The point of a democratic election for president

[Matrix]

Really, what is the point of going out to vote for president? The electoral congress is supposed to take the popular vote into consideration when placing their votes, but we have had presidents elected who didn't win the popular vote. When something like that is a possibility, what is the point? Can someone fully explain the role of the electoral congress to me that makes them so important that THEY not the people get to really choose the president?

Matrix Reviewed by Matrix on 12-31-2007. The point of a democratic election for president Really, what is the point of going out to vote for president? The electoral congress is supposed to take the popular vote into consideration when placing their votes, but we have had presidents elected who didn't win the popular vote. When something like that is a possibility, what is the point? Can someone fully explain the role of the electoral congress to me that makes them so important that THEY not the people get to really choose the president? Rating: 5

[McLeodGanja]

What about this. Why do we need a president in the first place? Or a prime minister if you live in the UK, chancellor of the exchequor if you live in germany etc...

I want the rules made up by people with whom I have some sort of channel of communication with BOTH WAYS. Yes that's right not just them telling me how to live my life, what about the people who vote for them having a say in what they do, or at least having the ability to reject their proposals after they become elected.

Yeah... they call it DEMOCRACY! Biggest fucking misnomer in the history of politics.

EDIT: I just thought, at least you have "democracy" in America, over in the UK we got our leader because no-one else wanted to stand for the position. There weren't even any courts involved.

[AZExplorer]

also its called the electoral college, not the electoral congress. Sorry thats all I can contribute, thats probably because I agree with your points and have no agrument.

[Psycho4Bud]

The Electoral College is intended to dilute the votes of population centers that may have different concerns from the majority of the country.[citation needed] The system is designed to require presidential candidates to appeal to many different types of interests, rather than those of a specific region or state.[citation needed]The College enabled the Founding Fathers to incorporate the Connecticut Compromise and Three-Fifths Compromise into the system of choosing the President and Vice President, sparing the convention further acrimony over the issue of slavery and state representation.

In the Federalist Papers No. 39, James Madison argued that the Constitution was designed to be a mixture of federal (state-based) and national (population-based) government. The Congress would have two houses, one federal and one national in character, while the President would be elected by a mixture of the two modes, giving some electoral power to the states and some to the people in general. Both the Congress and the President would be elected by mixed federal and national means. [3]
United States Electoral College - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Just as the Founding Fathers wanted..........

Have a good one!:s4:

[Fencewalker]

Is my vote for President and Vice President meaningful in the Electoral College system?

Yes, within your State your vote has a great deal of significance. Under the Electoral College system, we do not elect the President and Vice President through a direct nation-wide vote. The Presidential election is decided by the combined results of 51 State elections (in this context, the term "State" includes DC). It is possible that an elector could ignore the results of the popular vote, but that occurs very rarely. Your vote helps decide which candidate receives your State's electoral votes.

The founders of the nation devised the Electoral College system as part of their plan to share power between the States and the national government. Under the Federal system adopted in the U.S. Constitution, the nation-wide popular vote has no legal significance. As a result, it is possible that the electoral votes awarded on the basis of State elections could produce a different result than the nation-wide popular vote. Nevertheless, the individual citizen's vote is important to the outcome of each State election.

NARA | Federal Register | U. S. Electoral College

[Matrix]

sorry, meant to say college, i was pretty high when i made the post, that was my bad

[angry nomad]

We should abolish the electoral college in my opinion.

[Psycho4Bud]

We should abolish the electoral college in my opinion.

Not being an ass here but since you are an avid Ron Paul supporter I find it a bit ironic that you feel this way. This IS part of our original Constitution created by our Founding Fathers. Can we just pick out the pieces that we like and scrap the rest?

Have a good one!:s4:

[angry nomad]

Not being an ass here but since you are an avid Ron Paul supporter I find it a bit ironic that you feel this way. This IS part of our original Constitution created by our Founding Fathers. Can we just pick out the pieces that we like and scrap the rest?

Have a good one!:s4:

It's constitutional to amend the Constitution.

[McLeodGanja]

It's not constitutional to get rid of it though, if it turns out in several hundred years down the line that it's a load of bollocks.