(July 2, 2018 at 11:16 am)RoadRunner79 Wrote: I would also agree with your assessment about the swing states. And that is a problem as well, which could be addressed. However a simple majority system seems to compound the issue not solve it.
I agree that a straight popular vote system presents its own issues but I still think that the benefits have an edge over the drawbacks.
A popular vote would mean that the majority view point of the population would be represented in government, not the minority which is what's currently happening (the EC votes give Republicans the edge because of the low-population states' over representation in the EC).
That means that right now we have a president that, in addition to being wildly unpopular, is also not representing the ideology of the majority of the population he is supposed to be serving, and is now in a position to appoint a very conservative judge to the Supreme Court which then would also not represent the majority ideology of the country, and is likely to only be less and less representative as more young people age into their voting rights.
The majority of the people in this country are pro-women's rights, pro-reproductive-rights, pro-LGBT-equality, pro-DACA, etc... but we are in a position right now to have a court for the foreseeable future that is anti- all or most of these things.
I agree whole heartedly that the government should represent everyone, it shouldn't overlook the needs of the few in favor of the needs of the many, and the tyranny of the majority concept is and would be something we would have to keep in check, but that's already taken care of by the courts and many of our anti-discrimination laws.
A straight popular vote system wouldn't be perfect and it wouldn't be easy but it would more fairly represent the will of the people in choosing the individual who is meant to represent our country to the world.
(Also, we have state representatives in the congress who are and should be advocates for smaller states' issues.)
Teenaged X-Files obsession + Bermuda Triangle episode + Self-led school research project = Atheist.
