June 28, 2004
Gypsy Jackson wants Electoral College abolished
This past weekend, Jesse Jackson called for a Constitutional Amendment to abolish the Electoral College.
The Gypsy prefers the mob-rule style of government where the presidential election is conducted in a fashion not unlike the vote for the next American Idol.
"We need an amendment ... to make sure every American has a right to vote individually and directly for the president, not through the Electoral College," Jackson said. "The idea of an Electoral College is an aristocratic idea that you can't trust the people."Last I checked, the Electoral College was put in place by Founding Fathers as a part of the overall checks and balances system of governmental rule for the United States. The original intent was that the people would elect members of the House of Representatives directly, the state governors would elect members of the US Senate, and the state legislators (or their designees, i.e., the Electoral College) would elect the President.
The general idea was that all power would not be consolidated in the hands of any one person or group of persons. In time, the nomination of those electors shifted (by default) from the state legislators to the populace.
Obviously Jackson, along with everyone else who continues to bitch about the 2000 vote in Florida flunked their high school US History course. I won't even get into those idiots ("AlGore," he said under his breath) who are supposed to be Constitutional scholars, who in turn completely ignore the intent of the founders or the language of the law.
I realize that The Gypsy needs some "face time" but perhaps he could go back to getting in good with Ketchup Boy. After all, Kerry seems to still need some guidance in the "spiritual edification" department.
What part of "Republic" is unclear to this man?Direct voting would ensure that Flyover country's needs would never be addressed.
However, I will give him credit where it's due. He's arguing the rules now before the game get started which is much better than the bitching that comes after.
Posted by: Sharp as a Marble at June 28, 2004 11:09 AMThe claim of an aristocratic goal seems to just be a kneejerk phrase intended to get a reaction.
From the Federal Elections Commission:
A third idea was to have the president elected by a direct popular vote. Direct election was rejected not because the Framers of the Constitution doubted public intelligence but rather because they feared that without sufficient information about candidates from outside their State, people would naturally vote for a favorite son" from their own State or region. At worst, no president would emerge with a popular majority sufficient to govern the whole country. At best, the choice of president would always be decided by the largest, most populous States with little regard for the smaller ones.
Not only do I want to keep the Electoral College, I agree with Zell and want the 17th repealed.
Smoke that, Jesse.
Posted by: Chris at June 28, 2004 04:45 PMThe idea to abolish the electorial college comes up from time to time.
It won't happen. However, it's not the electorial college that makes this country a representative republic.
Posted by: DarkStar at June 28, 2004 09:06 PMDrives me crazy when I run into people who have such a minimal understanding of the electoral college concept and why it came to be that they want to throw it away and go national popular vote. That would change the nature of the country beyond recovery.
Posted by: Jay Solo at June 29, 2004 09:51 AMDoesn't he need to go "do" something about Somalia right about now?
Posted by: Claire at July 1, 2004 07:01 PMgfnpbcsoip yaqaauuu.
Posted by: Isaac at July 27, 2004 03:49 PM