The Electoral College was genius of the Founding Fathers

I have to say this morning that the founding fathers of this America were genius' when it comes to organizing a government that truly represents the people. Never so much has the losing side of an election cried so much about the Electoral College process of a presidential election. As of yesterday, Hillary had the slimmest of leads among popular vote margins at 200,000 people out of 120,000,000 votes cast.

There are still votes being counted so this may change, but as of right now, Clinton will be the 5th person to lose the presidency while winning the popular vote. The last time was Gore in 2000.

But here's why I say the founding fathers were genius. Because, in our day 240 years later, they foresaw the need to prevent large urban populations from electing our president every four years and the rest of America would have no say. Do we really want LA, Chicago and New York choosing our president over and over again?

You have to respect the incredible foresight and intelligence of these men so long ago. You have to realize history folks. There were 13 states when they created the United States and if a compromise wasn't reached then on how small states like Rhode Island and Delaware would have some influence on who their president was going to be... there wouldn't be a United States today, but a bunch of small republics like Europe.

That's why an Electoral College was important then and still, 240 years later, it's just as important. And that's why this is truly a great democracy... because it works... to balance the power in this country. Every so often the party in charge changes and that's good for democracy because if one party.. the democrats.. kept control over and over again, we wouldn't have the America we have today. This great union would have surely fallen by now.

There is a push out there amongst liberals to try to undermine this process now because they didn't get their way. There is a push to have the Electorals refuse to give Trump their votes as it is their duty. 29 states require that the Electorals vote the way the people of their state voted, but the others don't require it. Over 99% of the time throughout the history of this Nation, the Electorals have voted with the people of their state, just as they all did when Gore lost in 2000. It is the way it is and it's time liberals accept it, move on and give this president a chance, just as we did when Obama won.

If the liberals did undermine this election process, I hate to see what happens when the 60,000,000 Americans who voted for Trump decide they aren't going to take these unfair, bend the rules, practices any longer.

I know it's tough to swallow, but it's the way America works and has always worked and will work far into the future. It's time to all come together again as Americans, just like we have every other election.

It was genius back when people had to ride for weeks to vote but now it is a broken outdated system.

There is a push to have the Electorals refuse to give Trump their votes as it is their duty. 29 states require that the Electorals vote the way the people of their state voted, but the others don't require it.

If states don't required electorates to vote the way the people of their state votes then just how is it undermining this election process?

originally posted by: buster2010
It was genius back when people had to ride for weeks to vote but now it is a broken outdated system.

There is a push to have the Electorals refuse to give Trump their votes as it is their duty. 29 states require that the Electorals vote the way the people of their state voted, but the others don't require it.

If states don't required electorates to vote the way the people of their state votes then just how is it undermining this election process?

It's not outdated because it has proven time and time again to work by not allowing the liberal states of California, Illinois and New York to not choose the president every four years. Occasionally they win when other parts of the country agree, but then when the rest of the nation disagrees, as it did this year, the rest of the Nation has a voice. It's genius and it worked perfectly... the way it was meant to 240 years ago.

I would also add that because the Constitution is an agreement *among the States*, the electoral college is a way for the *States* to choose who will run the Federal system. The "People" actually have no direct say in how the federal government is run.

Related, on a long-term scale, a State can increase their representation in the electoral college by passing laws favorable to people moving from other states, into their state.

Sort of like how Senators used to be chosen by the States as a political entity and not popular votes, because it was intended by the Founding Fathers that Senators would represent their State, as a political entity, instead of the people themselves. The "People's House" was meant to be the House of Representatives, not both Houses of Congress.

Don't fix it if it ain't broken!

a reply to: Rezlooper

Another member wrote something interesting about the electoral college.

He stated that early on, Virginia was the most populated state and that was where many of the earlier politicians came from.

In order to equalize things, they created the electoral college so that power wasn't centralized.

The glaring issue with the electoral college:

They can be APPOINTED.

a reply to: buster2010
"outdated system" any idea what it would take to change it ?

a reply to: reldra

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I appreciate that the founding fathers took my values and position into consideration in designing our founding documents. It shows exceeding foresight. I appreciate that these small areas do not dictate what is valued by the people that live distinctly different lifestyles over the majority of this nation due to their local.

Sorry, this just smacks of desperation. The Electoral Collage system is not fit for purpose, it was designed for a different era with different technology. It's outdated and obsolete. And really should be replaced with a straight first-past-the-post system.

originally posted by: LanceCorvette

Don't fix it if it ain't broken!

And don't undermine it when you've lost. I agree with you. It's a great system that works and to try to get the Electorals to not vote for Trump or vote for Hillary is like playing a game of football, losing and then changing the rules after the game has been played to change the score. I mean, come on.

originally posted by: Painterz
Sorry, this just smacks of desperation. The Electoral Collage system is not fit for purpose, it was designed for a different era with different technology. It's outdated and obsolete. And really should be replaced with a straight first-past-the-post system.

