tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363381017073851206.post4810258174166540519..comments2023-10-29T10:59:45.513-04:00Comments on Jumping in Pools: What makes America great?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363381017073851206.post-28638009930913375302009-04-24T16:08:00.000-04:002009-04-24T16:08:00.000-04:00The current system does NOT provide some kind of c...The current system does NOT provide some kind of check on the "mobs." There have been 22,000 electoral votes cast since presidential elections became competitive (in 1796), and only 10 have been cast for someone other than the candidate nominated by the elector's own political party. The electors are dedicated party activists who meet briefly in mid-December to cast their totally predictable votes in accordance with their pre-announced pledges.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363381017073851206.post-91724346876331460502009-04-24T16:06:00.000-04:002009-04-24T16:06:00.000-04:00The major shortcoming of the current system of ele...The major shortcoming of the current system of electing the President is that presidential candidates concentrate their attention on a handful of closely divided "battleground" states. <br />Of the 22 medium-smallest states (those with three, four, five, or six electoral votes), only New Hampshire (with four electoral votes), New Mexico (five electoral votes), and Nevada (five electoral votes) have been battleground states in recent elections. <br />The voters in the other 19 small states and big states, such as California, New York, and Texas were ignored. <br /><br />98% of the 2008 campaign events involving a presidential or vice-presidential candidate occurred in just 15 closely divided "battleground" states. Over half (57%) of the events were in just four states (Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and Virginia). Similarly, 98% of ad spending took place in these 15 "battleground" states. Similarly, in 2004, candidates concentrated over two-thirds of their money and campaign visits in five states and over 99% of their money in 16 states. <br /><br />Two-thirds of the states and people have been merely spectators to the presidential elections. Candidates have no reason to poll, visit, advertise, organize, campaign, or worry about the voter concerns in states where they are safely ahead or hopelessly behind. <br /><br />The reason for this is the winner-take-all rule enacted by 48 states, under which all of a state's electoral votes are awarded to the candidate who gets the most votes in each separate state. <br /><br />Another shortcoming of the current system is that a candidate can win the Presidency without winning the most popular votes nationwide. This has occurred in one of every 14 presidential elections.<br /><br />In the past six decades, there have been six presidential elections in which a shift of a relatively small number of votes in one or two states would have elected (and, of course, in 2000, did elect) a presidential candidate who lost the popular vote nationwide.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com