Electoral College, love it or leave it?

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Comments

  • Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,662
    It really is amazing that the Electoral College still exists. This reminds me of the first thing my first college instructor told us during the first Education class I took at Sonoma State which was basically that institutions are static and that we should not expect to be able to see or make changes happen in anything but a very slow manner... if ever. Talk about a burst bubble.

    Never-the-less, I say dump the E.C. and go with popular vote.
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • Posts: 723
    know1 wrote:
    show previous quotes

    Candidates are actually on TV and internet these days if you can believe it. They weren't when the electoral college was instituted.


    ding, ding, ding, after original post, i was like, we HAVE freaking evolved to the point that no one should be unaware of a candidates ideology, background, etc.
    San Diego Sports Arena - Oct 25, 2000
    MGM Grand - Jul 6, 2006
    Cox Arena - Jul 7, 2006
    New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival - May 1, 2010
    Alpine Valley Music Theater - Sep 3-4 2011
    Made In America, Philly - Sep 2, 2012
    EV, Houston - Nov 12-13, 2012
    Dallas-November 2013
    OKC-November 2013
    ACL 2-October 2014
    Fenway Night 1, August 2016
    Wrigley, Night 1 August 2018
    Fort Worth, Night 1 September 2023
    Fort Worth, Night 2 September 2023
    Austin, Night 1 September 2023
    Austin, Night 2 September 2023
  • Posts: 1,517
    The bigger question is being missed here...

    if the electoral college is no more, on election night what would the TV pundits do with all that time they'd otherwise spend on explaining how this absurd system works and why it's in place?
    115 bucks for half a haircut by a novice? I want my money back!
  • Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,662
    Hinn wrote:
    The bigger question is being missed here...

    if the electoral college is no more, on election night what would the TV pundits do with all that time they'd otherwise spend on explaining how this absurd system works and why it's in place?

    No doubt they would find something equally absurd to explain/(not explain).
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • up my ass Posts: 21,157
    let's get kat and sea to shut the thread i fired up shut down and use this thread... i did a search and nothing came up when starting the thread.
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."
    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • Philly Posts: 12,358
    I posted this a few months ago:

    http://community.pearljam.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=185851&p=4319713&hilit=NATIONAL+POPULAR+VOTE#p4319713

    If you don't like the electoral college write your state reps & governor and tell them to adopt the NPV initiative. They will probably get back to you and let you know if/why they do or don't support it.
    Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila,  PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24; Pittsburgh 5/16/25; Pittsburgh 5/18/25

    Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
  • Posts: 3,353
    polaris_x wrote:
    show previous quotes

    gore won the popular vote vs. bush ...


    and that was the 4th time it has happened in 200+ years


    I think the problems with EC are much more muted than what would happen to presidential politics if they changed to merely a popular vote.

    we are a federalist system, any attempts to change that are suspect in my opinion of course. I see the reason people want a change, I just don't think anyone would like the new system any more...do we really want major metropolitan areas and large populated regions getting all the empty promises?
    that’s right! Can’t we all just get together and focus on our real enemies: monogamous gays and stem cells… - Ned Flanders
    It is terrifying when you are too stupid to know who is dumb
    - Joe Rogan
  • up my ass Posts: 21,157
    please i am begging for someone/anyne to help me understand how our votes matter. the electoral college is unfair, out of control, and not understood. wtf? i am actually upset because all this time i thought our votes mattered when in fact they do not matter at all. what the hell is going on with the brain washing of us all?
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."
    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • unknown Posts: 7,127
    Some people need their brains washed.

    It's all the dirty minds in this great country of ours
  • up my ass Posts: 21,157
    don't forget... rock the vote!
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."
    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • up my ass Posts: 21,157
    i have been schooled. all is well.























    sort of anyway.
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."
    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • Philly Posts: 12,358
    chadwick wrote:
    please i am begging for someone/anyne to help me understand how our votes matter. the electoral college is unfair, out of control, and not understood. wtf? i am actually upset because all this time i thought our votes mattered when in fact they do not matter at all. what the hell is going on with the brain washing of us all?

    Your vote matters if you live in: New Hampshire, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Florida, Colorado, Virginia.

    Maybe if you live in Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada.

    Otherwise, you might as well not even bother. But there are many elections besides president that are important, down to your local State Representative, who is the person you most likely would go to help for first if you needed something or had a local issue.

    I'm sure I missed a few swing states, but you get the point.
    Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila,  PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24; Pittsburgh 5/16/25; Pittsburgh 5/18/25

    Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
  • up my ass Posts: 21,157
    Johnny Abruzzo wrote:
    show previous quotes

    Your vote matters if you live in: New Hampshire, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Florida, Colorado, Virginia.

    Maybe if you live in Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada.

    Otherwise, you might as well not even bother. But there are many elections besides president that are important, down to your local State Representative, who is the person you most likely would go to help for first if you needed something or had a local issue.

    I'm sure I missed a few swing states, but you get the point.
    i do not get the point. why not all states' votes matter?
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."
    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • LOUISVILLE Posts: 1,895
    My state doesn't count, it's red all the way. Or at least that is how it feels :( Why not keep the electoral college but use proportional allocation? I live in a red state but my city is primarily blue. My vote only counts for popular vote. The electoral college has its uses but needs to be modified.
    Are we getting something out of this all-encompassing trip?

    Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned...

    I AM MINE
  • Posts: 1,422
    riotgrl wrote:
    My state doesn't count, it's red all the way. Or at least that is how it feels :( Why not keep the electoral college but use proportional allocation? I live in a red state but my city is primarily blue. My vote only counts for popular vote. The electoral college has its uses but needs to be modified.

    One thing the Electoral College system does is create 50 majorities, instead of a single majority.
    If you just apply statistical sampling, a sample of 50 is superior in quality of data to a sample of 1.
    The thought process involving the Electoral College is also similar to enacting amendments to the Constitution. It requires support of the majority of states to pass an amendment, not a majority of the people.

    Abolishing the Electoral College wouldn't work, unless you also abolished the party primary system and allowed all candidates from all parties to run, then hold a mass primary in the summer/early fall and then a run-off election between the top 3 vote-getters later on, say in late winter. That's how almost all other countries that use popular vote do it.
    Let's not forget, the Founders also gave the #2 position to the #2 vote getter. ;)
    Its been a while since History classes for me, but I do remember a partial cause of the Civil War was the Electoral College...
    11.30.93~10.2.96~9.13.98~9.1.00~8.25.00~7.3.03~7.5.03
    7.9.03~9.28.04~10.1.05~5.12.06~5.13.06~5.27.06~5.28.06
    8.5.08(EV)~10.9.09~5.21.10~6.20.11(EV)~7.5.11(EV)~7.9.11(EV)
    11.21.13~8.27.16(EV)~11.14.16(TOTD)~4.13.20~9.27.20~9.26.21~10.2.21
    2.15.22 (EV)~2.25.22 (EV)~2.27.22 (EV)~5.3.22~5.7.22~9.17.24~9.29.24

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