tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post90323901386329618..comments2024-03-26T17:55:50.539-04:00Comments on Cranky old man: Electoral College or Popular Votejoehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08520161706680568508noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-50766416819168743712016-11-23T08:23:25.836-05:002016-11-23T08:23:25.836-05:00I think the thing with electoral systems like the ...I think the thing with electoral systems like the electoral college is, they generally work really well but every now and then throw up what seems to be an anomaly, then everyone questions whether they are the right way to go. But in general I think they are. 'First past the post' is unfairer than it intuitively seems, as it doesn't deal fairly with close races, or disproportionate numbers in different states. The price of a complex, generally well-organised electoral system is an occasional very unexpected result.Jackie Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06322613989851869319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-39249549335392984512016-11-17T02:32:06.834-05:002016-11-17T02:32:06.834-05:00I know it's late to add a comment but after ha...I know it's late to add a comment but after having stumbled into this post here is one anyway. Way back during the Ford/Carter election of 1976, I remember a discussion on the electoral college and how it could lead to national discord if candidates started winning the presidency by it and with the popular vote going to the other person running.<br />The idea presented was that we keep the electoral college system but that the winner of the popular vote would get an extra ten to twenty electoral votes to curb the possibility, but not eliminate, the massive cluster frak we have now and back in 2000 with Bush/Gore.<br />Of course, realistically changing anything to do with the electoral college is a tough sell in the best of times. Now in these highly polarized times with one particular party winning the White House twice since the start of this century by the electoral college I'm sure glaciers have a better chance of forming in hell than doing away, or adapting that system. Commander Zaiushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11000824454124236774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-26024194689361216532016-11-14T11:21:35.694-05:002016-11-14T11:21:35.694-05:00Flyfshrgrl has it exactly right. It's all part...Flyfshrgrl has it exactly right. It's all part and parcel of being a Constitutional Republic, the United States is not, and wasn't intended to be, a democracy.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-51478765172622964882016-11-13T19:23:54.205-05:002016-11-13T19:23:54.205-05:00I agree with popular vote - it's time. Its a d...I agree with popular vote - it's time. Its a diff world than what it was when the electoral college was created. <br /><br />*slinks back into cave of sadness*<br />Giahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10026292498250130247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-70471565658654905622016-11-13T10:40:11.729-05:002016-11-13T10:40:11.729-05:00I agree that it should be changed to the popular v...I agree that it should be changed to the popular vote. I think more people would actually vote, instead of whining that their vote doesn't matter. And it would be wonderful not to be in a swing state where it gets really ugly. Danielle L Zecherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01492742250595537348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-8356644094953621492016-11-12T18:13:59.075-05:002016-11-12T18:13:59.075-05:00Joeh, and I'm serious here, this may be one of...Joeh, and I'm serious here, this may be one of the kindest things anyone has said to me in print. In ages. Excluding my kids. <br />With work, it'd be memo's: "...he didn't have to say that even if I was wrong..." etc. <br />Thank you. I think we are more alike that apart. <br /><br />Mike<br />Should Fish Morehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13038376492887695725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-73036175525222236072016-11-12T17:40:52.055-05:002016-11-12T17:40:52.055-05:00I skyped with my sister in Germany after the elect...I skyped with my sister in Germany after the election and had to explain some things about the electoral college to her (she knew most of it, probably more than some Americans, but wondered about a few details). She shook her head.<br /><br />I agree with you - it just doesn't seem fair. With that said, I don't think it will get changed. Right now, changing it would hurt the Republican President-elect, so the Republicans wouldn't vote for it. And if it would hurt a Democrat President-elect, the Democrats wouldn't vote for it. And wouldn't changing it require a 2/3 majority? (If someone knows, let me know - I just don't know for sure). So it ain't gonna happen.Pixel Peeperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17553862902461169270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-9924343491731051042016-11-12T16:02:30.645-05:002016-11-12T16:02:30.645-05:00THe people protesting the result are annoying me, ...THe people protesting the result are annoying me, but I figure not many people have earned the right to bitch about politics more than Mike. We almost always disagree and he likes to paint me with a really broad brush, but I very much respect his service and he certainly has earned the right to be wrong.joehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08520161706680568508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-67000532179921065572016-11-12T15:19:08.240-05:002016-11-12T15:19:08.240-05:00Just heard on the news that with the most current ...Just heard on the news that with the most current tally H. is 600,000+ ahead. Wonder how long until Trump says he has a 'mandate'. Should Fish Morehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13038376492887695725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-27675298610750418332016-11-12T13:23:51.200-05:002016-11-12T13:23:51.200-05:00I would be for the popular vote for by living in a...I would be for the popular vote for by living in a Red state, basically as it is now, my vote does not count.Arkansas Pattihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14156004753267665579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-51069609298018220232016-11-12T13:08:05.235-05:002016-11-12T13:08:05.235-05:00The electoral college doesn't adhere to the &q...The electoral college doesn't adhere to the "one man, one vote" premise!