11-13-2016, 03:09 PM
I see both the pros and cons of the electoral college system and don't feel strongly in one side's favor.
It's interesting, to me, that even though several modern democracies have used the U.S. model as a baseline, none of them have chosen to have an electoral body between the government and the people, as our Constitution stipulates. It's popular vote/majority rule everywhere else, as far as I know.
Several U.S. states have laws requiring members of the electoral college to vote according to the popular vote, but most do not. It'll be interesting to see if the proposal for an amendment to the Constitution to do away with the electoral college goes anywhere this time.
Anyway, I understand your reason for wanting to keep the electoral college, Six. I think there is in fact a purveying elitism and celebrity-type attitude within the Democratic party's leadership which doesn't reflect the values of most of the country. It rubs me wrong. The purveying religious judgmentality within the Republican Party leadership also rubs me way wrong and doesn't reflect the values of much of the country either ( I think Trump was smart not to preach it to non-evangelical crowds like traditional Republican candidates often have in the past).
As an Independent, I don't like either elitism or religion having a dominating impact on national elections. But, personally, I think those same kinds of impacts are inevitable and would exist with or without an electoral college.
In my opinion, the Dems need to be developing a message which can be hammered and delivered to the people across the country, in person, directly by the candidate, with or without an electoral college in place. Bernie knew the score on that front. It'll be interesting to see how both the Democratic and Republican parties reconfigure over the next 4 years.
P.s. Six, that popular vote count you linked is some guy's twitter estimate yesterday and is not accurate. Clinton is ahead and the popular vote count is not final yet.
It's interesting, to me, that even though several modern democracies have used the U.S. model as a baseline, none of them have chosen to have an electoral body between the government and the people, as our Constitution stipulates. It's popular vote/majority rule everywhere else, as far as I know.
Several U.S. states have laws requiring members of the electoral college to vote according to the popular vote, but most do not. It'll be interesting to see if the proposal for an amendment to the Constitution to do away with the electoral college goes anywhere this time.
Anyway, I understand your reason for wanting to keep the electoral college, Six. I think there is in fact a purveying elitism and celebrity-type attitude within the Democratic party's leadership which doesn't reflect the values of most of the country. It rubs me wrong. The purveying religious judgmentality within the Republican Party leadership also rubs me way wrong and doesn't reflect the values of much of the country either ( I think Trump was smart not to preach it to non-evangelical crowds like traditional Republican candidates often have in the past).
As an Independent, I don't like either elitism or religion having a dominating impact on national elections. But, personally, I think those same kinds of impacts are inevitable and would exist with or without an electoral college.
In my opinion, the Dems need to be developing a message which can be hammered and delivered to the people across the country, in person, directly by the candidate, with or without an electoral college in place. Bernie knew the score on that front. It'll be interesting to see how both the Democratic and Republican parties reconfigure over the next 4 years.
P.s. Six, that popular vote count you linked is some guy's twitter estimate yesterday and is not accurate. Clinton is ahead and the popular vote count is not final yet.