Re: The Electoral "College" and combinatorics

From: Acid Pooh (poohonlsd_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 07/29/04 

Date: 29 Jul 2004 13:41:18 -0700

Bart Goddard <goddardbe@netscape.net> wrote in message news:<Xns9534BE4CD5E57goddardb@129.250.170.92>...
> Acid Pooh wrote:
>
> > Bart Goddard <goddardbe@netscape.net> wrote in message
> >
> > We can easily make the Constitution compatible with direct democracy
> > instead of republicanism. In fact, all it would take would be a
> > constitutional amendment.
>
> My point here is that, if you tried to get a Constitutional
> amendment, then there would be a shift of power amongst groups
> of people and those people losing clout would holler about it,
> and they could well have good reason.

There are millions of people in this country with absolutely *no*
power. The homeless can't vote in several states because they have no
permanent address. (Note: these state laws are illegal but the
homeless do not have the resources to challenge them) Society has
shunned them and taken away their ability to do anything about it.
Meanwhile, middle uppder class class Americans are setting policies
which further alienate the homeless. (Ever heard of bum-proof benches
or side-walk laws?) And the reason why they can get away with this is
because the homeless are worthless as voters. The fact that the
people who currently had power would holler about losing it is no
reason to stop social change which would empower millions of others.
You act as if they should be glad they are powerless.

>
> The Electoral college system wasn't chosen randomly, but
> decided upon. Who really complains about the system? Well,
> for the last 4 years, the Democrats.
>
> If there is a good reason for changing it, I'd like to hear
> it. But "the popular vote didn't elect the President" is
> not a good reason. All that is, is a restatement of the thesis.
> _Of course_ the popular vote didn't elect
> the President, we designed the system that way. The question
> is "What's wrong with not having the popular vote elect the
> president?" This seems to be an axiom with some people, that
> it's evil to not go by the popular vote, but I think it needs
> to be justified.

I can't really do that--my position is much more extreme than for a
simple removal of the electoral college, though that would be a first
good step.

'cid 'ooh

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