Maine, The Way Life Should Be! (Clinton: public school, bill, office)

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Nor'Eastah

I'm afraid we're all going to find out what he can -and can't - do, and we will finally find out just what sort of a person we elected, anyway. Certainly I had no clue what he was about during the campaigning!
I just hope this turns out better than I fear it will!

Me either. I guess the hatred for Bush was much deeper than anyone had imagined. They threw out the bathwater and the baby this time. We're here for the next four years whether we like it or not so there's no sense in sulking anymore. If he turns out to be great that's wonderful. If he's a dud ...he's in good company.

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by tcrackly

I don't buy the skewed map, but all of these are good arguments to throw out the outdated electoral college and go with strictly democratic "one man(person) , one vote".

The system was designed to NOT be "strictly democratic". Our system is a "democratic republic", not a "strict democracy" which in actual practice is equivalent to little more than mob rule. The choice of using the Electoral College to elect the President was deliberate in order to mitigate the problems inherent in a pure democracy. Direct election was rejected not because the Framers of the Constitution doubted public intelligence but rather because they feared that without sufficient information about candidates from outside their State, people would naturally vote for a "favorite son" from their own State or region. At worst, no president would emerge with a popular majority sufficient to govern the whole country. At best, the choice of president would always be decided by the largest, most populous States with little regard for the smaller ones.

The Electoral College was adopted/modeled from methods with hundreds/thousands of years of refinement and actual practice, including the "College of Cardinals" used to elect the Pope and other similar procedures such as Centurial Assembly system of the Roman Republic. The similarities between the Electoral College and classical institutions are not accidental. Many of the Founding Fathers were well schooled in ancient history and its lessons.

Under the Centurial Assembly system, the adult male citizens of Rome were divided, according to their wealth, into groups of 100 (called Centuries). Each group of 100 was entitled to cast only one vote either in favor or against proposals submitted to them by the Roman Senate. In the Electoral College system, the States serve as the Centurial groups (though they are not, of course, based on wealth), and the number of votes per State is determined by the size of each State's Congressional delegation. The two systems are similar in design and share many of the same advantages and disadvantages.

[msina]

I agree with tcrackly and Maineah, the electoral college system does seem outdated, if the votes were "split" to reflect the voting population in each state it would be an improvement though a true 1 voter 1 vote is doable and would be the best way (IMO).

[tcrackly]

I stan d corrected. Even under the constitutions authors "voter" was defined as white male property owner. I still believe the electoral system needs some reform to better reflect current population dispersions.

[CoastalMaine]

Originally Posted by Maineah

I agree with your assessment on the electoral college I don't agree with liking Obama but he is now the President of All of us and we'll see what he can do.

I'm not joining that PC group of koombyah thought. What a bunch of horse patootie; 'we all have to pull together and get behind him'. WHY? I didn't like his policies, he's inexperienced, his VP choice Biden is a crackpot and a plagerizer, and he ran a crooked campaign. Why should I get in line behind that? No thank-you. He was a dirtbag when he was running and he'll be a dirtbag for a president imo. Last I knew, we could still have our opinions. He'll never be my president. 1/20/13 tyvm. He duped the sheep into voting for CHANGE. Oh yah, we're going to get change all right. But it won't be anything I'll like. Bet a lot of the swinging blue color won't either.

I didn't see the democrats get behind Bush. They ridiculed and rode his arse into the sunset every day. Mocked him and criticized everything the man did. So, tit for tat. Take that! lol

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by tcrackly

I stan d corrected. Even under the constitutions authors "voter" was defined as white male property owner. I still believe the electoral system needs some reform to better reflect current population dispersions.

I'm not sure that there *is* a "perfect" system, and there will always be people who will find fault with whatever system is in place. We do the best we can...although I occasionally entertain the idea that perhaps the vote *should* be restricted to property owners...just kidding...mostly...

[tcrackly]

I think voting should be restricted to just Coke drinkers. I always thought those Pepsi people were a little suspect.

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by tcrackly

I think voting should be restricted to just Coke drinkers. I always thought those Pepsi people were a little suspect.

Coke drinkers who are all hyped up on all the extra sugar *would* think that, it makes 'em all a little paranoid.

[broadbill]

Originally Posted by msina

I agree with tcrackly and Maineah, the electoral college system does seem outdated, if the votes were "split" to reflect the voting population in each state it would be an improvement though a true 1 voter 1 vote is doable and would be the best way (IMO).

Not sure why some people think the system is outdated. It's imperfect to some degree as Zymer points out, but not outdated.

If we got rid of the electoral college, presidental candidates would have no reason to visit and campaign small states like VT, NH, RI, etc. There are not enough people there to decide an election. Candidates would focus on cities as that is where the major population densities lie in the US. Although small/less populated states still have less of a influence in the election than big states under the electoral college, it would be even worse without it.

If you think we have problems in this country now, I don't want to imagine it will be like when a handful of states decide to suceed because of underepresentation. It has happened in the past and it got pretty bloody.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by CoastalMaine

I'm not joining that PC group of koombyah thought. What a bunch of horse patootie; 'we all have to pull together and get behind him'. WHY? I didn't like his policies, he's inexperienced, his VP choice Biden is a crackpot and a plagerizer, and he ran a crooked campaign. Why should I get in line behind that? No thank-you. He was a dirtbag when he was running and he'll be a dirtbag for a president imo. Last I knew, we could still have our opinions. He'll never be my president. 1/20/13 tyvm. He duped the sheep into voting for CHANGE. Oh yah, we're going to get change all right. But it won't be anything I'll like. Bet a lot of the swinging blue color won't either.

I didn't see the democrats get behind Bush. They ridiculed and rode his arse into the sunset every day. Mocked him and criticized everything the man did. So, tit for tat. Take that! lol

Let me clarify my position here....I respect the Office of the Presidency. No matter who it is. That doesn't mean I will blindly follow the march off the cliff. I will put aside my differences and opinions and let the man try to do the job he was elected to do without harrassment from the disgruntled. You are correct that the left would not extend the same courtesy to Bush during his tenure and I will not lower myself to their level by whining and whimpering. I don't expect much from Obama so if he does anything right I'll be pleased.