Maine votes out electoral college

[Aimée]

Maine can certainly disenfranchise its voters. Granted this only passed the Maine Senate at this point, but if it becomes state law, then Maine doesn't need to vote for President any more. They want the rest of the country to decide for them.

"It would only take effect if states with enough electors to decide a presidential election adopt it. The jurisdictions that have adopted it now account for 189 electors, which is 70 percent of the 270 votes needed to create a majority of the 538 members of the Electoral College." - Bangor Daily News, 14 May, 2019.

They do expect it to pass the House, too. I am not sure how I feel about it. I would have hoped for a compromise instead, where the other states handle their electoral college votes as we do now. I live here in Maine, and right now, I am not impressed. We have other, more pressing issues to take care of, and instead we have this.

 

[dukkha]

Way before my time, that was then, this is now

silly rabbit doesn't understand the EC

 

[Cypress]

See, things changed and so should this, the electoral college should be abolished. You know women and blacks vote now, they weren’t allowed to originally.

Wow, you totally have this thread.

I cannot even add anything, you have totally nailed the essence of this.

A modern, just, fair society should not be having governments that are routinely elected by the minority.

That is not sustainable.

If you cannot sell your ideas to a majority or plurality of the voters, you have no business having a stranglehold on the national government in the 21st century.

 

[Heff]

Wow, you totally have this thread.

I cannot even add anything, you have totally nailed the essence of this.

A modern, just, fair society should not be having governments that are routinely elected by the minority.

That is not sustainable.

If you cannot sell your ideas to a majority or plurality of the voters, you have no business having a stranglehold on the national government in the 21st century.

How many in the 21st century use direct democracy?

 

[Cypress]

How many in the 21st century use direct democracy?

You need some new talking points.

Electing a president, senators, house representatives, governors, state legislators is representative democracy. Not a direct democracy.

If you do not understand what direct citizen democracy is, look up 5th century Athens.

 

[leaningright]

We would elect the president the same way we elect our representatives, one person, one vote, majority rules.

And we would get the president that California, New York, Florida and Texas wants every time. No need to try to convince the people in other states to bother voting. I like our current system.

 

[Heff]

You need some new talking points.

Electing a president, senators, house representatives, governors, state legislators is representative democracy. Not a direct democracy.

If you do not understand what direct citizen democracy is, look up 5th century Athens.

I don't think you understood. Never mind.

 

[Flash]

We would elect the president the same way we elect our representatives, one person, one vote, majority rules.

What if nobody won a majority? Do we have a runoff? Or what percent of the vote would be required to win? If I won a plurality with 30% would that be acceptable?

What we have now is a combination of three methods with president, Rep, and Senator. That has done a good job of representing all major interests.

We don't require a majority to elect Representatives except LA and GA.

 

[Phantasmal]

And we would get the president that California, New York, Florida and Texas wants every time. No need to try to convince the people in other states to bother voting. I like our current system.

Yes, the majority of the people. It is the way it should be. Why should the majority be subjected to the choice of the minority? We don’t do that for any other elected office, even the PTA.

 

[Althea]

Simple the aborted fetus could be the next Einstein, or Dr. Salk, Dr. Jarvik. Or the person who finds a cure for cancer. No telling what potential greatness has already been lost to abortion.

Then why don't you feed him/her when he/she's hungry, and make sure he/she has a roof overhead until they are grown? Increase spending on food stamps, and section 8 housing allowances if you are worried about Einstein.

 

[Cypress]

And we would get the president that California, New York, Florida and Texas wants every time. No need to try to convince the people in other states to bother voting. I like our current system.

By that logic, your state gets the Governor that Oklahoma City and Tulsa vote for and the small rural towns/counties do not get a say.

But I doubt you have ever complained about the out sized influence of Tulsa and Oklahoma City, so your opposition to the EC must be based on an unstated reason.

The bottom line is that government by the minority is neither just, equitable, fair, democratic, or sustainable.

 

[Althea]

Only one time.

Liar. Clinton did it twice

 

[Althea]

Maine can certainly disenfranchise its voters. Granted this only passed the Maine Senate at this point, but if it becomes state law, then Maine doesn't need to vote for President any more. They want the rest of the country to decide for them.

they already do

 

[Phantasmal]

Then why don't you feed him/her when he/she's hungry, and make sure he/she has a roof overhead until they are grown? Increase spending on food stamps, and section 8 housing allowances if you are worried about Einstein.

That’s a lame argument because the fetus could also be the next Hitler.

 

[dukkha]

See, things changed and so should this, the electoral college should be abolished. You know women and blacks vote now, they weren’t allowed to originally.

ridiculous. the EC is set up the same way as Congress - 2 electors per state and 1 elector per Representative.
a Representative democracy/republic

This still gives the larger populous state more electors,but protects the smaller states from the tyranny of the majority.

Im in Florida,but I don't want CA and NY and FL, determining the POTUS all the time;the founders thought the same

 

[dukkha]

This is not what I want for the United States Of America:

But it’s what we’d have without the EC.

Bingo. nice graphic

 

[cawacko]

Wow, you totally have this thread.

I cannot even add anything, you have totally nailed the essence of this.

A modern, just, fair society should not be having governments that are routinely elected by the minority.

That is not sustainable.

If you cannot sell your ideas to a majority or plurality of the voters, you have no business having a stranglehold on the national government in the 21st century.

Democrats went 40 years winning one election with a majority of votes. And they may not have had a majority on that one if all votes were counted (I haven’t looked at that). Point being election results ebb and flow over time between the two party’s. People are free to want the EC gone. But there is a lot of crying over losing that permeates those who support that action.

 

[dukkha]

That does not apply to the smallest states. WY and VT don't even have 680,000 people and they still get 3 electoral votes.

exactly.. their voices would be almost moot under a direct democracy.

 

[Teflon Don]

Instituting direct democracy in a country like the United States, just because you lost the election, would be a travesty and would ruin the country. You guys are idiots.

Let them play their little game. It will never pass constitutional muster

If red states were smart they would move forward with their own and push a legal challenge to it and shut it down for good

 

[dukkha]

On what grounds? The Constitution gives the power to states to determine how they will distribute electoral votes. It was never conceived to include popular voting. Electors were supposed to go to their state capitals and deliberate who they thought would make the best president. It was assumed they would vote for somebody from their state which is why electors could not cast both presidential votes for somebody from their state.

awesome history..thanks very much for this