Electoral College

[Big RR]

I would however consider amending the constitution to dump the electoral college altogether (not that I think it would ever be approved by the required number of states)and rely on the popular vote, or to require apportionment of the electoral votes along the lines of the state popular votes. Failing that, I support the interstate compact. The winner take all approach doesn't make much sense IMHO.

[rubato]

"...
Oh, really? Do you really think the red state electors give a flying fuck about what the blue state voters think of them--as opposed to the voters that surround them in the communities they live in? I can't imagine an elector in, say, Missouri, being ashamed because the people in, say, New York, disapprove of what he's done. If anything he'd probably consider it a badge of honor.

... " .

You are aware that many voters in their own states, counties, and communities voted for Hillary?

And yes I do think that they care what the better educated, more successful, higher-functioning people in their communities think.


yrs,
rubato

[oldr_n_wsr]

You are aware that many voters in their own states, counties, and communities voted for Hillary?

And
You are aware that many voters in their own states, counties, and communities voted for Trump?

And yes I do think that they care what the better educated, more successful, higher-functioning people in their communities think.

Econoline was talking about state to state comparisons.
He said:

I can't imagine an elector in, say, Missouri,(a state, not the neighboring community) being ashamed because the people in, say, New York, (state) disapprove of what he's done. If anything he'd probably consider it a badge of honor.

[Econoline]

• I missed this one earlier. Well said, Big RR and Guin. It's a crap result (Trump) and there may be a large need for future protest (even current opposition to the racist he's tapped as a key man) but (econo) whatever the history may be, I don't want the system to be altered.

I want to be clear that I agree that nothing can or should be done about the result of the 2016 election. That said, there ARE some clear advantages to electing the President and VP by national popular vote rather than state-by-state (see my post above). The fact that the current system worked pretty well in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries should be balanced against the fact that it has failed TWICE in the first 16 years of this century, and the fact that no other nation uses anything remotely like this for their national elections--not to mention the fact that no state within the U.S. uses anything remotely like this for their state elections.

As I mentioned above, the other part of the "Three-Fifths Compromise" that led to the Electoral College has long since been abandoned, and we've changed quite a few other things, as needed (and eliminated things, as unneeded), during the 229 years since the Constitution was written, so maybe it's time to reconsider James Madison's original preference for direct election of the chief executive, and the reason it wasn't adopted:

• There was one difficulty however of a serious nature attending an immediate choice by the people. The right of suffrage was much more diffusive in the Northern than the Southern States; and the latter could have no influence in the election on the score of Negroes. The substitution of electors obviated this difficulty and seemed on the whole to be liable to the fewest objections.

Ideally, the change should be made as an amendment to the Constitution, but the National Popular Vote InterState Compact would be a good interim solution with the same result--and later, if and when it was seen to be a good idea, the political objections to amending the Constitution would likely diminish.

[MajGenl.Meade]

And yes I do think that they care what the better educated, more successful, higher-functioning people in their communities think.

yrs,
rubato

And they say Trump's the one who believes in an untermensch.