Electoral College Reform
There currently is much activity in some state legislatures to change our election procedure for the Presidency. The effort of the current Democrat party and it’s minions is to find a way to circumvent the Constitution for their electoral advantage. The basic thrust of the effort is to have the election decided by a popular vote. Sounds reasonable doesn’t it. Trust me that it is among the most dangerous idea among the thoughts that have run through the minds of those that value power more than the continuation of our Federal Government That is what we are, .a Federal government. I don’t think that those who advocate the elimination of the Electoral College understand or care to continue the Federated jointure of the states that make up the United States Of America.
I’ve lived in a big state and now live in a sparsely populated state. I understand the brilliant formula created by our founders that is the Electoral College. My state of current residence cannot have a voice in America if the Electoral College is eliminated. That the crux of the matter and the reason that the founders structured our Constitution to insure the voice of smaller states
A popular vote determination of the President means that most of the area of the United States will have little influence on the future administration of the National government. Cut it any way you want, discuss it till you are blue in the face, but it will not change the facts.
New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, California , Florida. Illinois, Texas and a few other heavily populated states will determine the future of less populated rural states.
That’s the fact! It’s why we have an Electoral College. It’s also why every state has two senators and it’s something that was understood in Philadelphia more than 200 years ago when the Constitution was being crafted. There was more talent, more dedication and more understanding of what it would take to make our nation than currently exists in the controlling administrations of many of our nations legislatures.
In my younger days my office was 5 blocks South of Independence Hall which then housed the Liberty Bell On my walk to the Market St Subway as a short cut I went through the back door of Independence Hall and out the front doors and walked past the Liberty Bell and patted it for luck. The luck I sought was that my nation could continue to strengthen with the type of hard, honest debate that took place on the very ground I was treading.
Times have changed. The Bell has it’s own little building between Independence Hall and the National Constitution Center, built in recent years to commemorate the writing of the Constitution and the formation of our Nation in Philadelphia. There is no casual stroll with a pat of the Bell now possible. In my younger days, I had a unique opportunity to think about and walk in the steps of our nations founders almost every day.. I’m now many miles from those steps but my memory and understanding of that almost magic place and the creation of America has not faded one iota.
I wonder if those who would try to wrest power at the peril of our nation have any understanding of the danger they are initiating. These are not leaders who display the strength of those few in Philadelphia who gave us the greatest nation in the history of the world. Perhaps the threat presented by the current political “gangs” and their grasp for power will generate a needed new spirit of understanding by clear thinkers, to move us back on the track of greatness that was forged in Philadelphia many years ago.
I’m not about to surrender my country and it’s dream easily to short sighted power hungry politicians. I am sure that we as a nation can rise to meet the current threats as we have done every time grave challenges arose. I’m ready.
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Comments
CJ Your comments when dissenting are always thoughtful and show that time and consideration has been given to the issue.
There is more than math involved here, it is a clear threat to our Federal Republic as the form of government that has worked so well for all these years. Remember that we have the oldest constitutional government continuously operating.
That is not something we should mess with for a political advantage. Buck
I do not understand the mathematical model behind your argument that smaller states would lose their voice in Presidential elections if the electoral college were replaced by popular vote. If the number of electoral votes that each state gets is proportional to population (and it is my understanding that that is how the system works), then the only difference between the electoral college system and a popular vote system would be how rounding is handled in calculating those proportions. Well, and, of course, the fact that a popular vote system would be significantly less likely to result in a tie so that the election would be decided by the House of Representatives (which would have meant Nancy Pelosi in 2008!!!). So other than the issue of randomization caused by rounding the proportions to assign votes in the electoral college, why do states have a greater voice with the electoral college?
Note: I fully understand how the Senate gives smaller states a greater voice. I just don’t see how the electoral college’s proportional system affects their voice significantly.
Note: I do see how a state’s decision to grant its electoral votes on a winner take all basis, can from time-to-time give states a greater voice. But it also gives the big states a big advantage too! Moreover, the winner take all system is not part of the consitution. Indeed Obama won an electoral vote from Kentucky in the last election. That suggests that small states can have a greater voice by using a proportional assignment of electors. Perhaps, keeping the electoral college but requiring electors to vote in proportion to their state’s popular vote (that is, eliminating the winner take all system) would be a better solution to the complaints about the current system.
These issues are very, very subtle and there may be cases where any system could yield random and undesirable results (as does our current system). If we had a multi-party system, the issues can get harder. However, the Schulze method (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schulze_method) or the Condorcet method (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condorcet_method) may solve those issues in an incisive manner.