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Posted: 2002-11-09 06:23am
by A Big Flying Fish
MKSheppard wrote:Enlightenment wrote:
BUSH
50,456,169 votes, 271 electorial votes
GORE
50,996,116 votes, 266 electoral votes....
Doesn't that just show that the electoral college system is a bit screwed up since it just buggers up the idea of the majority rules since its possible for the majority to be defeated?
Posted: 2002-11-09 09:03am
by Phil Skayhan
A Big Flying Fish wrote:MKSheppard wrote:Enlightenment wrote:
BUSH
50,456,169 votes, 271 electorial votes
GORE
50,996,116 votes, 266 electoral votes....
Doesn't that just show that the electoral college system is a bit screwed up since it just buggers up the idea of the majority rules since its possible for the majority to be defeated?
Bush won a
majority of states.

(EDIT: Alaska won by Bush, Hawaii by Gore)
The Electoral College was set up for reasons similiar to why states are represented differently in the two houses of Congress; to ensure that states with smaller populations still have a strong voice in the Federal Gov.
Otherwise, only the interests of a
minority of states would be represented in the White House.
Posted: 2002-11-09 01:34pm
by Knife
Phil Skayhan wrote:A Big Flying Fish wrote:MKSheppard wrote:
Doesn't that just show that the electoral college system is a bit screwed up since it just buggers up the idea of the majority rules since its possible for the majority to be defeated?
Bush won a
majority of states.

(EDIT: Alaska won by Bush, Hawaii by Gore)
The Electoral College was set up for reasons similiar to why states are represented differently in the two houses of Congress; to ensure that states with smaller populations still have a strong voice in the Federal Gov.
Otherwise, only the interests of a
minority of states would be represented in the White House.
Exactly, I don't want NYC and LA electing my president every four years. That sounds too much like a parlimentry system......
Posted: 2002-11-09 02:17pm
by Sparkticus
Come on people, get a grip and understand that the Westminster System is the most stable and efficient form of govenrnment. Why would you want the people to elect the leader, shep? Have you seen some of these people? Fuck that! A decision like that is way out of their fucking league...
Posted: 2002-11-09 04:46pm
by MKSheppard
Sparkticus wrote:Come on people, get a grip and understand that the Westminster System is the most stable and efficient form of govenrnment. Why would you want the people to elect the leader, shep? Have you seen some of these people? Fuck that! A decision like that is way out of their fucking league...
Then why is it that countries based on the Parlimentary model are
notoriously unstable?
Israel is on what their 6th Prime Minister in x amount of years.....Italy
hasn't had a stable government that's lasted longer than 6 months
for almost 50 years, and France......france....is all by itself....
Posted: 2002-11-09 04:56pm
by Illuminatus Primus
Enlightenment wrote:
Exactly what does any of that have to do with the shoddy state of US democracy? Nothing?
Try again.
You're delusional if you don't think things were political and selfish then as well. Alien and Sedition Act? America nearly became a police state there. Please, things have gotten better: the end and reparations for the genocide of the Native Americans, the abolishment of slavery and reparations thereof that contine to this day, tighter control on the states. Ever hear of Aaron Burr? Major politicans do not plot meglomaniacal schemes to divide up the country at will anymore. We're better now, trust me.
Multi-party systems have shown considerable instability, particularly in Italy, IIRC.
Posted: 2002-11-09 05:00pm
by Illuminatus Primus
Sparkticus wrote:Come on people, get a grip and understand that the Westminster System is the most stable and efficient form of govenrnment. Why would you want the people to elect the leader, shep? Have you seen some of these people? Fuck that! A decision like that is way out of their fucking league...
Firstly, people have the freedom to vote and not to vote, and thus voter turnout is a symbol of a lack of education and political cynicism and thus irrelevent.
Secondly, American presidencial elections are decidably more democractic then Parliamentary elections of the PM.
Thirdly, the opinion of the above quote suggests that Saddam Hussien's election victory is quite legitimate.
Posted: 2002-11-10 03:03pm
by Enlightenment
MKSheppard wrote:Then why is it that countries based on the Parlimentary model are notoriously unstable?
Unstable? Like Canada, the UK, Germany, and most of the rest of the EU? Certainly pathological cases (e.g. Israel, France, Italy and Japan) exist but they're not exactly a majority of countries with parliamentary democracies.
Posted: 2002-11-10 03:06pm
by David
As far as the US system goes, it is designed to be a two party system. I don't know about other country, but since most democracys have been based on the US's, I'd assume they are to.
Posted: 2002-11-10 03:18pm
by Enlightenment
David wrote:I don't know about other country, but since most democracys have been based on the US's, I'd assume they are to.

No offense intended, but I strongly suggest you learn more about the history of non-US political systems before you shove your foot any further down your throat.
Posted: 2002-11-10 03:41pm
by Illuminatus Primus
Dude, Parliamentary systems have jack shit to do with the American Republic-style of government.
Posted: 2002-11-10 06:11pm
by Uraniun235
David wrote:As far as the US system goes, it is designed to be a two party system.
No, it's been twisted and perverted into a two party system over the years.