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Old 12-22-2016, 01:15 AM
 
Location: Ohio
13,933 posts, read 12,910,739 times
Reputation: 7399

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Quote:
Originally Posted by dsjj251 View Post
a Republic is a specific form of democracy, there for, we are a democracy.
Nah.... I think he's right.


We are always talking about "the will of the people" and "Democracy" which by definition, implies that majority rules. That gives people false expectations of how the system is supposed to work and how outcomes are determined in our system of government.
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Old 12-22-2016, 01:37 AM
 
Location: Pine Grove,AL
29,609 posts, read 16,592,989 times
Reputation: 6056
Quote:
Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper 88 View Post
Nah.... I think he's right.


We are always talking about "the will of the people" and "Democracy" which by definition, implies that majority rules. That gives people false expectations of how the system is supposed to work and how outcomes are determined in our system of government.
Saying a republic isnt a democracy is the equivalent of saying a square isnt a rectangle.

a Republic is simply a very specific form of Democracy.

Also, our system of government is indeed majority rules. If there is a big enough majority, our system allows you to change any law.
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Old 12-22-2016, 02:00 AM
 
Location: Ohio
13,933 posts, read 12,910,739 times
Reputation: 7399
Quote:
Originally Posted by dsjj251 View Post
Saying a republic isnt a democracy is the equivalent of saying a square isnt a rectangle.

a Republic is simply a very specific form of Democracy.

Also, our system of government is indeed majority rules. If there is a big enough majority, our system allows you to change any law.
But we're not a 51/100 rules type of democracy, and that's what people think of when they think of a Democracy. We are a Democracy with shades of gray. We are a Democracy where the minority still retains some power.

This is part of the reason that some people are so upset about the election. People see that Clinton got more votes than Trump, and don't understand why she's not the winner, because they don't understand how the system is designed to work or why it was designed to work that way. They see the outcome as a flaw in the system when actually it's a function of it.
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Old 12-22-2016, 09:07 AM
 
Location: Pine Grove,AL
29,609 posts, read 16,592,989 times
Reputation: 6056
Quote:
Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper 88 View Post

This is part of the reason that some people are so upset about the election. People see that Clinton got more votes than Trump, and don't understand why she's not the winner, because they don't understand how the system is designed to work or why it was designed to work that way. They see the outcome as a flaw in the system when actually it's a function of it.
People are upset because the individual that a majority of the nation voted for did not become president. People who are upset fully understand the system we have in place. Wanting to change that system has nothing to do with whether or not you understand it.

I can remember election night in 2012, when my newly poplitical friends actually thought the geographical size of a state mattered more than population and where shocked that with all the red on the map that Mitt Romney lost. NOW THAT is truly not understanding the system.

And further more, lets be clear, the system was never designed for this kind of election, so its not fair to argue that this was an intended function. I highly doubt the founding fathers intended for there to ever be a popular vote let alone that the loser of it would not be elected president.

the electoral college actually exists so that population overall is taken into account instead of just free white men.

There are 2 problems with that.

1. Women and black people can now vote.

2. Proportionality of electoral votes makes more sense than winner take all.
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Old 12-22-2016, 11:40 AM
 
12,772 posts, read 7,992,629 times
Reputation: 4332
Quote:
Originally Posted by dsjj251 View Post
People are upset because the individual that a majority of the nation voted for did not become president. People who are upset fully understand the system we have in place. Wanting to change that system has nothing to do with whether or not you understand it.

I can remember election night in 2012, when my newly poplitical friends actually thought the geographical size of a state mattered more than population and where shocked that with all the red on the map that Mitt Romney lost. NOW THAT is truly not understanding the system.

And further more, lets be clear, the system was never designed for this kind of election, so its not fair to argue that this was an intended function. I highly doubt the founding fathers intended for there to ever be a popular vote let alone that the loser of it would not be elected president.

the electoral college actually exists so that population overall is taken into account instead of just free white men.

There are 2 problems with that.

1. Women and black people can now vote.

2. Proportionality of electoral votes makes more sense than winner take all.
The majority of the nation "voted" for none of the above. 43% of the country didn't even bother to vote for one of these two clowns. Continuing to say that "the majority" wanted Clinton is just another false news story and lie.
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Old 12-22-2016, 05:10 PM
 
Location: Ohio
13,933 posts, read 12,910,739 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by t206 View Post
The majority of the nation "voted" for none of the above. 43% of the country didn't even bother to vote for one of these two clowns. Continuing to say that "the majority" wanted Clinton is just another false news story and lie.
Those who don't vote, don't count.
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Old 12-22-2016, 05:25 PM
 
Location: Ohio
13,933 posts, read 12,910,739 times
Reputation: 7399
Quote:
Originally Posted by dsjj251 View Post
People are upset because the individual that a majority of the nation voted for did not become president. People who are upset fully understand the system we have in place. Wanting to change that system has nothing to do with whether or not you understand it.
I guess it's hard to tell who understands the system but wants it changed, and who just plain doesn't understand the system and has false expectations about what determines the outcome.
Quote:
And further more, lets be clear, the system was never designed for this kind of election, so its not fair to argue that this was an intended function. I highly doubt the founding fathers intended for there to ever be a popular vote let alone that the loser of it would not be elected president.
Ok, that's a fair point, but the Electoral College still performs the core function it was designed for; preventing the large states from having a completely dominating influence over the Federal government.
Quote:
2. Proportionality of electoral votes makes more sense than winner take all.
Well what do ya know.... you and I have found something we completely agree on. I'd like to retain the electoral college but do away with the winner take all system and assign a states electoral votes based on the percentage of the popular vote in that state. That way Dems in TX and Repubs in CA would have a reason to go vote.
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Old 12-23-2016, 01:20 PM
 
34,089 posts, read 17,145,875 times
Reputation: 17235
Quote:
Originally Posted by dsjj251 View Post
Saying a republic isnt a democracy is the equivalent of saying a square isnt a rectangle.

a Republic is simply a very specific form of Democracy.

Also, our system of government is indeed majority rules. If there is a big enough majority, our system allows you to change any law.

More precisely, a Republican is not a DIRECT democracy.


Now to provide some perspective, in all likelihood, in a direct democracy, the majority of eligible voters would have been against freeing the slaves. Not just in the south, NYC was tepid about joining the union as trading slaves at auction was a major NYC industry 155 years ago. Direct democracies are breeding grounds for tyranny by the majority.
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Old 12-24-2016, 11:27 PM
 
Location: Florida
2,309 posts, read 904,358 times
Reputation: 659
Quote:
Originally Posted by BruSan View Post
Fat lady has yet to sing.
It sang. More like it screeched.
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Old 12-24-2016, 11:29 PM
 
Location: Florida
2,309 posts, read 904,358 times
Reputation: 659
Quote:
Originally Posted by MMS02760 View Post
The low educated people from the small backwater states wanted a Fascist Nazi dictator for president and that is what we will get. Can't imagine that this is what James Madison and his associates desired.
Prove any of that.
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