Comments on: Get Rid Of Electoral College? http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:03:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Blog It Out Your Pie Hole » Blog Archive » Iowa, Electoral College, and Pie Holes http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/comment-page-1/#comment-387691 Blog It Out Your Pie Hole » Blog Archive » Iowa, Electoral College, and Pie Holes Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:14:33 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/#comment-387691 [...] the people. The House and Senate are Checks against the Electoral College. Even in spite of the people espousing their belief that the Electoral College is not needed, there are some who read between the lines of [...] [...] the people. The House and Senate are Checks against the Electoral College. Even in spite of the people espousing their belief that the Electoral College is not needed, there are some who read between the lines of [...]

]]> By: Brian O. http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/comment-page-1/#comment-381785 Brian O. Wed, 05 Sep 2007 22:51:10 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/#comment-381785 Perhaps we should also abolish the US Senate since it is even less proportional than the electoral college. In fact by definition, congress is proportioned exactly the same way as the electoral college. Let's abolish the Senate, and make all House elections national popular elections. Then we could have a government which best serves the will of the American people right? Or we could consider for a moment that this country is a federation of individual states which have rights over and above the sum total of the rights of the citizens residing in each state.... Perhaps we should also abolish the US Senate since it is even less proportional than the electoral college. In fact by definition, congress is proportioned exactly the same way as the electoral college. Let’s abolish the Senate, and make all House elections national popular elections. Then we could have a government which best serves the will of the American people right?

Or we could consider for a moment that this country is a federation of individual states which have rights over and above the sum total of the rights of the citizens residing in each state….

]]> By: Electoral College Class of ‘96 : Hear ItFrom.Us http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/comment-page-1/#comment-381769 Electoral College Class of ‘96 : Hear ItFrom.Us Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:06:51 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/#comment-381769 [...] Gardner at Donklephant asks if we should Get Rid of the Electoral College. On Aug. 25, Democratic California senator Dianne Feinstein called for the abolition of the [...] [...] Gardner at Donklephant asks if we should Get Rid of the Electoral College. On Aug. 25, Democratic California senator Dianne Feinstein called for the abolition of the [...]

]]> By: dj http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/comment-page-1/#comment-381753 dj Tue, 04 Sep 2007 23:57:12 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/#comment-381753 Here's more about Instant Runoff Voting, the system sleipner describes: http://instantrunoff.com/ http://www.fairvote.org/irv/ Here’s more about Instant Runoff Voting, the system sleipner describes:

http://instantrunoff.com/
http://www.fairvote.org/irv/

]]> By: Paul http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/comment-page-1/#comment-381732 Paul Tue, 04 Sep 2007 13:45:40 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/#comment-381732 Surely it should be done away with. While a constitutional amendment would be best, the next best thing is available: the National Popular Vote interstate compact, already signed in Maryland. Check it out at nationalpopularvote.com Surely it should be done away with. While a constitutional amendment would be best, the next best thing is available: the National Popular Vote interstate compact, already signed in Maryland. Check it out at nationalpopularvote.com

]]> By: sleipner http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/comment-page-1/#comment-381725 sleipner Tue, 04 Sep 2007 05:48:45 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/#comment-381725 I've been in favor of its removal for a few decades as well. In addition, I personally think the primary system needs to be completely revamped. We should have some sort of system whereby anyone who gets enough popular support ends up on the final ballot, and then instead of a single-vote method (very primitive by scientific standards), each voter rank all candidates in order of preference (or at least the top 3). From this list, you then do sequential eliminations of those receiving the least votes, until you get to the candidate that maybe isn't everyone's favorite, but at least they can stand. The users on this site should love that idea (at least the truly moderate ones), as it would tend to eliminate both the far left and far right candidates right off the bat, as well as the ones that are repulsive to a large number of voters (Bush, Hillary, Romney). I’ve been in favor of its removal for a few decades as well. In addition, I personally think the primary system needs to be completely revamped.

We should have some sort of system whereby anyone who gets enough popular support ends up on the final ballot, and then instead of a single-vote method (very primitive by scientific standards), each voter rank all candidates in order of preference (or at least the top 3). From this list, you then do sequential eliminations of those receiving the least votes, until you get to the candidate that maybe isn’t everyone’s favorite, but at least they can stand.

The users on this site should love that idea (at least the truly moderate ones), as it would tend to eliminate both the far left and far right candidates right off the bat, as well as the ones that are repulsive to a large number of voters (Bush, Hillary, Romney).

]]> By: Jim S http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/comment-page-1/#comment-381722 Jim S Tue, 04 Sep 2007 04:22:14 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/#comment-381722 I've thought that the Electoral College should be eliminated ever since my first social sciences class that taught about it. I’ve thought that the Electoral College should be eliminated ever since my first social sciences class that taught about it.

]]> By: Robert D. http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/comment-page-1/#comment-381721 Robert D. Tue, 04 Sep 2007 02:55:05 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/#comment-381721 Of course, abolishing the Electoral College just turns the problem the other way. If we abolish it, candidates will completely ignore low-population states and campaign almost solely in New York, Pennsylvania, California, Texas, Illinois and Florida. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_population Of course, abolishing the Electoral College just turns the problem the other way. If we abolish it, candidates will completely ignore low-population states and campaign almost solely in New York, Pennsylvania, California, Texas, Illinois and Florida.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_population

]]> By: Jeremy http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/comment-page-1/#comment-381720 Jeremy Tue, 04 Sep 2007 02:45:09 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2007/09/03/get-rid-of-electoral-college/#comment-381720 There's something I learned a long time ago, just because a majority of Americans support change doesn't mean our government is going to enact it. Anything that would hurt the co-ruling parties hold on power is sure to meet indifference and/or resistance. Abolishing the Electoral College would open up the playing field for viable third-party candidates, and the co-rulers don't want to see anything of the kind. They are used to power, it doesn't matter that the two parties sold out America long ago, they intend to stay hell or high water. There’s something I learned a long time ago, just because a majority of Americans support change doesn’t mean our government is going to enact it.

Anything that would hurt the co-ruling parties hold on power is sure to meet indifference and/or resistance. Abolishing the Electoral College would open up the playing field for viable third-party candidates, and the co-rulers don’t want to see anything of the kind. They are used to power, it doesn’t matter that the two parties sold out America long ago, they intend to stay hell or high water.

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