(01-28-2020 08:41 AM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  

(01-28-2020 08:21 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(01-27-2020 11:06 PM)Fountains of Wayne Graham Wrote:  Debatable, but not dumb reasons to favor the electoral college would have included:

• Ensuring that rural areas are adequately considered and represented in presidential elections
• Because it tends to give an advantage to candidates who align with my views
  

1. If this is a good way to ensure rural voters are adequately represented in presidential elections, then it should be a good way to do the same in Gubernatorial and Senatorial elections, and other statewide elections.

2. Don't see this. It does seem to help underdogs, but underdogs do not always align with my views, or yours.

That the Electoral College provides a firewall to voting fraud is indisputable. That this is a good thing is indisputable.

If we went to direct voting, then every losing candidate could allege voting fraud in any place in every state, and a full recount would be impossible. Think Florida 2000 times 1000.

I think there are plenty of good reasons to keep the EC, and even to expand the concept to statewide elections.

To the bolded - what election, besides presidential, does not do direct, first past the poll, voting?

All US House and Senate races match that description, yet we don't have Florida x 2,000...

It's undeniable that the electoral college does create a process that helps to dilute the potential effects of ballot box stuffing, but let's not get carried away with the idea that the EC is some savior of a problem that doesn't seem to exist.

And of course, every election you describe is many orders of magnitude smaller than a national election, of which we have only one.

As has been said before on certain economic issues, things that work well in small doses often do not work well in larger doses. Communism works quite well on a farm with 30 people.

Thanks for the vote in the bolded. I particularly like the word "undeniable". Be sure to tell your buddy Fountains what you think. He might call you stupid, but you and I know you are not.

If by a problem that doesn't seem to exist you mean localized ballot stuffing affecting national elections, then thank you EC.

But the discussion started between Big and I as to whether or not the American people made their will known. through their votes. I will temper my statements by saying that whatever happened in 2016, the Democrats are afraid of it happening again, and that is why we have an impeachment.