Opinion: 2020 Shows Why the Electoral College Is Stupid and Immoral

[Crtcl Rice Theory 2,432]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/13/opinion/biden-trump-electoral-college.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

 

If Americans chose their president by a national popular vote, the outcome would have been apparent from the time polls closed on the West Coast on Election Day. Late that night, Joe Biden held a strong head in ballots cast, and since then it has only grown. As of Friday morning, the president-elect led the national tally with 77.8 million votes to 72.5 million for Trump, for a spread of 5.3 million votes. With plenty of outstanding ballots left to count in Democratic strongholds like New York and California, the gap will continue to grow.

Of course, Americans don’t choose their president by national popular vote. They choose him (still him, for now) in 51 individual elections, nearly all of them winner-take-all, with special attention paid to those states competitive enough to make a difference in the fight for 270 electoral votes. No one designed this system — it bears little resemblance to the deliberative, temporary legislature empowered to pick a president described in the Constitution — but it’s what we have.

 

[Ban Hammer 13,395]

i heard this same rant 4 years ago.

[Crtcl Rice Theory 2,432]

11 minutes ago, Ban Hammer said:

i heard this same rant 4 years ago.

The points were valid then as now

[Dashinka 24,579]

So we get rid of the Electoral College so the Presidency can be decided by a Democratic nationwide popular vote?  That will go well.  Are we going to get rid of the Senate as well?

[Boiler 45,651]

What is needed is to go route of the problem, should non Progressive candidates be allowed to stand? Should those who are not willing to accept the approved opinions be allowed to vote?

[Crtcl Rice Theory 2,432]

9 minutes ago, Boiler said:

What is needed is to go route of the problem, should non Progressive candidates be allowed to stand? Should those who are not willing to accept the approved opinions be allowed to vote?

No one is suggesting otherwise.

[Ban Hammer 13,395]

39 minutes ago, CanAm1980 said:

The points were valid then as now

more like as invalid now as they were invalid then....

[Crtcl Rice Theory 2,432]

[Dashinka 24,579]

22 minutes ago, CanAm1980 said:

So you are in favor of rule by majority tyranny?

[Boiler 45,651]

23 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

So you are in favor of rule by majority tyranny?

They would probably use the word enlightenment.

[Dashinka 24,579]

1 minute ago, Boiler said:

They would probably use the word enlightenment.

I was thinking "progress".  Heck, why do elections at all in all the states, just CA, NY, IL, TX and FL would work and it would be cheaper.

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,376]

Should we also get rid of equal representation for each state in the Senate.

[Crazy Cat 41,975]

Just now, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

Should we also get rid of equal representation for each state in the Senate.

Bingo!!!   

[Steeleballz 7,550]

2 hours ago, Ban Hammer said:

i heard this same rant 4 years ago.

 

  It was true then and true now though really. The electoral college was designed in a time when there were mainly regional parties and many of them. It served it's purpose then. It actually doesn't have any real purpose when there are only two major parties that run in every state. Only the Democrats or Republicans are capable of winning a modern election.  There is no reason that states shouldn't be moving to splitting electoral votes.

 

   Neither the current electoral setup nor the popular vote are great methods of electing a representative government. Unfortunately it's just become another partisan struggle where one alternative works better for each party and there is seemingly no interest in finding a middle ground. Splitting electoral votes is actually the first step towards allowing a 3rd party to start along the path to being competitive. Neither the Dems or the GOP want that.

 

Edited November 13, 2020 by Steeleballz

[Dashinka 24,579]

9 minutes ago, Steeleballz said:

 

  It was true then and true now though really. The electoral college was designed in a time when there were mainly regional parties and many of them. It served it's purpose then. It actually doesn't have any real purpose when there are only two major parties that run in every state. Only the Democrats or Republicans are capable of winning a modern election.  There is no reason that states shouldn't be moving to splitting electoral votes.

 

   Neither the current electoral setup nor the popular vote are great methods of electing a representative government. Unfortunately it's just become another partisan struggle where one alternative works better for each party and there is seemingly no interest in finding a middle ground. Splitting electoral votes is actually the first step towards allowing a 3rd party to start along the path to being competitive. Neither the Dems or the GOP want that.

 

I will take the Electoral College over the popular vote any day warts and all.  Additionally, the President was never met to be a representative of the people, that is the job of the House.  Regardless, the states have their own power here and as we recently saw in CO, the entire movement for the popular vote is gaining a little steam.