End the Electoral College?

[Tonus]

Either way, I think it is important to remember that what goes around comes around. I truly believe that the losers always want to change the rules and the winners want things to stay the same....until the situation is reversed.

The best example of this is the filibuster. Every time congress switches majorities, the arguments pro/con are reversed along with it.

[Neo-Scholastic]

Either way, I think it is important to remember that what goes around comes around. I truly believe that the losers always want to change the rules and the winners want things to stay the same....until the situation is reversed.

The best example of this is the filibuster.  Every time congress switches majorities, the arguments pro/con are reversed along with it.

Right. This last go around Democrats labeled the Republican obstructionists because the Republicans used every trick to prevent the Democratic majority from enacting their agenda. You can be quite sure that they, the Democrats, will do the same thing now that Republicans have control. And they should. That's politics.

[Neo-Scholastic]

I had one final thought on the matter.

Regardless of the merits of a popular vote over the Electoral College, incidentally winning the popular vote, when that was not the intended goal of either campaign, does not invalidate the results. The claims of those Democrats who believe Clinton “really” won don’t have any merit. It’s like a chess player saying he won because he had more pieces after his opponent made checkmate. You cannot claim a win in chess by the rules of checkers.

Moreover there is no guarantee that Clinton now, or Gore in the past, would have won if they had been competing with Trump/Bush for the popular vote. Both candidates would have adapted their strategies to gain the majority. One can only speculate in vain as to who would have had the more effective strategy.

[Rhondazvous]

Straight up democracy: Two wolves and a lamb voting about what to have for dinner.

The United States is not a democracy. It is a republic.

Don't agree? Okay. I dare you to stand in any assembly with your right hand over your heart and say, "I pledge allegiance to the flag...and to the democracy for which it stands..."

My point: Democracy is something we fight for but it was never the original intention of the founding fathers. The electoral college allowed Bush and Trump to win, but it also allowed Obama and Franklin Roosevelt to win. Things generally balance out when taken as a historical whole.

[Cecelia]

If you want to keep the electoral college, then you need to change how members of the house are awarded their seats. We need to move it to a proportional system, where people vote for the party not the candidate. I practically have no representative in the house because I live in a solidly red district that's not going to vote out their candidate. They have no reason to try to even appeal to me or other liberals in my district. As long as they serve the conservative agenda, they'll keep getting re-elected. My vote for representative does absolutely no good.

So if we're going to keep the electoral college so that small states can feel important, then we need to change how we vote for the house, so people in districts don't feel like their voice doesn't matter.

[Neo-Scholastic]

If you want to keep the electoral college, then you need to change how members of the house are awarded their seats.  We need to move it to a proportional system, where people vote for the party not the candidate.  I practically have no representative in the house because I live in a solidly red district that's not going to vote out their candidate.  They have no reason to try to even appeal to me or other liberals in my district.  As long as they serve the conservative agenda, they'll keep getting re-elected.  My vote for representative does absolutely no good.

So if we're going to keep the electoral college so that small states can feel important, then we need to change how we vote for the house, so people in districts don't feel like their voice doesn't matter.

There is another option. Have the popularly elected governors of the state appoint the electors.

[chimp3]

We elect congress persons and senators to represent our states. The president is not affiliated with any state. I think the vote for president should be direct from individuals. The removal of the electoral college system would add another layer of checks and balances to the federal system. A balance between the power of individuals and the states.

[RoadRunner79]

Changing the constitution is still on the table. Republicans are one state away from having 3/4. Be careful what you wish for. ;-)

Either way, I think it is important to remember that what goes around comes around. The people who were fine with Obama using executive orders to go around Congress should be concerned about Trump having the same power. Or bemoaning the  filibuster when it thwarts the Democrat majority...until Republican take the Senate.  I truly believe that the losers always want to change the rules and the winners want things to stay the same....until the situation is reversed.

That is the main issue, and what I believe needs changed.   It seems like the last 16 years, abuse of executive orders is getting worse.   There are a number of issues, that I don't believe have anything to do with the Presidency.   Both the executive and judicial branches seem to be encroaching more and more into legislative.   And as you say, we are more tolerant, when it is our pet positions.

I heard about this on the Eric Metaxes show, thought it may be of interest to you.
http://www.conventionofstates.com/

[Minimalist]

[Cato]

Guess I'll add Tom the Dancing Bug to the growing list of confused individuals who think the U.S. Is a democracy.