Originally posted by Silver Stardust
Oh yeah, the OTF...I sorta keep what goes on in there seperate from everything else...Let's try and get this thread back on topic lest it gets closed, 'kay?
O'tay..... so other then the EC is outdated and utterly useless by today's standards... we're pretty much done.
Originally posted by Silver Stardust
Okay, somewhat on topic.So we're more or less agreed that the EC is outdated...so what do you think should be done to it? Should it be reformed to be more fair and have actual EQUAL representation, or done away with altogether?
i say based on actual percentages and numbers of who voted for who. Even though it would take longer to count them and there would be an explosion in the number of people running for the office 😕 but i think California can teach us, even if you have 250+ wackos its still comes down to only two crazies 😛
Doesn't it seem like we could just eliminate the middle man and have a direct election? If, somehow, the vote split 50-50 the Senate would still be there to play favorites.
I feel we have the Electoral College because the founders of our country didn't really trust the average person. Of course, most Americans are better educated now.
Well, think of it this way: Look at how dumb the average person is. Then realize that by definition, half the people are stupider 😬
I'd still prefer direct elections, too, or at least some serious changes to the EC so that it's actually proportionate to population instead of it just pretending to be.
I dont care for the EC for this reason. In simple population:electoral vote ratio nothing makes sence. It would make your vote count at least if they tried to make it more for population total at least.
*just found these population number on a random website
California has around 35 million population and 55 electoral votes
Wyoming has around .5 million population and 3 electoral votes.
If this is taken by population alone then by the ratio of 3 per .5 mill like in Wyoming then California would have about 210 electoral votes - 2 for senators( since they are included) which would equal 208 total EC votes. (check my math please im drinking)
When you break it down one person in Wyoming can influence more there than one person in California. Doesn't seem very Democratic. A vote by total population would be the best way.
Btw, I was born and raised a union blue collar Democrat in the state of Wyoming(yeah its freeking amazing!). But I now live in Las Vegas, Nevada...another F'd up battleground heheh.
Oh yeah, and please anyone on the right side...do NOT put the liberal stamp on everyone that voted left...that is crazy AM talk radio garbage talk. Not all Democrats are tree huggers just like not all Republicans are bible thumpers.
A democratic electoral system can be said to be one where:
- elections are regular and fair
- votes are of equal value
- the will of the majority is achieved
- the interests of minorities are taken into consideration
- there is a high level of participation by the electorate
- there is the maximum possible franchise
- voting is accessible
This was from Features Of A Democratic Electoral System (auspol.com)
Originally posted by zinh
do NOT put the liberal stamp on everyone that voted left...that is crazy AM talk radio garbage talk. Not all Democrats are tree huggers just like not all Republicans are bible thumpers.
Just like all liberals are not tree huggers.
Another thing I dont understand about the USA political viewpoint is how "liberal" has replaced "communist" as the worst thing you can call someone.
The interests of minorities has nothing to do with the voting system, that is just sloppy. It is a factor of just and fair rule.
Some research of my own has thrown up the idea that another reason the founders directly rejected popular vote was that they feared such a mandate could make a President too powerful- the American system is designed so that everything is always balanced, though frankly that is a little odd, as it is an artificial adjustment to democratic will.
I also understand that Southern states favoured the EC system as it made their vote more powerful- blacks got no vote but still contributed (at 3/5ths a piece) towards the population size of that State.
So anyway, it seems the population/vote proportion is out of whack only amongst the smaller sttaes... interesting.