Thread: Electoral College

How the Electoral College Works - YouTube
The Trouble with the Electoral College - YouTube

So your thoughts?
I apologize if there was this subject here.

The electoral college made sense in a era of primitive technology, such as the early US. Modern telecommunications makes the idea obsolete. Honestly, we haven't had a need for it since the advent of the telegraph.

Of course we need to get rid of it.. It really makes us undemocratic when electing the executive position.

Originally Posted by megaprogman

The electoral college made sense in a era of primitive technology, such as the early US. Modern telecommunications makes the idea obsolete. Honestly, we haven't had a need for it since the advent of the telegraph.

Originally Posted by TheDemSocialist

Of course we need to get rid of it.. It really makes us undemocratic when electing the executive position.

This is a representative republic, not a democracy. Real democracy does not work (except in the old days on pirate ships). It turns into mob rule, which is exactly what the founders were trying to avoid.

Communications has zero to do with it.

Originally Posted by Arbo

This is a representative republic, not a democracy. Real democracy does not work (except in the old days on pirate ships). It turns into mob rule, which is exactly what the founders were trying to avoid.

Communications has zero to do with it.

Yeah, you realize that people would still be elected to represent us in government right and that this discussion is about the methods of those elections, thus your point is moot, right?

a great system... that we managed to **** up over the years.

From a previous Poll of the same.

Originally Posted by emdash

I voted no. I am too lazy to explain why, when someone has already done so in an older thread:

Originally Posted by Coolguy

No, the Electoral College serves a purpose.
The People were never meant to vote for the President.
To allow this would be unfair/unequal representation of the States.
The People already have their representation through Congress.

Originally Posted by Coolguy

Ah, because the State itself needs to be recognized separately from the People?
We are a Nation of States, not a Nation of individuals.

Why should a minority of States with the largest populations be able to dictate to a majority of States who will be the President?
The Electoral College strikes a balance. Does it not?

I have to agree with emdash.

Originally Posted by megaprogman

Yeah, you realize that people would still be elected to represent us in government right and that this discussion is about the methods of those elections, thus your point is moot, right?

Let me add in there state representation... what do you think would happen to this country if you suddenly took away a small piece of the 'equality' among states? Making it so the bigger/more populous states have more say in the direction of the nation than the smaller/less populous states? Do you think you could get 3/4 of the states to approve the constitutional amendment that would be required to get rid of it?

Did you miss the part about mob rule?

It was equally desirable, that the immediate election should be made by men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station, and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice. A small number of persons, selected by their fellow-citizens from the general mass, will be most likely to possess the information and discernment requisite to such complicated investigations. It was also peculiarly desirable to afford as little opportunity as possible to tumult and disorder. This evil was not least to be dreaded in the election of a magistrate, who was to have so important an agency in the administration of the government as the President of the United States. But the precautions which have been so happily concerted in the system under consideration, promise an effectual security against this mischief. - Benjamin Franklin in the Federalist Papers (68)

Think about people in the modern day, and how few have very little knowledge about their own government, or honestly, give a crap about it. Think about how they know more about celebrities than the politicians that represent them. Do you really want a huge portion of the citizens, who are not well informed, to actually directly elect ANYTHING???

Originally Posted by Arbo

This is a representative republic, not a democracy. Real democracy does not work (except in the old days on pirate ships). It turns into mob rule, which is exactly what the founders were trying to avoid.

Communications has zero to do with it.

We are a republic that uses representative democracy......

Originally Posted by Arbo

This is a representative republic, not a democracy. Real democracy does not work (except in the old days on pirate ships). It turns into mob rule, which is exactly what the founders were trying to avoid.

Communications has zero to do with it.

Republic - Legislative system
Democracy - Source of power

That is like shape and color