Election Results

[Cavebear]

This idea has been kicked around for decades, including several serious attempts to do in the Electoral College.  Currently, there's a promising proposal called the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact where many states have pooled their electoral votes and would award them to whichever candidate won the popular vote.  If put into effect with enough electoral votes, it would make the Electoral College obsolete.  Unfortunately, convincing swing and red states to get on board looks unlikely and may keep it perpetually inactive.

I've always favored direct vote for a couple reasons.  The current system puts too much emphasis on swing states and disincentivizes people from voting who don't live in a swing state (non-Democrats in California have basically no say in the election, as do non-Republicans in Alabama).  Further, it's ridiculous that a single person's vote in one state is worth more than a person's vote in another state (Wyoming has more electoral votes per capita than California).  Putting it to a popular vote would be the only way to ensure that every person's vote actually matters.

One criticism of this is that it would nullify current advantage of rural votes and put elections in the hands of urban populations.  But why should city dwellers perpetually be at the mercy of comparatively small rural populations?

(No joke, I've brought up the issue and had someone wonder why Presidential elections are often so close when a map of US counties show that most of them are red - it apparently never occurred to her that the "heartland" has few people per square mile and that blue counties contain enormous numbers of people)

I once had an argument with my Dad, who pointed out that most of the country map seemed Red Republican.  I asked him if we voted by person or acre.  He said "by person of course", and then he realized what I meant.  He was actually surprised.  He had been thinking that more Republican RED on the map meant more people!

And he still couldn't get past thinking that total color meant "voters".

Clinton got more voters than Trump.  Shouldn't that matter? . 

[Baruch]

I once had an argument with my Dad, who pointed out that most of the country map seemed Red Republican.  I asked him if we voted by person or acre.  He said "by person of course", and then he realized what I meant.  He was actually surprised.  He had been thinking that more Republican RED on the map meant more people!

And he still couldn't get past thinking that total color meant "voters".

Clinton got more voters than Trump.  Shouldn't that matter? .

It does, it shows that over 1/2 of the voting public (less than 1/2 of all adults though, since 44% didn't vote) are Soros stooges.  If 44% of the people didn't vote ... shouldn't that matter too?  Time to end the US as a country, it is a failure, sadly.

And yes, I am in fly-over-country ... so I am glad that the metro locations will get the nuke explosions first ... if nukes are inevitable.  Cities are works of the Devil anyway.  Ever read the Cross Of Gold speech by William Jennings Bryan?  1892 Chicago D Convention barn raiser!

[Baruch]

Thank you for the replies. Very educational...
In case you haven't seen or done it, you might find this interesting. I can't sign because I am not American, but I urge you to.

https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/abolish-the-electoral-6?source=homepage

Did you see my new post on various voting systems?

[reasonist]

Did you see my new post on various voting systems?

No Baruch, can you point me to it? Really busy at work with limited time, but like to read about alternative voting systems. Thks

[Baruch]

No Baruch, can you point me to it? Really busy at work with limited time, but like to read about alternative voting systems. Thks

https://vimeo.com/190024419

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Perhaps this election will light a fire under the Democrats asses..

[Baruch]

Just be sure that the donkey isn't farting when you light up ;-)

[Unbeliever]

Time to end the US as a country, it is a failure, sadly.

I think the US ended when the Constitution was scrapped in favor of Bush on 12/23/2000. Without the Constitution we have no country, just a bunch of land and some people: no Constitution, no America.

Conflicts of Interest in Bush v. Gore: Did Some
Justices Vote Illegally?

[The Skeletal Atheist]

I think the US ended when the Constitution was scrapped in favor of Bush on 12/23/2000. Without the Constitution we have no country, just a bunch of land and some people: no Constitution, no America.

Sad thing is, it's all quite constitutional. The electoral college, not popular vote, decides the president.

[Unbeliever]

The electoral college is in the constitut

Sad thing is, it's all quite constitutional. The electoral college, not popular vote, decides the president.

The Constitution says the SCOTUS can pick the president?

[The Skeletal Atheist]

The electoral college is in the constitut
The Constitution says the SCOTUS can pick the president?

It says that it's up to electors, not the populace, to pick the president. Bush got the higher electoral vote, so therefore according the the constitution he won.

[Unbeliever]

So, America's not quite dead yet?

[The Skeletal Atheist]

So, America's not quite dead yet?

Possible, even though they have never gone against the initial results. We'll see December 19th.

[Baruch]

Sad thing is, it's all quite constitutional. The electoral college, not popular vote, decides the president.

Tell that to Scalia and the Gang of Nine ... if the recount had continued, Gore would have won Florida, it was imperative for the Conservatives to stop the recount.

[Mike Cl]

Sad thing is, it's all quite constitutional. The electoral college, not popular vote, decides the president.

That is true.  But the same constitution has a built-in mechanism that allows for change (I think the founders thought the constitution should be a living document, not something cut in stone)--so the electoral college can be changed or even gotten rid of.