Would you vote for Bush or Kerry?

[Beebers]

Political discussions are fine on forums in the appropriate threads so long as people are not attacking each other. It's entirely counterproductive.

 

[Don'tLiveonMoon]

I think the electoral vote ought to be abolished. We are intelligent people, the popular vote reflects whom we want as president. It has happened several times that the candidate with the largest percent of the popular vote lost the election. What kind of democracy is that?

I agree. I understand the reasoning behind it, but I think in the end a straight popular vote just makes more sense. At least this year Bush won both, so there's no discrepancy. It would've been really ugly if he'd won the electoral but not popular again.
Erin

 

[Beebers]

The electoral college system has been a sore spot to many for quite some time now. It can be changed, but that change would likely have to come from a well-articulated, level-headed grassroots campaign from us, the voters. When enough of us say, in intelligent terms and with intelligent reasoning, that we would like a bill introduced to abolish the electoral college, that bill will then be introduced and go to consideration. Up to us.

 

[Whatever]

So I'll have my guy talk to your guy... oh nuts. Let's just ask Zoot to change it!

 

[Beebers]

We'll do lunch.

This just in:
President-elect Zoot, nursing a slight headache, called a press conference this morning to discuss the antics of his V.P. Link Hogthrob last night. "Vice-President Hogthrob simply got momentarily carried away, and then literally carried away to the hoosgow. We have discussed with him the impropriety of crossing party lines, as Ms. Clinton is a Democrat (though she secretly voted for our ticket) and we are members of the Pigswillfly Party. I can assure you that this incident will not be repeated. Peace and love and clean air, man."

 

[King Jim]

Bob Hope for President.

 

[Beebers]

*sigh* Just in case no one can be bothered to page back one page. I don't like young people getting the wrong idea about things - a bill to reinstate the draft was introduced recently by two DEMOCRATIC Senators. It was DEFEATED and the bill is dead. A President cannot institute a draft, it has to be created as a bill and passed through the House and Senate. The military itself doesn't want a draft ever again, and they have a say in this. Please page back, only one page, and stop worrying about a draft, it's not going to happen and even if it started looking as if it would you, yes you the General You out there, have the power to stop it. OY. OY. OY.

 

[Beebers]

And I think it is also funny that when you turn 18, you HAVE to register for selective service or they put out a bench warrant.

They do not, and cannot. Don't people realize that they still hold every civil liberty? I NEVER registered my son for Selective Service because I object fundamentally to the notion. Nobody ever bothered us. He did register following 9/11 because he wanted to enlist at that point. Bench warrants my eye. You're also free to object in writing to the Selective Service registration and they'll leave you alone. They're not worried about it, get ahold of yourself. EMPLOY the freedoms available to you. Good grief, calm down everybody.

 

[Whatever]

Well, I have certainly not registered for selective service. I did, however, register to vote. And if they reinstate the draft I will knock their socks off.
Plus swear at them in German.

 

[GelflingWaldo]

Within your State your vote has a great deal of significance. Under the Electoral College system, we do not elect the President and Vice President through a direct nation-wide vote. The Presidential election is decided by the combined results of 51 State elections (in this context, the term "State" includes DC). Your vote helps decide which candidate receives your State's electoral votes.

The founders of the nation devised the Electoral College system as part of their plan to share power between the States and the national government, since the States report to the Nation, the States pick the nation leaders, but since the people report to the States they vote for their State. Under the Federal system adopted in the U.S. Constitution, the nation-wide popular vote has no legal significance. As a result, it is possible that the electoral votes awarded on the basis of State elections could produce a different result than the nation-wide popular vote. Nevertheless, the individual citizen's vote is important to the outcome of each State election. We are the United States of America, not the United Citizens of America, the states should be deciding.

Since the election of George Washington only once has a person won the Electorial vote and not the popular vote, and that was the election of 2000 between George Bush and Al Gore. Every other election in the history of the country (including the 2004 election) the winner of the popular vote did become president.