[Marine_Uncle]

"It seems Americans who want a popular vote, don't understand that it was the founders' intentions that each state choose the President."
To many Americans do not remember what they learned in school or where not introduced to American history/politics to begin with. And your example is a good example of that proof. If you ask Americans what the Electorial College is, many will probably stare at you with glazed eyes.

[Sam Gamgee]

I think no one knew until the Gore-Bush debacle in Florida. I didn't. It seems that perhaps the US schools are really failing to educate their children as to what it means to be an American. (Don't think I am saying this snidely as though Canada has a better system). That's a tragedy, because if you don't know why your system of government is the best in the world, how can you defend it against erosion?

[old republic]

Not only do most Americans not know what the Electoral College is for, they also don't know what the US Senate is for. The founders orignally had the state legislatures elect the Senators for a reason. Since the XVII amendment was passed, now the state legislatures don't have a single check against the Federal government, except for calling a Constitutional Convention. We should give our state legislatures a check in the Senate again. We should repeal the XVII amendment and restore Checks and Balances to our system. Then the states could stop liberal judges who ban religion from this nation from being confirmed.