Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Interesting graph on political demographics

SecretMethod70 · 10-30-2004, 08:31 PM

However the needs and interest of rural folk are almost COMPLETELY different from the needs and interests of urban folk, hence the need to balance them out. A direct popular vote would lead to complete domination of urban interests, whereas the electoral college, combined with the primaries beginning in Iowa allows rural interests to still have a say in national politics.

It seems to me that those who tend to lean toward the democratic party - being, supposedly, the party that fights for the rights of minorities - should logically see the need to protect the voices of rural minorities. Or is it that since they don't agree with you they don't count?

(note, I think the Republicans are just as much hypocritical)

This is precisely why I do support the idea of dividing electoral votes the way in which Maine and Nebraska do where the divisial uses congressional districts instead, since congressional districts are designed to have similar populations. Of course, an implicit requirement in this is the elimination of gerrymandering. Every state needs to move to the Iowa method of redistricting. This is yet another thing, however, that is no one's fault but our own for not pressuring our politicians to do this. They will not give up their power willingly, we must force them to give it up or forcibly take it from them (note: I primarily mean through our voting, or lack of voting, for them, not physical force).

10-30-2004, 08:31 PM	#16 (permalink)
SecretMethod70 Human Administrator Location: Chicago	However the needs and interest of rural folk are almost COMPLETELY different from the needs and interests of urban folk, hence the need to balance them out. A direct popular vote would lead to complete domination of urban interests, whereas the electoral college, combined with the primaries beginning in Iowa allows rural interests to still have a say in national politics. It seems to me that those who tend to lean toward the democratic party - being, supposedly, the party that fights for the rights of minorities - should logically see the need to protect the voices of rural minorities. Or is it that since they don't agree with you they don't count? (note, I think the Republicans are just as much hypocritical) This is precisely why I do support the idea of dividing electoral votes the way in which Maine and Nebraska do where the divisial uses congressional districts instead, since congressional districts are designed to have similar populations. Of course, an implicit requirement in this is the elimination of gerrymandering. Every state needs to move to the Iowa method of redistricting. This is yet another thing, however, that is no one's fault but our own for not pressuring our politicians to do this. They will not give up their power willingly, we must force them to give it up or forcibly take it from them (note: I primarily mean through our voting, or lack of voting, for them, not physical force). __________________ Le temps détruit tout "Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling Last edited by SecretMethod70; 10-30-2004 at 08:37 PM..