he founding fathers were also concerned with other issues. One of them was ballot tampering/voter fraud
It is certainly true that the EC helps to minimize the effect of small amounts of voter fraud. I find nothing in the founders' documents to indicate that was the underlying intent, however. You have a link?
I don't know how to link you to my hi school.....not to worry thought, there are plenty of links on the subject......do a google search.
It also was believed by the FF that the EC helps the residents of small states influence presidential elections far more than those in big states because in the small state, there are less people needed to elect an elector than in a big state
While it is a fact that small states have a slight advantage as a result of the Electoral College, I've seen no indication that this was the Founding Fathers' intent. While this issue was considered in determining the makeup of the EC, it really had nothing to do with the decision of popular vote vs. some intermediate body, at least not so far as I can determine. You have a link?
The google search should also provide you with this info; a hint: this facet of the electoral college was intended to placate the southern states who were not as populous nor as advanced as the northern states. [Even then, you all held the rest of us back]
Finally, the EC was intended to enhance the margin of the winner of the national popular vote, particularly if that vote was close, in order to mitigate any controversy developing from such a narrow popular vote win.
I find no indication, whatsoever, that this ever played any role in the decision. While I did hear commentators mention it during the 2000 elections, I see no indication that it has any basis in fact.
Do you honestly believe that the FF wanted the candidate receiving the minority votes to win? You can't be that dumb. The intent of the EC was to reduce controversy, no to create it.
The bottom line is that you conveniently omitted the single, most important, unquestionnable reason for the Electoral College: The Founding Fathers' did not believe the average voter competent to make a sensible selection. This, in fact, is the reason the EC exists, and frankly, it is an excellent reason.
Not only is your intelligence at question, but not it seems you memory is failing. We already discussed this issue. Some of the founding fathers were elitists....that's why they wanted a republic in lieu of a democracy. Instead we got a hybrid.....one that includes the EC. At the time there were no political parties and the FF believed the EC had eliminated that need. When that was proved to be wrong, the 12th amendment was made.
Bottom line: the EC is fatally flawed; it permitted the election of a minority president who is fast leading the country into very dangerous waters......and needs to be stopped asap.
And the 2000 election will forever stand as proof the Founding Fathers were not only right, but dead-on. Had we not had the EC, we would have elected a man on the basis of heated rhetoric that didn't coincide with fact (i.e., lies). Al Gore would have been elected because he was slicker than Bush. And the Founding Fathers prophetically realized, over 200 years ago, that this would eventually happen.
Compared to Bush, Gore is a brilliant, competent, honest statesman who never would have gotten us into the quagmire we find ourselves sinking into........there is no end to the folly of Bushie and his cronies.
ted |
