Re: Hey, Steve! (WAS: Re: Pumping Gas in Oregon)
* Paul Johnson <baloo@ursine.ca> [2006 Aug 23 22:55 -0500]:
> On Wednesday 23 August 2006 19:35, Mihira Fernando wrote:
> > Paul Johnson wrote:
> > > ¹ For those not of US origin, the US has had an electoral college to
> > > decide it's soverign since it's inception, the popular vote for president
> > > is legally nonbinding in nearly all states: the electoral college can and
> > > does vote for whoever it wants. Out of a quarter billion people, only
> > > 538 appointed, not elected, people out of the entire country are allowed
> > > to have a binding vote for US president. So if you don't like the
> > > current president, you only have 538 people to blame, not the rest of us
> > > who had no non-violent method to have any say, pro or con, in the matter.
> >
> > Good god! so are the Presidential elections that are held in the US a
> > sham ?? does only 538 really decides who the president is ??
>
> Yes, today they are. The electoral college as practiced in the US made far
> more sense back in 1776 when it was introduced. The intent of the EC is to
> make sure someone voting for president for a region 1) can count the local
> vote (optional) and 2) can read. Given the English literacy rate at 1776 in
> the US was well under 10%, and the English literacy rate today is 90+%, it's
> purpose is outdated by at least a century.
With illegal immigration and with attempts to allow illegal immigrants
to vote, this trend may well be reversing.
For all the bellyaching that goes on about the EC, it will never be
eliminated because it effectively prevents a third party candidate from
being elected president. The bellyaching that comes from the losing
party is quite amusing as it is really just pandering to their base.
As an aside, if anyone thinks our current day campaigns and elections
are nasty, one need look no further than the 19th century when they
really got after each other! Back then when people said something
stupid, people laughed, now you are required to resign, etc. Case in
point, Greg Gumble has apparently been tapped to do play-by-play for
NFL Network games starting on Thanksgiving (US) evening. Well, he was
speaking somewhere recently and made some stupid comment. Last I heard
the NFL Network is reconsidering his contract. Have we gotten so
sensitive that stupid remarks can't just be laughed off anymore?
People have to learn to get over themselves.
- Nate >>
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