I’d appreciate some clarification as to what I’m “wrong” about.

I would go study the matter, but I need to hit the hay.

Alden
You are wrong.
The Parties are in charge on picking a nominee.
The people have consistently chosen people who belong to a political party over “independents” —That is just the way it is and it is perfectly legal.

Also, I like the Electoral College.

We are a REPUBLIC

We are NOT a pure Democracy.

Gore said that it would be “wrong” to say that anyone stole the election.

Gore defended the integrity of the Supreme Court.

YOU should try doing the same!

One judge = entire Kansas Legislature

Power to the people, right on!

Inadequate is in the eye of the beholder. And when the beholder is a judge, inadequate is also in the eyes of the law. If you don’t like it, you are free to move elsewhere.

Actually, I don’t think schools are so much “inadequately” funded as “inappropriately” funded. F’rinstance, teaching computer skills to elementary kids when computer h/w doubles in power every 18 months is pointless.

That is BS too. Until the legislature paid millions for a study - which the schools used in their lawsuit, and a one-man judge ruled using the study too: There was no basis for your statement.

Inadequately funded? How about today? Enough money for schools? How’s them thar Kansas test scores coming along?

Inadequate = is in the eyes of the beholder.

Political parties are also terrible, stupid ideas. Sadly, they are also unavoidable.

http://www.fairvote.org/e_college/bindingstates.htm

I found it by googling “faithless electors.” Personally, I think we should retire that term in favor of “true patriots who refuse to brainlessly follow the party line.”

I like this quote:

“However, many constitutional scholars agree that electors remain free agents despite state laws and that, if challenged, such laws would be ruled unconstitutional.”

“Pledges” by the Electors only serve to emasculate the process that the Founding Fathers envisioned.

The fact that we’ve been doing it wrong for 150+ years doesn’t change the fact that we _are_ doing it wrong — any more than the failure of anyone to sue the Kansas State Legislature for not adequately funding schools for 100+ years doesn’t change the fact that they _were_ inadequately funding them.

Things don’t become “right” just because we do them for a long time.

Thanks Vaughn. I stand (sit) corrected. Short of going to each state, I used the wiki version, but it’s out there in a number of places that the electorals follow the popular vote of the people of each state.

The republicans primary is democracy in action.

There is a table linked in the following link that suggests that while there are some states that have laws binding the electors to popular vote, the number of such states is not a majority.

http://www.avagara.com/e_c/ec_statelaws.htm

I am aware the data on the table are old, over 15 years old, in fact. I’ve tried to find more recent information but unsuccessfully. It appears to me that the majority of the states rely upon the informal pledge that the electors will honor the vote, rather than mandating same statutorily.

I put the information in quotes. Common sources on the internet. Wikipedia was used - yes.

But the facts remain the same. No one has stolen anything. THe process remains the same.

The state laws across the land direct the popular vote be used by their electorals.

The republican primary didn’t have the problems following similiar process.

Only in the democratic party - is the “primary” election at risk of being “stolen” by your annoited “SUPER-delegates.”

The November federal election will be same as always as per the constitution and states rights.

Facts are the same.

I think perhaps you mean “For ease of concealing the fact that the constitutional process has been hijacked.”

Oh, wait. You cut & pasted from Wikipedia. I can go fix it.

Sorry to break this response up. Just noticed your second thought.

If we had a national holiday - people could vote throughout the day, all day long. The California
west coast and time zone issues would not be so great. Early declarations of winners would have less impact if people voted earlier in the day everywhere.

Agreed.

But of course, we continue to always support dog-gone right or wrong either the blue or red….

If there were more viable parties, our choices would not be so stark, so divisive or limited.

As for Election Day, we do need to consider a Saturday or Sunday date to give everyone more opportunity to vote and to reduce the “five o’clock” demand that hits to polls when everyone gets off work.

As for closing bars on Election Day - allow voting IN bars thus giving voters an instant access to the means of drowning their sorrows while also increasing turnout.

Never said there was. But 48 states ARE and the republicans follow suit with their primary.

“Except for Maine and Nebraska, the entire electoral college vote of a state is won by the slate of electors who receive either a simple majority 50% of the whole number of votes cast by the people of the state.

In each state, voters vote for a slate of pre-selected candidates for Presidential Elector, representing the various candidates for President. State ballots, however (for ease of understanding the ballot), are designed to suggest that the voters are casting a ballot for the actual candidates for President.

Currently each state uses the popular vote on Election Day to appoint electors. Although ballots list the names of the presidential candidates, voters within the 50 states and Washington, D.C. are actually choosing electors from their state when they vote for President and Vice President.”

Regular = mindless twit

There is nothing in the Constitution that forces an elector to “follow the popular vote.” Nowhere does the Constitution say “winner take all.” Political factions are not mentioned in the Constitution. They are, however, expressly warned against in the Federalist Papers.

Political Parties are evil, twisted perversions. Primaries are like ancient Rome’s “bread and circuses,” designed to distract a populace from the erosion of its liberties.

I’ll say it again: Re-empower the Electoral College!

I don’t see it that way. The present election system revolves around the electoral vote. Now if you want to change the constitution to change that, fine. But the states provide electoral voters and in most states, the winner of the state election gets all of the state’s electoral votes.

It’s in our constitution, which has been around a couple hundred years. That meets your democracy criteria, right?

Which is what the republican primary mirrors.

I’ve advocated a national holiday every four years. What could be a more important reason to have a day off - than to make sure people vote?

Imagine who activists, community groups, Eagles, AmLegion, Shriners, Knights of Columbus, and many over civic groups could help get the vote out?

Bars could offer a free drink to patrons wearing an election “I VOTED” pin. Marathons and races to the polls.

Knowing they have the day off, people could make plans for parties, BBQ, or whatever - set around knowing the time they are going to the booth.

What a great day to celebrate our American birthright and promote our responsibility!

Presidential Election Day as a new Federal Holiday.