Constitution (Page 2): Because unlike the rest of the world who are clamoring to break into our country, the USA was set up as a Federal Constitutional Republic that has stood the test...

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Kraken wrote:

America is one of the very few countries left that still use the archaic electoral useless college.

Why do some Americans so desperately want to live in the past?

Is it the cowboy image that they are trying so hard to hold on to?

The rest of the world is going to leave you in the dust partner on so many fronts.

Because unlike the rest of the world who are clamoring to break into our country, the USA was set up as a Federal Constitutional Republic that has stood the test of time as the greatest beacon of enlightened freedom and liberty in the history of the world.

It cracks me up that nimrods typing on their computers in their underwear think their tinkering ideas to fundamentally change our system and thus our country will be for the better.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

bhanusa wrote:

Our politicians need to study the Constitution

This deserves the full Thomas Paine quote for which he is most famous.

“THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.

Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated”

thom w Loc: San Jose, CA

DennyT wrote:

States do not vote. States do not decide elections.

The American people do !! ( or should)

Stupid comment

DennyT Loc: Central Missouri woods

David Martin wrote:

Don't presume to know what I think. br You must ho... (show quote)

Nice try to justify an inaccurate statement .

The argument about electoral college is all about party politics. Don’t try to say it isn’t.

If it weren’t then you would favor proportional allotment of each states electoral votes based on the states popular vote wouldn’t you??

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

thom w wrote:

This isn't a pure democracy. No country on earth is. It is a representative Federal Republic. Take a civics class and look it up. It has served us well for 245 years and you guys' unworkable lame brained notions should be relegated for use in your own households and businesses alone.

thom w Loc: San Jose, CA

David Martin wrote:

The U.S. was designed to be a federal republic and not a democracy. The electoral college was designed to prevent "tyranny of the majority," as James Madison described it. It still serves a useful purpose. Some just don't agree with that purpose and wish to abolish it. It's all about power.

Not only was the creation of the Electoral College in part a political workaround for the persistence of slavery in the United States, but almost none of the Founding Fathers’ assumptions about the electoral system proved true.

https://www.history.com/news/electoral-college-founding-fathers-constitutional-convention

thom w Loc: San Jose, CA

David Martin wrote:

Because we are a federation of 50 co-equal states, not a single entity.
No state is more important than any other, although consideration is given to more populous states in the House of Representatives.
What you really want to do is to abolish the states.
The U.S. was never intended to be a democracy.

It also wasn't designed for black people, or women of any color to be allowed to vote. I don't know how you feel about either, but time marches on.

thom w Loc: San Jose, CA

David Martin wrote:

Don't presume to know what I think. br You must ho... (show quote)

So if someone disagrees with you they aren't being adult or civil? Really?

neillaubenthal

David Martin wrote:

Don't presume to know what I think.
Best to remain adult and civil, even though we're in The Attic.

Now David...you should know by now that adult and civil aren’t allowed here. 😎

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

thom w wrote:

Not only was the creation of the Electoral College in part a political workaround for the persistence of slavery in the United States, but almost none of the Founding Fathers’ assumptions about the electoral system proved true.

https://www.history.com/news/electoral-college-founding-fathers-constitutional-convention

I disagree. I do not see how slavery had anything to do with creation of the Electoral College. If there were no slaves we would still have an Electoral College. That was settled on first. It has turned out to be a brilliant system unique to America and serving us well for over 230 years. The 3/5ths Compromise merely counted slaves that way for purposes of the representation each state would have in the House of Representatives.

Leo_B Loc: Houston suburb

bhanusa wrote:

Our politicians need to study the Constitution

And all those on the left.

Kraken Loc: Barry's Bay

Leo_B wrote:

And all those on the left.

btbg

DennyT wrote:

States do not vote. States do not decide elections.

The American people do !! ( or should)

Stupid comment

I didn't say states vote. I said abolishing the electoral college would allow a handful of large states to decide the elections. However, since you brought it up, you are wrong. The people vote to decide how their state will vote and then the various state representatives vote to decide the presidential election. So, yes, each individual state does indeed vote as a state entity. Only Maine and Nebraska currently split their electoral vote. All other states vote in a bloc as decided by who received the most votes in their state.

David Martin Loc: Cary, NC

DennyT wrote:

Nice try to justify an inaccurate statement .

The argument about electoral college is all about party politics. Don’t try to say it isn’t.

If it weren’t then you would favor proportional allotment of each states electoral votes based on the states popular vote wouldn’t you??

No.

trainspotter Loc: Oregon

btbg wrote:

The electoral college absolutely does serve a useful purpose. Without it five or six states would ultimately decide all national elections. The whole point is to make sure that smaller states still have some say and it works well. That's why there have been multiple elections where the popular vote winner did not win the election. In each of those cases, the electoral college winner won far more counties and voter precincts than the popular vote winner.

I concur...I concur!