The Electoral College

[matapule]

The Electoral College was implemented to give States with smaller populations more of a voice in Presidential elections as compared to more populous States. Therefore, rural States with low populations based on agriculture would not be over powered by the States with larger cities and urban populations. The Electoral College is part of the Constitution and would take a Constitutional amendment to change.

In 1960, Nixon won the popular vote but Kennedy won the Electoral College (this is subject to dispute). In 2000, Gore won the popular vote, but Bush won the Electoral College. There are other examples in US history where this was true. In 2008, some pundits are predicting that Obama may very well win the popular vote, but it appears the McCain has a lead in the Electoral College.

Wikipedia says, "Critics argue the Electoral College is inherently undemocratic and gives certain swing states disproportionate clout in selecting the President and Vice President. Adherents argue that the Electoral College is an important and distinguishing feature of the federal system, and protects the rights of smaller states"

Is it time for a change? Should democracies elect their representatives based on the popular vote or some contrived gerrymandering like the Electoral College? Or maybe the Electoral College votes should be apportioned by percentage of the vote for each candidate represented in each State?

What do you think? Cast your vote.

[TuNnL]

Re: The Electoral College

You forgot the most important link in this thread.

[Vanguard]

Re: The Electoral College

The Electoral College was implemented to give States with smaller populations more of a voice in Presidential elections as compared to more populous States. Therefore, rural States with low populations based on agriculture would not be over powered by the States with larger cities and urban populations.

Hey! I know them!

They're the ones that keep voting Bush, right?

[cyleet99]

Re: The Electoral College

Vanguard, if you read the Wiki article, the college also gave you JFK.

I think the college does what it is meant to do; to protect the smaller states from the decisions of the large confused populations of the more urban states.

[Composite 2992]

Re: The Electoral College

Vanguard, if you read the Wiki article, the college also gave you JFK.

Not according to this Wikipedia article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_...election,_1960

John F. Kennedy Electoral vote: 303
Richard Nixon Electoral vote: 219

John F. Kennedy Popular vote: 34,220,984
Richard Nixon Popular vote: 34,108,157

[TuNnL]

Re: The Electoral College

Vanguard, if you read the Wiki article, the college also gave you JFK.

Not according to this Wikipedia article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_...election,_1960

John F. Kennedy Electoral (College) vote: 303
Richard Nixon Electoral (College) vote: 219

Uhhh, I think you’re confused. You just proved cyleet99’s point.

[Vanguard]

Re: The Electoral College

Uhhh, I think you’re confused. You just proved cyleet99’s point.

John F. Kennedy Popular vote: 34,220,984
Richard Nixon Popular vote: 34,108,157

34,220,984 > 34,108,157

If I'm reading this correctly, JFK would have won with or without the electoral college system. It just looks like a more considerable landslide with the electoral college system considered.

[TuNnL]

Re: The Electoral College

John F. Kennedy Popular vote: 34,220,984
Richard Nixon Popular vote: 34,108,157

34,220,984 > 34,108,157

If I'm reading this correctly, JFK would have won with or without the electoral college system. It just looks like a more considerable landslide with the electoral college system considered.

I suppose that is one interpretation. My view is that the electoral college vote basically dissuaded Nixon from challenging the results all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court (i.e. Al Gore).

My rationale can be found in Composite2992’s article:

Historians have alleged that Kennedy benefited from vote fraud, especially in Texas and Illinois, and that Nixon actually won the national popular vote ... Kennedy won Illinois by less than 9,000 votes out of 4.75 million cast, even though Nixon carried 92 of the state’s 101 counties ... New York Herald Tribune, investigated the voting in Chicago and claimed to have discovered sufficient evidence of vote fraud to prove that the state was stolen for Kennedy.

[Vanguard]

Re: The Electoral College

I suppose that is one interpretation. My view is that the electoral college vote basically dissuaded Nixon from challenging the results all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court (i.e. Al Gore).

A lot of good it did Al Gore.