Dude just outlined exactly why it works and that's all you got? Please re-read the post. Hillary won 18 out of 50 states. It doesn't matter if 100% of the New York and California population voted for her and pushed her popular vote over the top. The other 32 states should and do get a say in the election.

originally posted by: Painterz
Sorry, this just smacks of desperation. The Electoral Collage system is not fit for purpose, it was designed for a different era with different technology. It's outdated and obsolete. And really should be replaced with a straight first-past-the-post system.

How is outdated when it's proven to do just what it was intended to do. How many consecutive elections now would the liberal states of California, Illinois and New York have chosen our president? You may like that, being a liberal, but I can guarantee you that America wouldn't exist today in its present form if this system wasn't established. The red states and the millions of Americans it represents would have revolted by now. Because the power changes from time to time, it works. If it didn't change, we'd be living under tyranny by now and we wouldn't have an America the way we know it today. I've been disturbed by the outcome of the last two elections, but I had to live with it. That's what you all have to do today.

a reply to: Rezlooper

Great post -- S&F.

We have to remember that we have a Constitutional Republic -- not a democracy. To be more specific, a Representative Constitutional Republic. NOT a pure democracy. This was done for the specific purpose of ensuring the rights and will of everyone would be respected and protected... to make sure that the majority would not ride roughshod on the minority.

The electoral college is a huge part of that in leveling the playing field among the states, so that the more populous -- and usually more urbanized -- do not become a tyranny over the less populous and usually more rural.

We were never meant to be ruled by the majority which too quickly and easily becomes mob rule.

To paraphrase Einstein, the founding fathers weren't just playing craps when they wrote the Constitution. There is an underlying philosophy and guiding wisdom to what they did and how they did it.

and vice-versa right? a reply to: CharlesT

Electoral College is likely one of the least understood parts of our government. As is the definition of Republic and Democracy.

Applause!

Everyone of you that keeps saying "It's outdated" are not understanding what it's purpose is.

It's purpose was not because there was no instant communication back then. It's purpose was to keep our government from becoming Mob Rules.

The United States of America is NOT A DEMOCRACY. Can you understand that?

It is a Represenative Republic.

The framers understood that large population centers should not always dictate everything. That areas with smaller populations should have an equal say in who our leader will be.

Farmer Jones and the people he lives with in a small town in Kansas gets to have just as much say as John Doe who lives in the mega city of New York.

That is what the EC is about. Without it, you have an election which is won through Mob Rule. Which is completely unfair to those citizens that live in rural areas.

They had the same idea for our senators. It's why each state gets 2 of them, no mater what their population size or land area size is. This way each state gets the same amount of say in the senate.

So get it through your heads: we do NOT elect the President of the United States through a popular vote, because the framers understood that large population centers would always hold sway over the more rural areas and came up with a system that would be much fairer. We do this with electors from each state, so that it is the STATE that votes for the president. Not the individual.

Neither big cities, nor rural areas should ALWAYS dictate to the other. That is not a fair system.

Without the electoral college, the blue areas would have determined the future for the grey areas.

originally posted by: eriktheawful
Everyone of you that keeps saying "It's outdated" are not understanding what it's purpose is.

It's purpose was not because there was no instant communication back then. It's purpose was to keep our government from becoming Mob Rules.

The United States of America is NOT A DEMOCRACY. Can you understand that?

It would appear that so many people either did not take or failed basic civics classes with their complete inability to understand the Founder's intent with the Electoral College.

originally posted by: buster2010
It was genius back when people had to ride for weeks to vote but now it is a broken outdated system.

Meh. If things were fair ... straight across the board ... most of the people who vote for the 'welfare state' would starve.

And I would be happy to let them.

Trump is the President-Elect. We won. Get over it.

Your concession = Trump's a Democrat anyway. Be glad I'm not going to be the President.

So many out there are yelling how the "system" is broken.

It's not broken. It works just fine.

However, here is want IS broken and needs to be fixed:

Two party system - Both are corrupt to the core and need to be laid open bare to the bone. We also need more than just 2 major parties.

Career Politicians - Wanna be rich and powerful? Then run for the senate or congress! No term limits! Obscene amount of pay! ......we need to fix this: term limits, and they need to have their pay cut, DRASTICALLY. Anyone that seeks power is should never be trusted.

News Media: if this past election has not shown you just how corrupt and biased all the news agencies are, then you're either a hermit, or deaf and blind. I'm fully behind freedom of the press and the 1st amendment. However, I'm very against agencies that LIE. And, are allowed to because SCOTUS decided it's okay. We need to make them honest again. Let them be free to print and say what they want, but if they get caught lying, and making stuff up, they need to have their feet held to the fire.

Get money and corporations OUT of politics.

These are the things that need to be fixed.