WHO were the bozos that were the electoral collage? How many people? Did they have any clue? Were they paid royally? I suppose this is open knowledge, so I should look it up.
Some states are passing laws requiring their electors to vote for whoever won the popular vote. If enough states dot, we should actually have relatively fair elections again.
The implication is that, if the electors chosen in November were to conclude on December 19 that Donald Trump was a frenzied byproduct of democracy run amok, they would be constitutionally justified in choosing Hillary Clinton instead.
I would fervently like to believe that this argument is sound history and constitutional law, and that it has some chance of preventing Trump from becoming president. But historically it’s more or less backwards. At the most basic level, America in 2016 is not a nation in which “the people” have been seduced into enthusiasm for a majoritarian demagogue. Hillary Clinton, not Donald Trump, is “the people’s choice.” A Trump presidency, God help us, will be a minority government, the product of the Framers’ electoral-vote system working exactly how it has all too often worked.
…
In short, nobody in 1787-88 thought of the electors as anything but what they are today—faceless hacks whose ideas and judgment are neither wanted nor permitted. I’ve been present when electoral candidates were selected; the main criteria were party loyalty and patronage. Wisdom is seldom sought after, and would be pretty much useless.
We’ve had the Electoral College for well over 200 years. We’ve had plenty of time to replace it and no one has had the will. Something like this was inevitable. Learn from it, get over it, and move on with your lives.
Seriously, what happened to the concept of “One Man, One Vote”?? How does a Presidential “Candidate” who LOSES by over 3 MILLION VOTES still end up being “The Winner”??? It should make NO DIFFERENCE where the votes come from, they are VOTES! Under the Electoral College system, votes from some states count almost as much as 3 votes from others! Either eliminate the current system and go with ACTUAL VOTE TOTALS nationwide, OR change the system to whatever percentage of the popular vote a candidate gets in a state, THAT’S the percentage of Electoral College votes he gets from that state.!
Clay Bennett is a superb cartoonist, and I agree with him on almost everything.
.
Not on this issue, though. The electoral college was designed to prevent a direct election of the president. It is also a mechanism to prevent large populations in urban centers from overwhelming rural areas.
Checks and balances are not a bad thing.
.
The electoral college is not THE problem.
It is not even A problem.
.
There are too many voters willing to accept extreme wealth inequality in return for Hatred Of Obama/Hillary, or
.
" 8 more years and I’m lovin’ it!; Liberal suffering is a beautiful thing!"
Argythree almost 7 years ago
Too late
ajmsdca almost 7 years ago
I don’t think so
pam Miner almost 7 years ago
WHO were the bozos that were the electoral collage? How many people? Did they have any clue? Were they paid royally? I suppose this is open knowledge, so I should look it up.
cdward almost 7 years ago
Some states are passing laws requiring their electors to vote for whoever won the popular vote. If enough states dot, we should actually have relatively fair elections again.
superposition almost 7 years ago
" …
The implication is that, if the electors chosen in November were to conclude on December 19 that Donald Trump was a frenzied byproduct of democracy run amok, they would be constitutionally justified in choosing Hillary Clinton instead.
I would fervently like to believe that this argument is sound history and constitutional law, and that it has some chance of preventing Trump from becoming president. But historically it’s more or less backwards. At the most basic level, America in 2016 is not a nation in which “the people” have been seduced into enthusiasm for a majoritarian demagogue. Hillary Clinton, not Donald Trump, is “the people’s choice.” A Trump presidency, God help us, will be a minority government, the product of the Framers’ electoral-vote system working exactly how it has all too often worked.
…
In short, nobody in 1787-88 thought of the electors as anything but what they are today—faceless hacks whose ideas and judgment are neither wanted nor permitted. I’ve been present when electoral candidates were selected; the main criteria were party loyalty and patronage. Wisdom is seldom sought after, and would be pretty much useless.
…"
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/11/the-electoral-college-shouldnt-save-us-from-trump/508817/
Jason Allen almost 7 years ago
We’ve had the Electoral College for well over 200 years. We’ve had plenty of time to replace it and no one has had the will. Something like this was inevitable. Learn from it, get over it, and move on with your lives.
Masterskrain Premium Member almost 7 years ago
Seriously, what happened to the concept of “One Man, One Vote”?? How does a Presidential “Candidate” who LOSES by over 3 MILLION VOTES still end up being “The Winner”??? It should make NO DIFFERENCE where the votes come from, they are VOTES! Under the Electoral College system, votes from some states count almost as much as 3 votes from others! Either eliminate the current system and go with ACTUAL VOTE TOTALS nationwide, OR change the system to whatever percentage of the popular vote a candidate gets in a state, THAT’S the percentage of Electoral College votes he gets from that state.!
magicwalnut Premium Member almost 7 years ago
You and I are sensible, Masterskrain. No one that has the power to do that is.
Falco77 almost 7 years ago
Maybe someday America will grow up, cease to be a republic, and become a real democracy. . .
vorpal7 almost 7 years ago
8 more years and I’m lovin’ it!; Liberal suffering is a beautiful thing!
braindead Premium Member almost 7 years ago
Clay Bennett is a superb cartoonist, and I agree with him on almost everything.
.
Not on this issue, though. The electoral college was designed to prevent a direct election of the president. It is also a mechanism to prevent large populations in urban centers from overwhelming rural areas.
Checks and balances are not a bad thing.
.
The electoral college is not THE problem.
It is not even A problem.
.
There are too many voters willing to accept extreme wealth inequality in return for Hatred Of Obama/Hillary, or
.
" 8 more years and I’m lovin’ it!; Liberal suffering is a beautiful thing!"
(to put it a different way)
chromosome Premium Member almost 7 years ago
When a nearly half and half state has to give all its electoral votes to one candidate, how can that be fair?
Robert Allen almost 7 years ago
We have chased the white rabbit, had tea with the mad hatter, and now we just need to get our hands on that Vorpal Blade.