(December 6, 2016 at 12:30 pm)vorlon13 Wrote:You know, it wasn't that he took the call that is the problem, nor is China's reaction the problem.(December 3, 2016 at 10:00 am)Tonus Wrote: I think that the founding fathers of the US understood that the electoral college could lead to that result. While they would not have wanted it to happen, they felt it important enough to give low-population states a say to take the risk. There are at least a few things about our government that are based on how things were done more than 100 or 200 years ago, but changing them can be difficult. Getting rid of the electoral college will be near impossible because it would require the ratification of a new amendment by 3/4 of the states, and I think that there are too many states who would fear being disenfranchised under a popular vote system.
As someone who didn't vote for most of his life because of his stupid religion, I am keenly aware of how valuable that opportunity is. But fewer than half of eligible Americans do so in presidential years, and far fewer still in between. Those percentages are much worse as the demographics get younger. And those younger voters skew liberal. If we were somehow able to ditch the electoral college for a popular vote, those non-voters might be even less incentivized to get to the polls. Republicans didn't just take the White House, they still have majorities in congress and have solid footholds in many local government positions throughout the country. Instead of focusing on the electoral college, Democrats must figure out how to get more people to the polls.
As for the question in the OP: My thoughts on Trump are that he was more interested in running for President than in being President, and if the next four years turn out to be forgettable we'll have dodged a bullet. But he already stumbled by publicizing a phone call with the President of Taiwan which could have long-lasting repercussions on our relations with China. It's a bad way to start a presidency that hasn't even started yet.
Er . .
The Taiwan card might be a toe in the door for reigning in mainland China's recent embrace of imperialism as demonstrated in it's intimidation of Vietnam, the Philippines and others with their building naval and air bases in international waters. Also, flying nuclear capable bombers around Taiwan was quite a provocation, and one remarkably unremarked upon. Standing up to hegemony shouldn't be ruled out of hand when the hegemony wasn't part of the Nixon/Carter/Reagan arrangement that set up the cold shoulder to Taiwan policy Kissinger pulled out of his ass.
Probably too much to hope for, but if mainland China is sufficiently aggrieved/motivated maybe they should consider putting a muzzle on Little Kim's nuclear program . . . .
And China's over reaction (IMO) was definitely NOT the way to play this hand, new game, new rules, maybe they could do a consult with the Clinton Institute for further details?
The problem is he was completely and utterly unaware that he MIGHT be taking a stance that changed policy, the problem is that he had no idea if he was doing something wrong or not. He just wanted to take a congratulatory call, without even a thought that there might BE consequences, let alone what those consequences might entail.
How's that going to work out for all of us in the long run? Well, again, I guess we have no choice but to wait and see.
“Eternity is a terrible thought. I mean, where's it going to end?”
― Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
― Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
