It's time to get rid of the American Electoral College

Tumbleweed · Black Ops Joined: 02 Jul 2007 Posts: 3687 votes: 3

The two major parties are trying to change how presidents are elected and so are the states. It's time to scrap the electoral college. IMO.

By JENNIFER STEINHAUER

Quote:

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 10 — When state Democratic leaders from around the country meet this weekend in Vermont, the California chairman, Art Torres, expects to be peppered with the sort of questions that have been clogging his in-box for weeks.

What is this about Republicans trying to change the way Electoral College votes are allocated in California? Is there a countereffort by Democrats in the works? What does it mean for presidential candidates?

Frustrated by a system that has marginalized many states in the presidential election process, or seeking partisan advantage, state lawmakers, political party leaders and voting rights advocates across the country are stepping up efforts to change the rules of the game, even as the presidential campaign advances.

In California, this has led to a nascent Republican bid to apportion the state’s electoral votes by Congressional district, not by statewide vote, in a move that most everyone agrees would benefit Republican candidates. Democrats in North Carolina are mulling a similar move, because it would help Democrats there.

In more than a dozen states, the efforts have also led to a game of leapfrog in the scheduling of presidential primary and caucus dates. Most recently, on Thursday, Republicans in South Carolina moved their primary to January from February to get ahead of Florida’s.

Further, there is a germinal movement to effectively abolish the Electoral College, awarding the White House instead to the winner of the national popular vote. Maryland recently became the first state to have such legislation passed and then signed into law, although legislatures in several other states have passed similar measures.

“There are different political fires all over the place,” Mr. Torres said. “We felt before that we would try and maintain some order and discipline, but it has been difficult to do. This all portends a strong initiative by states to exert more power.”

Each maneuver, which experts on electoral politics agree could radically change the political landscape or, just as easily, completely wash out, has added a generous dose of unpredictability to an already knotty federal election season.

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Rupchuk · Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 11:24 pm Post subject:

This is no different than when they redraw the district lines. They draw the districts in such a way that it insures they'll win a majority in that particular state's legislature. It's total crap and it destroys democracy itself. As for the EC I don't have a problem with letting the states themselves decide how they'll deal with the presidental vote. I don't like the idea of popular elections because it becomes a rural vs urban battle. Whoever appeals to the urban dwellers will in-effect win the race. Why? LA has more people than Montana, Alaska, Vermont and Delware combined. NYC has 8.2 million people. Why even bother with the western states like Wyoming or Idaho? If you're trying to win a popularity contest you stick to the most densely populated areas. With the EC it helps to balance it out a little bit. The Republicans usually win the states with low population but the Democrats in exchange usually win the more populated states. Look at the maps of past elections and you'll see. Another thing, the EC has only been opposite of the popular vote in a few elections. I think it was something like 4 or 5. Out of 220 years worth of elections? Those are pretty good odds. Something like 5 out of 55. And usually those elections which the EC didn't match up with the popular vote were extremely close anyways. If a vote is 49-51 then I'd say that a week from now it could be flipped the other way easily.

Honestly the EC does have its flaws but it is the best we have I think. And to let politicians change it is a big no-no.
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CHUQ · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 1:11 pm Post subject:

Damn! I missed this for awhile. IMO, the EC should be abolished. Why? The electors are decised by the number of reps and senators a state has. Of course the reps part will change accordoing to the population. However, the winner of a state's votes is given all the electors. Winner take all. Is that nothing same as if candidate wins the vote in a given state withoiut the BS of the EC? Popular vote should be the decider, after all it is the people that will be the brunt of any policy of the new pres. The people's voice should be the only voice.
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