.I personally dont agree with the current system,yet nothing will work,we have no say,i dont believe in the presidential election sytem and thats why i dont vote.

[mysecondstar]

the problem with the electoral college isn't so much that it's a out-dated practice. it has more to do with the Congress not taking steps into making an ammendment to the Constitution. and the US has never made an ammendment unless there was a crisis or massive public outcry. in other words it will take another election like we saw in 2000, or maybe more, for Congress to get off their asses and into gear.

[nitroxide]

Thats nicely put second star...i completly agree.

[Nirvana13666]

I find there to be three problems with the current electoral college system.
1.a president can be elected to office even if it is not what the people want.
2.electors are not punished for being unfaithful to what they have pledged.
3.I don't approve of the system for electing a president if no electoral majority is reached.

[Lord-Miroku-Sama]

I definitly think it's time for it to go.
Gore won the popular by tons of votes yet Bush won all because of the electoral college.

[Commander-K25]

At 5/28/03 08:19 PM, Lord_Miroku_Sama wrote: I definitly think it's time for it to go.
Gore won the popular by tons of votes yet Bush won all because of the electoral college.

Correction, Gore did not win by tons. His margin in the popular vote was relatively slim to none.

[FUNKbrs]

At 5/28/03 08:40 PM, Commander-K25 wrote: Correction, Gore did not win by tons. His margin in the popular vote was relatively slim to none.

I hate to agree with Commander when he's right, but guess what? He's right.

[Freakapotimus]

Time to show off my stupidity...

At 5/28/03 03:15 PM, Nirvana13666 wrote: 3.I don't approve of the system for electing a president if no electoral majority is reached.

How is the president elected it no electoral majority is reached?

[JMHX]

We can't forget the most important votes of all: the Supreme Court.

[Slizor]

How is the president elected it no electoral majority is reached?

I believe it is something like this. To win a state you just have to get the most votes, not a majority. So if 100'000 people vote and 30'000 people vote for me, 29'999 for you, 29'999 for Ted Easton, 10'000 for Commander and 2 for jimsweenie, then I win,despite the fact that the majority of the people actually voted against me.