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-8533660455691842082016-11-12T11:28:46.310-05:002016-11-12T11:28:46.310-05:00The Electoral College gives voice to the flyover s...The Electoral College gives voice to the flyover states. You know, the ones that mainstream media tells us isn't that 'real America.'Bijouxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05788630004051883635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-86713332989766604632016-11-12T11:01:10.801-05:002016-11-12T11:01:10.801-05:00Without it the little states will never be heard. ...Without it the little states will never be heard. We need that to make sure they are heard.<br /><br />Have a fabulous day. ☺Sandeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06785788498697004273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-51670937701047360802016-11-12T09:25:05.578-05:002016-11-12T09:25:05.578-05:00It's tough to express an opinion on this topic...It's tough to express an opinion on this topic this week without sounding as though I'm just tlaking about who I believe the winner should have been on Tuesday.<br /><br />I'm not.<br /><br />Everybody knew about the electoral college going into this, so the results are the results. If you're playing a board game with counter-intuitive rules, you are still agreeing to the rules when you pick up the dice. <br /><br />That being said, it sucks. For one thing, small states are over-represented in the electoral college. This is because even states with few people have 3 electoral votes. Wyoming could drop to one resident and still have 3 electoral votes, which means its residents' votes are worth many times more than mine are, living in Texas.<br /><br />So far as trying to get the winner to get support from all parts of the country, non-swing states don't get much attention by the candidates in the system we have now.<br /><br />It just makes sense for the person with the most votes to win. <br /><br />That being said, Susan's idea seems okay, too.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06856160423100846727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-63308809389260569372016-11-12T09:24:40.208-05:002016-11-12T09:24:40.208-05:00It's too bad we don't vote for party like ...It's too bad we don't vote for party like they do in the UK instead of it being a vote for personalities.stephen Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659054447637207734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-81504829086924945182016-11-12T08:28:24.483-05:002016-11-12T08:28:24.483-05:00I don't begin to pretend to understand your el...I don't begin to pretend to understand your electoral system. From the outside looking in it seems complicated.only slightly confusedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08165115156889904978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-87779972093615336162016-11-12T08:09:04.639-05:002016-11-12T08:09:04.639-05:00Hi Joe,
I actually didn't quite understand th...Hi Joe,<br /><br />I actually didn't quite understand the US electoral system until this year when the BBC explained it in great detail. Now I understand it, I totally agree with you. It seems like a crazy, over-complicated and totally out-dated system.<br /><br />It's a bit like ours in the UK. The Liberal Democrat party here want the equivalent of your "popular vote" which we call "proportional representation". The reason they want it is that they will stand a better chance of winning. Effectively we have a system where the winner will always be either Labour or the Conservative Party. One of these is always in power. They do not want proportional representation because it will harm their chances of being elected.<br /><br />Yet in the recent Brexit referendum, we voted with proportional representation.<br /><br />Go figure!!<br /><br />:o)<br /><br />Cheers<br /><br />PM Plastic Mancunianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01864213919913476168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-65242353319940343012016-11-12T07:57:32.940-05:002016-11-12T07:57:32.940-05:00i'm still waiting for them to repeal daylight ...i'm still waiting for them to repeal daylight savings time...TexWisGirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13641962051044162710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-66261113944282965562016-11-12T06:06:29.476-05:002016-11-12T06:06:29.476-05:00Susan's solution is the one i have wanted for ...Susan's solution is the one i have wanted for a very, very long time. Now, how do we go about convincing everyone?messymimihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10649529601786689712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-17032374033682225422016-11-12T04:35:27.744-05:002016-11-12T04:35:27.744-05:00Some people think the uK method of voting is weird...Some people think the uK method of voting is weird but I like it. Anyway, it sounds far less complicated than the US style of voting.Valeriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12099030819314552958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-30964251018813270042016-11-12T02:35:26.725-05:002016-11-12T02:35:26.725-05:00That is great, thanks Flyfshgrl! Any other histor...That is great, thanks Flyfshgrl! Any other history buffs want to chime in?joehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08520161706680568508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-7730472674364162972016-11-12T01:40:18.643-05:002016-11-12T01:40:18.643-05:00http://meaopus.blogspot.comhttp://meaopus.blogspot.comflyfshrgrlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13415449182573751883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-71355923670104545492016-11-12T01:37:57.837-05:002016-11-12T01:37:57.837-05:00My reply was too long, so I created a link from th...My reply was too long, so I created a link from this post to where character limit was not an issue.flyfshrgrlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13415449182573751883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-64589768020905125592016-11-12T01:25:18.167-05:002016-11-12T01:25:18.167-05:00I would rather have the popular vote, never have l...I would rather have the popular vote, never have liked the electoral college system.Sharonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02743921972328074980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-60229427646759112172016-11-12T01:20:49.616-05:002016-11-12T01:20:49.616-05:00I like this solution, it would still be possible t...I like this solution, it would still be possible to have an electoral winner with less popular votes because the electors are not assigned to states proportional to their population, but it would clearly be less likely. Also this solution could realistically be implemented where an amendment to decide the race by pure popular vote is very difficult and unlikely.joehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08520161706680568508noreply@blogger.com