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To: paulycy

Under the Electoral College system it is theoretically possible for a president to be elected by somewhere around 25% of the vote, with about 75% of the vote going to his losing opponent.

All you need is 51% in each of the states that make up a bare majority in the EC, and near 100% in each of the remainder for the opponent.

Won’t ever happen, of course. However, since most Americans believe the president’s legitimate authority derives from popular approval, not obscure 18th century political compromises, it seems reasonable to me that considering an amendment to modify the selection proces is not unreasonable.

That also won’t happen, of course, as it requires the states and interests that get disproportionate influence from the EC to acquiesce in their own disempowerment.

Personally, the amendment I am most in favor of would make amending the Constitution easier to accomplish. Then perhaps we could get back to running our government on a truly constitutional basis rather than the present euphemisms and pretenses.


20 posted on 01/26/2011 5:41:56 AM PST by Sherman Logan
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To: Sherman Logan
However, since most Americans believe the president’s legitimate authority derives from popular approval, not obscure 18th century political compromises, i

What people believe, as opposed to what is true and correct, is not the issue. There are real reasons that the contract between the states and the Federal Government in distributing and assigning power are the way they are.

The current public school system is failing us in teaching this generation just why things are the way they are. THAT is what needs to be changed, not the brilliant mechanisms of the U.S. Constitution that created the greatest Republic that the world has ever seen.

I would even respectfully go so far as to suggest that perhaps even you have been "dumbed down" in your education if you don't see the justice and protection against the tyranny-of-the-majority inherent in the system that the Founding Fathers have built. It is not always apparent on first glance, but a good study of it shows how the genius of the ages has been brought to bear on the question of how best man is to rule himself.

Equal protection under the law and freedom from tyranny of all kinds is VERY difficult to provide. And tinkering with this system ALWAYS makes it worse once you start looking carefully at it "under the hood."

27 posted on 01/26/2011 5:51:36 AM PST by paulycy (Liberals suck all the joy out of America. Let's make them stop.)
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