What's the point of the Electoral College?

[Skizo]

Then why didn't that happen in 2000? I think there were as many people upset by that as there will be if what you predicted comes to pass.

It would require a constitutional amendment, and that's a pain in the ass
Also, we don't really know what all the effects of changing the system would be.

[Spectral]

This has been covered - there's no practical value to the Electoral College, but it's not going to change any time soon because someone in power always believes they can benefit from the status quo.

[Bubblebutt]

1 of the primary advantages of having a "Democracy" was originally intended so that the people had a voice and could choose their leader. But thanks to the Electoral College it goes like this...

People say: "I want this guy!"
Electoral College says: "Nah, we want the other guy, and we'd apologize for disagreeing with your choice, but we don't care"

Some democracy this is.

[DEATHETERNAL]

The real question is, why have we as a nation moved so much closer to democracy while tearing down the initiations of the republic as we do so? Democracy ultimately dooms any nation that follows it and we as a nation continue to move closer and closer to democracy. That trend should be reversed for the good of the nation overall.

[Puremallace]

The real question is, why have we as a nation moved so much closer to democracy while tearing down the initiations of the republic as we do so? Democracy ultimately dooms any nation that follows it and we as a nation continue to move closer and closer to democracy. That trend should be reversed for the good of the nation overall.

Under this theory what the Egyptians had lasted the longest as far as I can tell, so should we anoint someone a god and start building pyramids?

[Reeve]

Awesome video. It won't be abolished anytime soon, because whichever party does not control the popular vote at the time would never allow that legislation to pass. For example, right now because the Democrats control New York and California vs Texas, Republicans would be foolish to abolish the EC.

The popular vote flips back and forth between elections pretty readily. It doesn't help or harm one party more than the other to go with a popular vote.

[Spectral]

The real question is, why have we as a nation moved so much closer to democracy while tearing down the initiations of the republic as we do so? Democracy ultimately dooms any nation that follows it and we as a nation continue to move closer and closer to democracy. That trend should be reversed for the good of the nation overall.

It's amusing that this comes from someone whose location is "USA, more fascist every day". End this fascism now, get rid of all that pointless "voting"!

[Willeonge]

1 of the primary advantages of having a "Democracy" was originally intended so that the people had a voice and could choose their leader. But thanks to the Electoral College it goes like this...

People say: "I want this guy!"
Electoral College says: "Nah, we want the other guy, and we'd apologize for disagreeing with your choice, but we don't care"

Some democracy this is.

This country was set up not to be a democracy.

[Lassira]

Most people are incredibly stupid, which is why we're a Republic and not a Democracy(it shocks me how many people think we are a democracy though!)

Or we can just ignore thousands of years of history and repeat the same mistakes, that would work out great.

[Reeve]

Same shit Dems like me said in 2000 and it never happened. If it went by popular vote Obama and Romney would only campaign in California and Florida.

Sit back and look at a map of where the people are.

Not true. California and Florida account for approximately 18% of the electorate. Candidates would actually have to campaign in MORE of the country than they do today if we went to a popular vote.

[Puremallace]

Not true. California and Florida account for approximately 18% of the electorate. Candidates would actually have to campaign in MORE of the country than they do today if we went to a popular vote.

They spent 2 billion this election. Want to take a guess what that amount would be if we entertained this idea?

[DEATHETERNAL]

Under this theory what the Egyptians had lasted the longest as far as I can tell, so should we anoint someone a god and start building pyramids?

Your statement has absolutely no relevance to what I stated as I clearly stated nation, not structure.

It's amusing that this comes from someone whose location is "USA, more fascist every day". End this fascism now, get rid of all that pointless "voting"!

A lack of voting is not fascism.

[Lassira]

Not true. California and Florida account for approximately 18% of the electorate. Candidates would actually have to campaign in MORE of the country than they do today if we went to a popular vote.

Or they could campaign more by fixing one of the largest flaws of the electoral college, the minimum number of votes. Each person in each state should be equal, not Alaskans being worth way more than everyone else.

[Spectral]

This country was set up not to be a democracy.

It also wasn't set up for black people to be, you know, people. Perhaps looking at original intent isn't actually an optimal plan.

[Reeve]

They spent 2 billion this election. Want to take a guess what that amount would be if we entertained this idea?

Hmmm, candidates being less able to inundate any given state with obscene numbers of stupid campaign ads due to cost restrictions? I'm pretty much OK with that.

[Puremallace]

Your statement has absolutely no relevance to what I stated as I clearly stated nation, not structure.


A lack of voting is not fascism.

You said Democracy is doomed to fail, so I gave you a political system that lasted much longer.

[Angryst]

The thing that sucks in my opinion the way things are done now, is if you are on the losing party for your state EC wise, your vote doesn't count. Say what you want but if the individual count for California came down to one vote, the winning 56 or so EC votes would go to that party.

Why not have the vote set at district level? Each EC ballot divied up to a district within the state. Say then the state (California in my example) would have 35 Dem votes and 21 Rep votes. Then pool that with the other states. Yes I know some states would have less EC (district) votes ie: Montana/Wyoming, but you'd just keep adding them up till all districts in every state were accounted for.

Of course nothing will ever change the way things are done now because that would allow a third party to contest the two primary parties now. Or at least have some sway in the votes. Pretty much Dems/Reps have a monopoly on the voting system and that is something they both agree on.

[DEATHETERNAL]

You said Democracy is doomed to fail, so I gave you a political system that lasted much longer.

How is that relevant? A good republic (what I advocated for) could last longer than anything the Egyptians had.

[vaeevictiss]

Its not stupid, its that no one understands what the hell its for. The United States IS NOT a democracy...that it what you have to understand to begin with. The citizens were NEVER intended to vote directly for the president. Unfortunately, over half the states have laws that force the electoral college to vote with the popular vote. This is bad, because it removes the original intention of state representation.

Citizens were only intended to vote for their state representatives...who in turn would be the vote for the president. Unfortunately, most people do not give a shit about the small elections, as they really should. They only feel the vote for president is the one that matters, and it is not. This is why the laws were put in place to force the electoral college to vote with the popular vote...because we screwed it up by not caring about the smaller elections that actually matter.

[Spectral]

A lack of voting is not fascism.

It's a huge contributing factor to most fascist governments; it's a hell of a lot easier to institute extreme authoritarian policies if there's no vote.

---------- Post added 2012-10-31 at 04:35 PM ----------

How is that relevant? A good republic (what I advocated for) could last longer than anything the Egyptians had.

I have no idea what this assertion is based on.