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Electoral College part of a broken system [Erbrechen Warnung/barf alert]
Deutsche Welle ^ | 12.18.2016 | Jefferson Chase

Posted on 12/19/2016 7:28:18 AM PST by Olog-hai

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To: tumblindice

“Unfit” is thrown around ubiquitously because, as usual, it is a word that describes their president and their candidate. If there has been any candidate or president in history who was so unfit to lead a country as these two I can’t think who it might have been. Carter at least had some relevant experience as a naval officer and his failure was not obviously inevitable beforehand, not baked in the cake.


21 posted on 12/19/2016 2:26:22 PM PST by arthurus
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To: Olog-hai
there is no longer any consensus in the US about what it means for someone to be unfit to be president.

I agree with this statement. The evidence surfaced in November of 2008.

22 posted on 12/19/2016 2:31:10 PM PST by Hardastarboard (Freedom Trumps Fascism)
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To: MichaelRDanger
Well said. Human nature is a constant. The EC was designed to appoint men unbeholden to any faction. Only then could they take their oath of office without reservation.
23 posted on 12/19/2016 4:04:11 PM PST by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
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To: Olog-hai

Too much love for the electoral college and we lose everything in 2 damn years. The popular vote counts and we had better learn to win it! Because in 2018 IT WILL BE THE POPULAR VOTE AND ONLY THE POPULAR VOTE THAT KEEPS OR LOSES THE SENATE


24 posted on 12/19/2016 7:52:39 PM PST by TomasUSMC (FIGHT LIKE WW2, WIN LIKE WW2. FIGHT LIKE NAM, FINISH LIKE NAM.)
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To: Olog-hai

They’ve decided to “lock” comments on the post.

“The president is supposed to represent America as a whole.”

The President is the President of the United STATES. He is elected by those States. And the only way the President can represent these United STATES as a whole is to be elected by those states so their diverse interests will all have a voice - a seat at the table. That is what the Electoral College accomplishes.

“There is a branch of the American government especially designed to protect smaller states from being dominated by bigger ones: the Senate.”

No, the Senate is not a branch of government. The Senate is but one part of the U.S. Congress. One body of Congress gives each state equal representation (the Senate) and the other body is based on population (the House of Represenative) with each state being entitled to a minimum of one represenative. This allows each state to have a greater voice in Congress if they have larger populations, but each smaller state cannot be sequelched out of the process entirely. This is their protection in the legislative branch. The President is a completely separate, co-equal branch of government - the executive branch - and yes, the people of the several states are afforded the same protection by the method of electing the executive branch as they are in the legislative branch with the Electoral College - states with larger populations have a greater voice, but every state has a minimum of 3 electors - equal to their members of Congress - to have a voice in the process.

“But let’s hope this is the last time it will do anything.”

That would take a constitutional amendment which must be ratified by 3/4 of the States - each state having an equal voice in whether or not an amendment would be ratified - there is zero probability therefore of getting 3/4 of the states to go along with this so this argument is an exercise in futility - the Electoral College is here to stay.

It is interesting how this system was wonderful back when the liberals thought it was going to allow Hillary Clinton to win because the “Republicans have a big disadvantage in the Electoral College.” Now that the opposite has happened, the system should be scrapped. Re-run of 2000.

“I would hope most people in the US would agree that such a situation is undemocratic, indeed un-American.”

It is undemocratic because the U.S. is NOT a democracy - it is a Republic, formed by a union of States. The States are not subunits of the Federal Government. The Federal Government could never abolish the States, though the States could abolish the Federal Government.


25 posted on 12/19/2016 10:36:02 PM PST by Republican Wildcat
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To: TomasUSMC
Too much love for the electoral college and we lose everything in 2 damn years. The popular vote counts and we had better learn to win it! Because in 2018 IT WILL BE THE POPULAR VOTE AND ONLY THE POPULAR VOTE THAT KEEPS OR LOSES THE SENATE

That's not true at all. Each election for the U.S. Senate is a separate race contained within a single state, just like each individual presidential election, not a national popular vote.

26 posted on 12/19/2016 10:37:33 PM PST by Republican Wildcat
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To: TomasUSMC

Hmm? Since when does the Electoral College decide members of the Senate?


27 posted on 12/20/2016 4:07:22 AM PST by Olog-hai
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To: Republican Wildcat

Each Senator is elected by popular vote.


28 posted on 12/21/2016 9:05:25 PM PST by TomasUSMC (FIGHT LIKE WW2, WIN LIKE WW2. FIGHT LIKE NAM, FINISH LIKE NAM.)
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To: TomasUSMC
Yes...each one in their own individual race, just like the States in choosing their Electors. I was responding to your comment implying that the Senate majority would be determined by a national popular vote:

Too much love for the electoral college and we lose everything in 2 damn years. The popular vote counts and we had better learn to win it! Because in 2018 IT WILL BE THE POPULAR VOTE AND ONLY THE POPULAR VOTE THAT KEEPS OR LOSES THE SENATE

29 posted on 12/21/2016 9:30:36 PM PST by Republican Wildcat
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