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Exactly. It's a show. Eliminate the faithless elector laws and we might be talking about the real thing.
The laws aren't federal they're state - so change them.
Faithless Electors go back to 1796 and only once was the outcome of an election impacted. The only time faithless electors had any effect on the outcome was in 1896 for Vice President.
And the people were incensed in1796. Published letter: "What, do I choose Samuel Miles to determine for me whether John Adams or Thomas Jefferson shall be president? No! I choose him to act, not to think."
And it seems that EVERY time, the SHOW VOTES are the faithless electors who KNOW it won't have any effect on the outcome. And they've even testified that way.
If the people don't elect the president, why have all these people going to the poll places? The elections cost America billions... What's wrong with my suggestion to eliminate the personal vote, and let the states assemblies elect the president? Quick, efficient, saves money, get the real world results in 10 min.
(After all, my NY vote equals about 1/4 of that of a Wyoming resident).
You are one of those people who believe in tradition. Since the Electoral College was the way it was back in the late 1700s, therefore it must continue to be that way in the 2000s. Well, you can continue to wear your powdered wig, if you wish. I (and a slight majority of Americans) choose not to.
I'm going to say again what I said in a previous post. I have ALWAYS believed it should be a direct election, one man, one vote. I believe that now when I'm a Democrat. I believed it when I started out as a Republican. And I believed that when I was in junior high and first took a course in civics. My view on this matter has not changed throughout my life, despite which party I belonged to, or which candidate I supported. And for you to assume that all people who favor such a change (again, a slight majority in the country) is based only on partisanship only proves that you are the partisan one here because you can't think any other way.
It isn't that the electoral college system is flawed -- although if you were honest, you would admit that it does not operate as it was intended -- it's that the method of presidential elections is flawed. And, as the floundering fathers realized, one goal of Americans should be to make a more perfect union, clearly indicating that it was not a perfect union back in your days, nor is it today.
Since you are stuck in the colonial era, go snort some snuff.
I'd like for the moderator, Tootsie, to explain why my comment, which was no more "insulting" than this comment directed at me, was deleted, but this comment remains.
I'd like for the moderator, Tootsie, to explain why my comment, which was no more "insulting" than this comment directed at me, was deleted, but this comment remains.
I was trying to lighten things up just a bit.
This is a very sad and disappointing thread. There are too many people here who are not willing to even see the opposing points made by some posters. I understand your position. It's a valid position, but not one that I agree with. It seems to me that you too quickly and totally dismiss the position of a slight majority people in the United States. I would like you to think about that. More people believe that the EC should be changed than believe that it should remain the same.
There is a place in our society for continuity and traditions.
But there is also place and time for change.
Why do I refer to the Founding Fathers as the Floundering Fathers. On the one hand, the overall government that they put together is quite amazing. But on the other hand, since they didn't do away with slavery, they perpetuated an issue that they kicked the can down the road, and led to the Civil War. So while I respect much that the FF did, they caused some huge problems. And while I respect the system they developed, I don't believe that when two centuries have passed that we should take a look at what works well in this country and what does not serve our best purposes. And the Electoral College -- to me -- is outmoded and does not reflect the general approach this nation has toward elections, which is one man, one vote. Humans voting is to me more important than entities (states) having their way.
If the people don't elect the president, why have all these people going to the poll places? The elections cost America billions... What's wrong with my suggestion to eliminate the personal vote, and let the states assemblies elect the president? Quick, efficient, saves money, get the real world results in 10 min.
(After all, my NY vote equals about 1/4 of that of a Wyoming resident).
Trust me on this, if you lived in Wyoming, you'd be tired of the people in NY (and other populous states) dictating what Wyoming needs to do for itself.
I don't know about you, but when I go to the polls I vote for several seats that are up for election. I vote whether there's a presidential race or not. ALWAYS. The cost to count the vote for one extra office on the ballot is minimal.
If the people don't elect the president, why have all these people going to the poll places? The elections cost America billions... What's wrong with my suggestion to eliminate the personal vote, and let the states assemblies elect the president? Quick, efficient, saves money, get the real world results in 10 min.
(After all, my NY vote equals about 1/4 of that of a Wyoming resident).
Flawed. The only good thing is it may make state races more important, but at the the same time, it can lead to corruption. The same type that voting for Senators rather than appointments do. Plus it would also cause issues since the president wasn't really elected but selected. In a way it takes us from what we broke away from England over. And let me say it would nor be exactly quick due to government being government.
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