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Scipio · 06-13-2004, 08:37 PM

1. We select our president by who wins the most states. Even though we're highly integrated, we still have separate states that have rights and recognition as independant units. Each state gets a number of "votes" equal to the size of its congressional delegation.

2. The "popular vote" is really nothing more than an aggregate of a bunch of state votes. Its existence as a statistic is meaningless, and we could have a presidental election without someone collecting it.

3. We also have republican system of governance, where our elected officials are delegated to do the job. There is no formal obligation placed on any public official that they follow the will of the people. In that GWB decided to take his own direction when he became president, he did nothing wrong.

4. (opinion) The system we have is good, and we shouldn't seek to change it for partisan gain. Changes should be system centered, and long-term in scope. They shouldn't be partisan centered, and with a short term outlook.

5. (opinion) That said, I would support changes to the electoral college. The primary problem with the current system is that votes aren't counted equally across the country. For example, compare the number of voters per electoral vote in Montana and California. Our system values the vote of a Montanian (?) almost twice as highly as it does a Californian.

6. Leaders have two fundamental roles. One, they must do the will of their followers, but they must also seek to go places that their fellows never thought about seeking out. This is another reason that our leaders should be delegated.

7. On the question of honor, a president's honor demands action for the greater good of everyone, not merely for the greater good of a small majority.

06-13-2004, 08:37 PM	#7 (permalink)
Scipio Mencken Location: College	1. We select our president by who wins the most states. Even though we're highly integrated, we still have separate states that have rights and recognition as independant units. Each state gets a number of "votes" equal to the size of its congressional delegation. 2. The "popular vote" is really nothing more than an aggregate of a bunch of state votes. Its existence as a statistic is meaningless, and we could have a presidental election without someone collecting it. 3. We also have republican system of governance, where our elected officials are delegated to do the job. There is no formal obligation placed on any public official that they follow the will of the people. In that GWB decided to take his own direction when he became president, he did nothing wrong. 4. (opinion) The system we have is good, and we shouldn't seek to change it for partisan gain. Changes should be system centered, and long-term in scope. They shouldn't be partisan centered, and with a short term outlook. 5. (opinion) That said, I would support changes to the electoral college. The primary problem with the current system is that votes aren't counted equally across the country. For example, compare the number of voters per electoral vote in Montana and California. Our system values the vote of a Montanian (?) almost twice as highly as it does a Californian. 6. Leaders have two fundamental roles. One, they must do the will of their followers, but they must also seek to go places that their fellows never thought about seeking out. This is another reason that our leaders should be delegated. 7. On the question of honor, a president's honor demands action for the greater good of everyone, not merely for the greater good of a small majority. __________________ "Erections lasting more than 4 hours, though rare, require immediate medical attention."