NYCPHP Meetup

[sbeam]

On Thursday 28 August 2008 12:50, David Krings wrote:
> But that is what an election in a democracy is supposed to be. 

Not quite that simple in practice. 

> The majority 
> vote determines the winner, which means the popular vote and not the
> constellation of some electrocal college. 

Here is the thing. We do not have *a* presidential election in this country 
every 4 years. We have *50* simultaneous presidential elections every four 
years, each weighted according to population. The winner of the most of those 
contests wins.

Imagine a hypothetical World Series. 
        GAME   1  2  3  4  5
TEAM A         1  1  1  12 1
TEAM B         2  2  3  0  2

Team A got 16 total runs in the series. Team B only had 9. So which team wins 
the series? Which is the "better" team?

It's about electing the candidate with the most broad-based support across 
party lines, rural/urban, poor/rich, coastal/heartland, etc. etc etc. Not 
mere popularity. Because that is fine for the wolves, but why would a sheep 
decide to join such a union? Why would anyone whose interests aligned with 
less than 51%? They wouldn't, therefore democracy by simple majority will not 
last, it will end in violence. The framers understood this. 

"It was also peculiarly desirable to afford as little opportunity as possible 
to tumult and disorder. This evil was not least to be dreaded in the election 
of a magistrate, who was to have so important an agency in the administration 
of the government as the President of the United States. But the precautions 
which have been so happily concerted in the system under consideration, 
promise an effectual security against this mischief. The choice of several, 
to form an intermediate body of electors, will be much less apt to convulse 
the community with any extraordinary or violent movements, than the choice of 
one who was himself to be the final object of the public wishes."

http://federali.st/68


> Especially not since the rules 
> for allocating the popular vote to the constellation of the members of the
> EC varies by state. Some have a winner takes it all approach while others
> follow more closely the will of the people.

I think you are thinking of party primaries. The EC is implemented by the the 
12th amendment, so it is the same for all states. 

This debate has been going on for over 221 years, I don't want to beat the 
horse any more. I suggest a thorough reading of this page and all comments:

http://www.deanesmay.com/archives/005634.html#

As well as the Federalist Papers and the US Constitution itself.