What do you guys think of the electorial college. Good thing or bad thing.. and why? I can't decide if it'* good or bad.

BAD!!! its been outdated since candidates have been able to campeign across the country. it was first put in place because there weren't any planes for candidates to campeign so they left the majority of the voting for the people in charge for specific states. i believe my history is correct but if not please correct me.

but in my opinoin i think it is really really bad and that we should rely on the majority vote then if for some odd reason that ties, then use the electoral system

I think it'* effective, but I don't like it.

However, each state in this country is technically considered a soverign independent nation. In each state, the popular vote makes the decision. So technically, each of our votes do count, just for our states. The system works.

Although it would be interesting to see a strictly popular vote election.

It is often mistaken, but we live in a representative republic, not a complete democracy. So this kinda exemplifies this. Also the idea of the EC came from having the state and federal balance in the American govornment. To keep it effective however, it must proprotionally represent the state population, and that is where I think it presents some problems because as the tallys went up I noticed the EC tally was not proportional to the raw votes.. I think it is outdated and needs to be thrown out.

John F. Kennedy, as a senator, opposed abolishing the electoral college. “It is not only the unit vote for the presidency we are talking about,” he said, “but a whole solar system of governmental power. If it is proposed to change the balance of power of one of the elements of the solar system, it is necessary to consider the others.”

http://jceb.co.jackson.mo.us/fun_stu...al_college.htm

The constitution of the United States established a federal system. A federal system divides jurisdiction between the state governments and the national government. Although our federalist constitution marked an expansion of the national government’* power from the time of the Articles of Confederation, it retained sharp limits on the national government. Only matters that were considered inherently national-like a declaration of war-were removed from the province of the states.

But surely the election of president is inherently national? The framers of our constitution thought otherwise. The electoral college they established made selection of the president first and foremost an affair of the states, subject to the rules established by state governments and embodying the careful balance evident in the two-house national legislature. Just as the provision for two Senators for each state keeps the more populous states and regions from dominating the less populous states and regions, the electoral college provides a federalist safe- guard to our presidential elections.

Our system of electing presidents is far from perfect. Direct election would make it worse by removing important federalist constraint on the presidency.

I am not sure what to think.

If it was all majority vote, than a candidate would only need to focus on New York, Detroit, Chicago, and LA. With a strong majority in those cities, you could take the presidency.

The number of votes for each state allows for the rural less populated states to have more of a say than in a straight democracy..

anytime you consider politics or economics you can find bad things about each options HECK communism is a perfect form of government --everyone works for the good of everyone--- BUT we are human and selfish

basically.. i think the electoral college is the best way to achievea fair and even vote

Either way, it wouldn't have mattered this time .

There'* no i in ELECTORAL...

That said, without the Electoral College, a candidate would only have to campaign in California, New York and Texas because of the population concentration.
How would you like THAT?

Basically, everywhere else would be irrelevant.
Like that even better?

We, the People. ALL OF THE PEOPLE.
Always.

BTW, I'm very pleased with the outcome of the election and think Kerry earned a lot of respect for how he handled the obvious loss. It was a classy move on his part.

Also, without the EC it would be mob rule. If one group elected a far **** wing person no one would be there to stop them. We live in a REPUBLIC not a Democracy.
Hitler was ELECTED ............ by the majority.
The EC is there to correct the majority ( mob ) rule . It'* not a pretty thought but it'* true.
Read a little of Jeffersons writings or Thomas Paine.


JLathem