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The Electoral College
http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8762
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Author:  Bi_3 [ Wed December 21, 2016 9:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Election 2016

cutuphalfdead wrote:
Bi_3 wrote:
McParadigm wrote:
Bi_3 wrote:
Interesting: If you don't count CA, Trump won by 1.4 million votes.

Interesting: if you don't count Texas and Alabama, Clinton won by over 4 million votes.

Or maybe interesting isn't the word.


4.27 million vote margin for Clinton in CA is pretty big. She had about the same number of votes there as total people that voted in TX. It's interesting in the sense that CA is so powerful that direct-democracy-wise they would essentially rule the country. Maybe that is enough of an argument to keep the electoral college.

This argument supposes that the rule should be dependent on the political makeup of the populous states. If CA is heavy left or right, the EC makes sense, but if it's evenly split the popular vote makes sense. I reject that mode entirely. The decision should be based on which is the most democratic system, with no consideration of the current political makeup of the individual states. If we use political demographics to make this decision what makes sense today might not make sense a few generations from now.


That was not my intent, I could make the same argument if CA was solid red. I guess I was pondering how any other state would make it's voice heard. Without the EC it seems like you could campaign just in CA, TX, NY, FL, and then a bit around Chicago and Philly. Perhaps percentage of a states electors derived from the popular vote?

Author:  Norris [ Wed December 21, 2016 9:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Election 2016

Maybe we should let people decide, and not states.

Author:  Kaius [ Wed December 21, 2016 10:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Election 2016

Maybe we shouldn't have a president.

Author:  Bi_3 [ Wed December 21, 2016 10:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Election 2016

cutuphalfdead wrote:
Maybe we should let people decide, and not states.



But the people in CA have different needs and focus areas from the people in FL from the people in North Dakota from the people in Texas.

Author:  Norris [ Wed December 21, 2016 10:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Election 2016

Bi_3 wrote:
cutuphalfdead wrote:
Maybe we should let people decide, and not states.



But the people in CA have different needs and focus areas from the people in FL from the people in North Dakota from the people in Texas.

Yet we elect one person to lead us.

Author:  digster [ Wed December 21, 2016 10:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Election 2016

Yeah, that's kind of unavoidable in a country of our size and diversity in terms of population, region, etc.

I think the thing about the EC argument is that it really doesn't equalize the playing field. It makes certain people's votes count less and others' votes count more. Maybe there's an argument that that is still the right thing to do, but the EC doesn't give those smaller states a more equitable say in the election. It gives them an outsized say in comparison to their coastal counterparts.

Author:  digster [ Wed December 21, 2016 10:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Election 2016

There's no great answer. Theoretically, I personally think the best option would be to apportion EC votes in per state by the popular vote in that state, but that's likely impossible and would lead to countless recounts. The next least bad option that correlates to what the American people have chosen is a popular vote.

Author:  Norris [ Wed December 21, 2016 10:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Election 2016

what digster said

Author:  BurtReynolds [ Wed December 21, 2016 10:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Election 2016

cutuphalfdead wrote:
Bi_3 wrote:
cutuphalfdead wrote:
Maybe we should let people decide, and not states.



But the people in CA have different needs and focus areas from the people in FL from the people in North Dakota from the people in Texas.

Yet we elect one person to lead us.

This is why we need secession!

Author:  Kaius [ Wed December 21, 2016 10:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Election 2016

Or just not have a lousy, outdated election for a lousy, outdated position.

Author:  McParadigm [ Thu December 22, 2016 12:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Election 2016

The real issue here is that those highly populous states aren't just "bigger," they are also home to industries that represent a much larger share of our economy. So by trying to protect South Dakota from being effectively silenced, we also synthetically increase the value of legislatively nurturing less lucrative industries. We amplify weaker economic deliverers at the cost of reducing government's motivation to support innovative or more future facing ones. While rising nations focus on developing their future, we manipulate ourselves into anchoring to the past.

Author:  digster [ Thu December 22, 2016 12:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Election 2016

I think the question I'm always curious about when considering support for the EC is the question of if there is a number that is just too high. Clinton won the popular vote by close to 3 million. The trends that allowed this to occur (liberals tending to move to urban areas, more sparsely populated swing states get redder, etc.) are likely only going to increase. It's not inconceivable that in the future we could see wider gaps, and it seems to only be to the detriment of one party. Is something like 5 million too much, for example?

Author:  bune [ Thu December 22, 2016 12:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Election 2016

Quote:
we manipulate ourselves into anchoring to the past.


Quote:
#make america great again


you don't say.

Author:  BurtReynolds [ Thu December 22, 2016 12:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Election 2016

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Author:  Norris [ Thu December 22, 2016 12:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Election 2016

Even the bird guy gets it.

Author:  96583UP [ Thu December 22, 2016 3:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Election 2016

where is my tax cut

Author:  96583UP [ Thu December 22, 2016 4:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Electoral College

if the EC hadn't actually elected trump, the gun-toting wackos of this country would have totally flipped their shit

Author:  LoathedVermin72 [ Thu December 22, 2016 4:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Electoral College

tragabigzanda wrote:
LoathedVermin72 wrote:
tragabigzanda wrote:
LoathedVermin72 wrote:
bada wrote:
Seems like a gamble for the Dems. What if latinos end up being more conservative than they assume?

I don't really know why it's assumed they wouldn't be conservative. Liberal race condescension, I guess?

My own mistake was assuming that immigration policy would be their primary motivator for voting.

So...liberal race condescension?


LoathedVermin72 wrote:
There's a pretty deep strain of Catholicism among Mexican Americans, which I imagine must push a lot of them right.

Explain to me why my assumption is condescending, but yours is not?

the difference is that i am a smug douchebag

Author:  The Argonaut [ Thu December 22, 2016 4:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Electoral College

I really don't see a difference there.

Author:  LoathedVermin72 [ Thu December 22, 2016 4:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Electoral College

argo how smug r u

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