We stopped being a true federation of states sometime during the 1860’s when we decided that the US was similar to the Hotel California. You can check out anytime you like but you can never leave.
We stopped being a true federation of states sometime during the 1860’s when we decided that the US was similar to the Hotel California. You can check out anytime you like but you can never leave.
Well done JP1, you're on fire today.
"Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein
That is what I meant to say. And Alan the people should be the ones who decide who is president. The electoral college should be eliminated since it is an antiquated system.Originally Posted by CathyA
Do you understand why the electoral college exists?
They do, through a bit of a compromise. Since the Federal government represents the States your other choice would be to have Congress elect the President directly. The compromise has always been giving the citizens a voice by channeling their choice through their state of residence in an equal amount to their representatives in the House and Senate.
Personally, I'm now at an age to be quite concerned about anyone's desire to eliminate antiques simply because they're found to be troublesome.
"Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein
I have to say I agree with having the Electoral College for the reasons Alan cited. I don't think it's fair for the few areas of the country where 80% of the population resides to dictate who gets to be president.
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
www.silententry.wordpress.com
In a word: slave owners.
At the Philadelphia convention, the visionary Pennsylvanian James Wilson proposed direct national election of the president. But the savvy Virginian James Madison responded that such a system would prove unacceptable to the South: “The right of suffrage was much more diffusive [i.e., extensive] in the Northern than the Southern States; and the latter could have no influence in the election on the score of Negroes.” In other words, in a direct election system, the North would outnumber the South, whose many slaves (more than half a million in all) of course could not vote. But the Electoral College—a prototype of which Madison proposed in this same speech—instead let each southern state count its slaves, albeit with a two-fifths discount, in computing its share of the overall count.
I remembered it was all about slavery, but had to look it up. Here's the original reference:
http://time.com/4558510/electoral-co...story-slavery/
I'm beginning to understand why the expression "bird brain" exists--they're too dumb to avoid predators like housecats and hazards like wind turbines and jet engines. I'm surprised we have any left...
The electoral college can go as far as I am concerning. I am for the popular vote.
Except that it wasn't. If anything, it was all about property rights, something we modern day residents of fly-over country could easily lose (among other rights) if our national elections were allowed to become local elections in and around major population centers on the coasts and a few other inland areas. It also ensures that the rights and concerns of all citizens are protected by a federal system of government rather than the pure democracies preferred by the elites. There is always potential for tyranny within a majority, we are all better served by the protections built into our systems designed to limit the potential damage.
"Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein
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