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Phone: (800) 266-2222
Fax: (805) 928-2950
Web: www.HardyDiagnostics.com
Email: [email protected]
Selected comments from the MicroBytes readers…
Should we abandon the Electoral College
and elect our next president by popular vote?
YES – 80%
NO – 20%
“We need the people's vote.”
“To take away the electoral college would be to
abolish the rights of the states. If the electoral
college were eliminated, the President would
always be elected by the major urban areas
(New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago) thus
effectively disenfranchising everyone else. Is the
Electoral College a flawed system? Yes. But it is
our way of ensuring people from every state gets
a say in who governs our nation.”
“The electoral college is outdated and has served
the purpose for which it was created; now it is
time to let the people speak for themselves...”
“Absolutely! The members of the Electoral
College could certainly have different political
views, needs, and concerns than the general
public and vote based on those views. If the
president is to represent all American people,
he/she should be elected by those people.”
“This would be a true representative
government.”
“It's about time each person's vote actually
counted. In some states there is no point in even
voting for the president because the majority
(and therefore the vote) always goes one way.”
“I say yes, but with restrictions. I believe that
we should have to provide a picture ID to vote.
There is too much fraud, even now in America.
We should protect the democracy we have and
turn it around to what it was meant to be.”
“Having the Electoral College makes it seem
like the everyday person's vote doesn't count.
Especially when the media predicts the election
by the Electoral College count and the final tally
for the popular vote hasn't even been
completed.”
“If we did away with the Electoral College,
candidates would only care about issues
effecting California, Texas, New York, and
Florida. With the college system in place at least
they visit most every state and feign interest.”
“Need to maintain status quo.”
“The electoral college was put in place so that
elections could not be controlled by large
populated areas alone. It gives balance to the all
states. I don't want New York, Illinois,
California, and Florida deciding who my next
president will be.”
“People in different parts of the country have
different values and concerns. The values and
concerns would always dominate who go
elected.”
“ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!”
“With today’s technology, results are available
almost immediately.”
“The electoral college give states a voice in the
presidential election. That's one of the things
that make the United States a democratic
republic and not a democracy.”
“The people of this country should take control.”
“Electoral college needs to be adjusted.”
Should we abandon the Electoral College and elect our next president by popular vote?
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YES – 80%
NO – 20%
“We need to change this archaic process and
ensure an accurate direct vote. However, the
Congressional wooly mammoths, both parties,
won't change because it is all about money,
more money and corrupt power. I think I am
going to find and marry a wealthy corporation.”
“This is and has been a terrible idea. This is why
we have the Senate, to keep at least SOME
power with the states and not the federal
government. This is the way our system was
designed to prevent the tyranny of the majority
and the tyranny of large cities/states over the rest
of the populace. If the states want to divide their
electoral votes by their internal popular vote,
then that is their choice and A-OK.”
“A system designed when people still traveled
by horse and wagon or on horseback is absurd
and ridiculous in the Internet Age!!! And the
US bloody invented the Internet, for Pete's
sake!!!”
“If this had been the law in 2000: Gore would
have beaten Bush, 9/11 would have been
prevented, the Afghanistan and Iraq wars
wouldn't have been started, the Department of
Homeland Security and TSA wouldn't exist, and
we would have a surplus instead of a deficit.”
“Although I would favor replacing the Electoral
College with a popular vote a few things need to
be acknowledged. First, doing so would require
a constitutional amendment, so the earliest
possible election in which this would take place
would be the 2016 election. Second, there would
need to be provisions for how to deal with a
statistical tie, as we had in 2000.”
“Someone in favor of the Electoral College
needs to explain to me why one person's vote in
a "swing state" is more important than another
person's vote in a non-swing state. This does not
seem fair to me.”
“There should be a constitutional amendment to
remove the Electoral College. The system was
instituted because a popular vote was not
possible. It's possible now. But it needs to be
removed the RIGHT way rather than the way
our current leader decides to BYPASS the
constitution.”
“Yes! The Electoral College is an unnecessary
intermediary in the election process that should
be abolished. It doesn't reflect the popular vote
with sufficient accuracy as it is possible to win
the presidency by only the Electoral College (as
has occurred in recent years).”
“Calling the Electoral College an "archaic
system" has added bias to the question posed.
As scientist, we work hard to keep bias out of
our work. As to the question, I believe by
keeping the Electoral College offers equality
among all the states. As you watch election
night, it is the "smaller" electoral voting states
that finally elect the President.”
“The founding fathers knew what they were
doing. Gives the rural and suburban areas an
opportunity to determine who will be president.
A popular vote would favor the urban areas in
the blue states. No thank you!”
“The electoral college is a check on the state's
certification of the popular vote. At present it is
left to a state officer to declare the number of
valid votes cast for each candidate. As shown in
the Bush-Gore election that state officer may
well manipulate or even declare a false return.
With the Electoral College, it is the college that
determines the qualifications of the electoral
slate with any disputes with are not resolved
going to the House of Representatives.”
“We have always been a country where the
rights of the few must be protected from the will
of the many. If we go to a popular vote then
those living in the lower populated states will
never see a candidate or be able to get a direct
message. If it isn't broke, why fix it?”
“With popular vote, the most populous states in
the northeast and the west coast would dominate
the election. Our forefathers were smart in
setting up the electoral college to avoid this.”
Should we abandon the Electoral College and elect our next president by popular vote?
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