Popular Vote

[bbarker]

I understand our electoral college and how it works but I was just on CNN's website and it has Romney at 50% to 48% for Obama or approximately 2 million votes. Wonder what will happen when the western states start coming in though. It would be neat to see Obama below 50% no matter the outcome.

 

[42769vette]

Obama will with by a land slide in California and atleast tie it up. personally i think the electorial college has out lived its usefullness. with the elecorial collage some folks vote is more important than others and that is just wrong.

I cant remember the final verdict, but i beleive bush jr had less thann 1/2 the votes when he beat gore

 

[bbarker]

Yup

Obama will with by a land slide in California and atleast tie it up. personally i think the electorial college has out lived its usefullness. with the elecorial collage some folks vote is more important than others and that is just wrong.

I cant remember the final verdict, but i beleive bush jr had less thann 1/2 the votes when he beat gore

Yeah, it is tightening up already. I wasnt think about bush and gore but more along the lines of Clinton's first election. I think he had less than 50% of the popular vote and they made a big deal about the majority not wanting him.

They just called it while I was typing this...it's over.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I think perhaps a states electoral votes should be split and based upon the percentages of the votes in each state. But that will never happen, the Rs and the Ds are the same and take their orders from the same group. There is NO difference between the two and neither actually believes or acts upon what they claim to be their platform. For this reason they will leave it just as it is.

 

[Kutnupe14]

I think perhaps a states electoral votes should be split and based upon the percentages of the votes in each state. But that will never happen, the Rs and the Ds are the same and take their orders from the same group. There is NO difference between the two and neither actually believes or acts upon what they claim to be their platform. For this reason they will leave it just as it is.

The founders created the electoral college.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

The founders created the electoral college.

And how many changes has it seen since?

 

[kickbacked]

i think it needs to go to the popular vote, you cant tell people that there votes matter when they dont, at least not for president. Alaska hasnt even got in there votes yet and the election is over. Not to mention they gave those people on the east coast until friday to get votes in. Doesnt matter now.

 

[PAMom]

I think perhaps a states electoral votes should be split and based upon the percentages of the votes in each state. But that will never happen, the Rs and the Ds are the same and take their orders from the same group. There is NO difference between the two and neither actually believes or acts upon what they claim to be their platform. For this reason they will leave it just as it is.

I would agree with your suggestion. Changes need to be made, but to completely do away with the electoral college would keep all but a few large population centers out of the decision.

BTW, I am not saying you suggested abandoning the college. Just thought I would clear that up.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

i think it needs to go to the popular vote, you cant tell people that there votes matter when they dont, at least not for president. Alaska hasnt even got in there votes yet and the election is over. Not to mention they gave those people on the east coast until friday to get votes in. Doesnt matter now.

Not possible legally or in accordance with the COTUS by ANY stretch of the imagination.

 

[88GT]

I think perhaps a states electoral votes should be split and based upon the percentages of the votes in each state. But that will never happen, the Rs and the Ds are the same and take their orders from the same group. There is NO difference between the two and neither actually believes or acts upon what they claim to be their platform. For this reason they will leave it just as it is.

I've been pounding that drum (albeit quietly) for the last few presidential election cycles. At the very least it would give those who didn't vote for the popular vote winner some actual ownership. Seems to me it would be a more accurate representation of the population.



The other alternative I've mulled is requiring winning two-thirds of the states. This option is tricky because unlike yea/nay issues where getting two-thirds means success and vice versa, you can't not have a POTUS. So if neither candidate was able to win two-thirds of the states.....yeah, that would be a problem.

I'd be willing to give up 5 or 6 here to gain 10 from California.

 

[Kutnupe14]

And how many changes has it seen since?

It has changed, but the practice of disregarding the popular vote in favor of electors (and their opion) as originally envisioned, remains intact.

 

[Stickfight]

And if you are still up watching returns, tune to ABC because Diane Sawyer is obviously hammered drunk.

She is slurring words, said "electrical votes" at least twice. Called him "Brock O'Rama".

Here is an electrical votes clip, at 1:30

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xf7pT9H0Hp0

 

[45calibre]

i thought the popular vote was supposed to influence the electoral vote directly?

 

[iwearcowboyboots]

And if you are still up watching returns, tune to ABC because Diane Sawyer is obviously hammered drunk.

She is slurring words, said "electrical votes" at least twice. Called him "Brock O'Rama".

Your assessment is correct.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Apparently, Obama won the popular vote too....

 

[canav844]

i thought the popular vote was supposed to influence the electoral vote directly?

It's the same concept as senate plus house seats, a mix to represent the states a little more evenly and not just the population; this makes it so that every election isn't decided by whoever wins NY, Cook and LA counties, but instead comes down to FL and Ohio and PA and IA and WI. According to Jefferson it also is there to provide a stopgap should the citizens be swayed improperly, or a fever of emotion caught the country, the college is supposed to be there to temper that, however it has rarely made a difference. When it doesn't go our way it sucks, but frankly it's the only reason that 85% of the country geographically even has a vote that matters, or the nation would be held hostage by the cities in the same manner Chicago controls IL.

And 97% reporting WTHI has Mitt at 54% Obama at 44%; I'd say that sends a clear message about where the support of the people lies.

 

[Lex Concord]

We'd be better served to return selection of the senate to the legislatures of the several states.

 

[HeadlessRoland]

The Electoral College is perfect - stop trying to change it.
It is designed precisely to protect the Republic against the tyranny of the majority, of populism.

The nature of the process happens to have failed us spectacularly in this instance - or, rather, we have failed ourselves, but the rationale for the Electoral College is very much valid.

If there is still a Republic worth the having in 2017, then I will be very glad to have it as a final bulwark against populism, although it wasn't enough to save us this time.

Not that Romney would have been much better, as he still holds many of the same positions, but at least Romney doesn't openly hate everything for which we stand (used to stand??) as a People and as a Nation.

This is uniquely terrible.

 

[88GT]

We'd be better served to return selection of the senate to the legislatures of the several states.

^^THIS^^

 

[ThrottleJockey]

We'd be better served to return selection of the senate to the legislatures of the several states.

Well, that would be a good start! I still think

I think perhaps a states electoral votes should be split and based upon the percentages of the votes in each state. But that will never happen, the Rs and the Ds are the same and take their orders from the same group. There is NO difference between the two and neither actually believes or acts upon what they claim to be their platform. For this reason they will leave it just as it is.