Electoral College

[skills101]

Is it necessary and for the better? Or should we just get rid of it all together?

My personal opinion: We should keep it for now. I've said this before, so many people that are voting just don't know the real issues, don't read the newspaper, don't watch T.V. They just go with what they're boyfriend or wife tells them to vote for or go on one specific issue. On the flip side, it's not an exact representation of what the people want. But then again, that's only happened once in 2000. So I say we keep it for now, and fight it if the time comes.

 

[Jaymes]

Disclaimer: I don't know nearly enough about the legal systems to say that what I think is right, and I'm guessing at half this stuff. Go easy on me.

At first, I thought the electoral college should go out the window. But now I'm not so sure. Throwing out the electoral college would make us a democracy, right? Do we really want the majority to get the final say in decisions? If the majority had its way, many minorities would never get rights...

I think it'd be wonderful if we could have a country where true democracy reigns, but I don't think it can happen.

 

[Sunstone]

Without the electorial college, Al Gore would be president. He won the popular vote in 2000, but not the electorial vote. In fact, he won more votes than any other president in American history except Reagan.

 

[Rex]

getting rid of the electoral college would yes make us a democracy which is not what the country was founded on.

 

[skills101]

Sunstone is right, Gore would be president. And what Jensa said is true, but we are more a republic. Our government is based on voting for representatives who make the decisions. It would be impossible to create a perfect democracy for America - Just imagine if everyone had to vote for a specific issue! It would take weeks to decide on a single problem.

 

[linwood]

Back up a bit.

For what issues do we use the electoral college?

If it`s just the presidency then we are already without it throughout the rest of our voting system and legislature.
How could it harm the republic as long as we are repped in congress it shouldn`t make a difference.

Should it?
I don`t really know.

 

[Runt]

Since the electoral college can pretty much nullify the voice of the American people (uneducated or ill-informed or not), it should be done away with. If it isn't going to be done away with, then we might as well stop voting for presidential candidates, and instead choose representatives who will vote for us as members of the Electoral College. However, I really don't like the latter idea; it would be too easy for a politician to buy off a few swing voters in the Electoral College, whereas it would be nearly impossible to buy off enough swing voters in the American public to effectively influence the result of an election.

 

[Watcher]

It could really swing either way. To me, tt's almost as if electoral college is there to make sure that the "right" president it elected (or should I say who the guys actually in charge of the US think should be elected). You would be suprised by how stupid some people are about it! Not long ago, I got in a debate with one of my teachers about electoral college (I'll have you know, he lost badly!). He started off by saying about how every person's vote counts in who is elected president. I challanged him by saying that it wasn't true. The electoral college could override us if they wanted. He made the mistake of then saying that they "always go with what the people say." Poor uneducated soul.

I'm not really sure what I think should become of electoral college. (This is why I am planning on moving to New Zealand!) Any other thoughts?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

The Founding Fathers were appropriately concerned about what De Toqueville later called the "tyranny of the majority". Imagine having had Roe v Wade or Brown v Bd. of Ed. decided by popular vote. And what about a "democratic" resolution to same sex marriages?

As for the presidential race, I suggest that the problem is not the electoral college but, rather, the fact that both candidates are so worthy of contempt.

 

[skills101]

How could it harm the republic as long as we are repped in congress it shouldn`t make a difference.

That's true, even if it's taken off, the republic will still continue. Like I said, it's impossible to have a democracy by definition because we can't have every person vote for a small issue... It might take weeks to decide. But then again, there was a congressman on Farenheit 9.11 that said that Congress doesn't even read most propositions coming through them, which I was astonished by. :sarcastic

 

[maggie2]

I live in Canada and I must say that I find the Electoral College idea one that makes no sense to me. If a candidate for President wins the popular vote he should win the election in my opinion. I don't see how the Electrol College really benefits the population.

Here in Canada we don't even get to vote for our Prime Minister. We get to vote for our Member of Parliament (Congressman/woman in the USA). The leader of the party who wins the most seats in the House of Commons (your House of Representatives) gets to be Prime Minister. I hate this system. We also don't have an elected Senate, but Senators are appointed. We have the old British system and I really wish we'd do away with it and get to vote for the Prime Minister and our Senators.

 

[skills101]

The electoral college could override us if they wanted. He made the mistake of then saying that they "always go with what the people say." Poor uneducated soul.

That electoral collage has only deviated from the popular vote in the 2000 election. So maybe he should have said that they "almost always go with what the people say."

I live in Canada and I must say that I find the Electoral College idea one that makes no sense to me. If a candidate for President wins the popular vote he should win the election in my opinion. I don't see how the Electrol College really benefits the population.

The only reason I see the Electoral College as benefitial is that I know educated people who make it their job to learn about the issues is voting for our president; as opposed to citizens voting out of their own pocketbook or voting for only one shallow issue.

 

[Sunstone]

I'm going to take the radical position that the electorial college should be abolished and we should instead elect the president and vice-president by popular vote.

Some professional politicians think the electorial college should be maintained. If I understand the reason for this, it's that the electorial college makes the local state political parties important, and that without the electorial college the local state political parties would be much less powerful. But despite that argument, I still think the electorial college should be abolished. The states have other ways of playing a role in national politics besides the opportunity for that afforded by the college. And it's high time that the American people got to vote directly for the president and vice-president. REVOLUTION NOW!