Subj : Peurto Rico
To   : aaron thomas
From : Lee Lofaso
Date : Wed May 01 2019 02:59:29

Hello Aaron,

>LL>We can ignore the electoral college system and replace it with
>LL>direct election.  No need to change the US Constitution by adding
>
>Fine with me, but let's wait until we've got a democrat in the white house
> :)

Why wait?

The electoral college system is actually a process rather
than an actual vote.  A polite fiction that would be best
done away with than continued in this modern day and age.

Other countries with electoral college systems include -

* Burundi
* Estonia
* Italy
* Kazakhstan
* Madagascar
* Myanmar
* Pakistan
* Trinidad and Tobago
* Vanautu

Is that what we want?  To have an archaic system that simply
does not work, and fails to reflect the needs and wants of a modern
democracy?

Certainly we can do better.  And deserve better.

"Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people
for the people." ~Oscar Wilde

The electoral college came into being with the 12th amendment,
which was ratified in 1804.  Since then, five elections and one
non-election (1820) have taken place in which the loser of the
popular vote was declared the winner due to the outcome of the
electoral college (most recently in 2016).

In fact, two of the past three presidents can thank the electoral
college for having saved their political careers (both of them
failed businessmen).

Perhaps we made a mistake by eliminating royalty in America.
Think of what we could have made for ourselves had George Washington
declared himself king rather than president.  We could have had
ourselves a monarchy, just like the UK, Denmark, Japan, Norway,
and Sweden.

Not sure how we would have fared had King George I declared himself
Emperor, like what they have in Japan.  Except our emperors would
have ruled the Washingtonian throne from Mt. Vernon rather than the
Chrysanthemum throne from Japan's mountaintop.

Better we let candidates run until one of them wins.  Direct
election majority rule (50% + 1).

In sports, we have overtime, the best of 7, etc.  So why not
elections?  No more need for primaries and all that pre-game stuff.
Just let the candidates themselves duke it out.  All by themselves.
Making all the speeches they want.  Until the voters pull the
trigger, electing their candidate of choice.

In a direct election between 2 candidates, I doubt there will
be any need for extended play, as with so many voters having their
own say, it is doubtful there will be a tie.

--Lee

-- 
Laying Pipe Since '88

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