Should the US replace the Electoral College with a direct popular vote?

[Johnny_Ray_Wilson]

The Electoral College is one of the most controversial and ridiculed parts of the Constitution.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/10...rolled-us-in-the-electoral.html#storylink=cpy

Should we replace it with a direct popular vote?

Your names will not be public.

 

[blobfish]

Yup..

 

[Peregrinator]

I know that for the five years I lived in Oregon and the last three years or so living in Vermont, I've basically been disenfranchised. Both states are going "blue" no matter what I do at the poll. That's pretty frustrating to me. I also have an issue with the fact that by the time votes were counted in Oregon, the election was basically over already. Time zones are a problem. I'm interested in seeing what people say about the idea of a direct democracy; I also understand the reasons the founders created a republic and an electoral college. It seems like with the present system, we get whatever president Ohio and Florida want, and with a direct representative democracy, we get whatever president New York and California want. Tough call, that.

 

[JohnnySavage]

kbate got it right, even though she's always mean to me:

Each congressional district gets a vote for president, based on who wins that district. States get two votes based on who wins the popular vote in that state.

Of course, there's no rule that the states can't do that now, and some do split their electors.

 

[Sean]

Yes. I've said on numerous occasions that the EC is anti-democratic.

 

[killallhippies]

no electoral college plus a system that encourages more than two viable parties would be neat. no electoral college with the same two bunch of cunts and a few minor, easily ignored parties would be fucking pointless.

 

[phrodeau]

Let's establish term limits first, then worry about the Electoral College.

 

[Sean]

Let's establish term limits first, then worry about the Electoral College.

Term limits are also anti-democratic.

 

[killallhippies]

Yes. I've said on numerous occasions that the EC is anti-democratic.

hey, it worked for the holy roman empire and everyone knows they were all about democracy.

 

[JohnnySavage]

Interesting factoid this election:

BHO and WMR could tie in the EC. That would (probably) mean that Romney would be president elected by the House, and Biden would be VP elected by the Senate.

 

[KingOrfeo]

no electoral college plus a system that encourages more than two viable parties would be neat. no electoral college with the same two bunch of cunts and a few minor, easily ignored parties would be fucking pointless.

Well, then, we could abolish the EC, and elect the president by instant-runoff voting or approval voting. That would eliminate the "spoiler" problem of third-party campaigns, at least.

 

[John Doe]

Short answer: no.

Long answer: fuck no.

I think we should use sortition instead.

 

[Johnny_Ray_Wilson]

I know that for the five years I lived in Oregon and the last three years or so living in Vermont, I've basically been disenfranchised. Both states are going "blue" no matter what I do at the poll. That's pretty frustrating to me. I also have an issue with the fact that by the time votes were counted in Oregon, the election was basically over already. Time zones are a problem. I'm interested in seeing what people say about the idea of a direct democracy; I also understand the reasons the founders created a republic and an electoral college. It seems like with the present system, we get whatever president Ohio and Florida want, and with a direct representative democracy, we get whatever president New York and California want. Tough call, that.

I understand the reasons the founders created an electoral college too. And that was fine for a young US during our developing years, but I think we should have abolished it about 100 years ago. What's really frustrating about the electoral college, to me, is that it insults the collective intelligence of US citizens. It is like being told we not know what we want and contradicts what we stand for as a real democracy. I think the direct popular vote has influence on the electoral, but in the end someone else is really making the choice for us.

 

[blobfish]

Interesting factoid this election:

BHO and WMR could tie in the EC. That would (probably) mean that Romney would be president elected by the House, and Biden would be VP elected by the Senate.

That's true of any election. If the EC ties, the House of Representatives picks the president and the Senate picks the vice president.

It would be really cool if that happened and then the Senate tied as well. In that event, the vice president would pick himself!

 

[Johnny_Ray_Wilson]

Let's establish term limits first, then worry about the Electoral College.

We already do.

 

[neci]

yes. this election has the potential for a split in the electoral/popular win. while a slim chance, i don't think anything will be seriously discussed or changed unless that clearly happens. i'm in favor of a popular vote. individual votes should matter. the electoral college also inhibits third+ parties. we have the ability to monitor votes down to single digits, yet we still rely on archaic methods dated in a time where ballots were carried on the backs of horses.

 

[Johnny_Ray_Wilson]

Frankly, I would be happy if we could at least vote on Saturdays and Sundays. Don't all the other democracies do that?

 

[blobfish]

yes. this election has the potential for a split in the electoral/popular win. while a slim chance, i don't think anything will be seriously discussed or changed unless that clearly happens. i'm in favor of a popular vote. individual votes should matter. the electoral college also inhibits third+ parties. we have the ability to monitor votes down to single digits, yet we still rely on archaic methods dated in a time where ballots were carried on the backs of horses.

It happened in 2000, but there wasn't any serious discussion about changing anything. Most in power would sooner maintain the status quo.

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

 

[Sean]

Frankly, I would be happy if we could at least vote on Saturdays and Sundays. Don't all the other democracies do that?

Usually a Thursday over here. But they've made it a lot easier in the last few years to vote by postal ballot.

 

[unregistered]

 

[neci]

It happened in 2000, but there wasn't any serious discussion about changing anything. Most in power would sooner maintain the status quo.

2000 wasn't clear enough. history will repeat itself in more states. you would think the baptists would be for it.

 

[Sean]

the Electoral College has proved itself to be both effective in providing orderly elections for President and resilient in allowing a stable transfer of power of the leadership of the world’s greatest democracy.

Aren't you and your fellow wingnuts always arguing that the US isn't a democracy?

 

[KingOrfeo]

If Romney wins the popular vote but Obama wins the electoral vote, then will RWs start talking about abolishing the EC?

 

[killallhippies]

If Romney wins the popular vote but Obama wins the electoral vote, then will RWs start talking about abolishing the EC?

yeah, that's pretty much why this thread was started in the first place.