Should the American Electoral College System be abolished?

[Uiiop]

The Electoral College was designed for the preservation of slavery. That was its purpose. We sorta kinda don't have slavery anymore. Seems logical to scrap it.

This was an northern bloc's idea whose application to slavery was just an nice "bonus" IIRC.

[American Legionaries]

The Electoral College was designed for the preservation of slavery. That was its purpose. We sorta kinda don't have slavery anymore. Seems logical to scrap it.

How would the EC even change the outcome of the slavery issue?

[San Lumen]

The Electoral College was designed for the preservation of slavery. That was its purpose. We sorta kinda don't have slavery anymore. Seems logical to scrap it.

How would the EC even change the outcome of the slavery issue?

it was in part designed so neither the slave nor free states could dominate the other. The other is the Founding Fathers wanted it to be a check on the people not to be a rubber stamp.

Those are the two reasons for it. Any other reason given is revisionist history.

[American Legionaries]

How would the EC even change the outcome of the slavery issue?

it was in part designed so neither the slave nor free states could dominate the other. The other is the Founding Fathers wanted it to be a check on the people not to be a rubber stamp.

Those are the two reasons for it. Any other reason given is revisionist history.

I'm sure you have something other than your word on that...

[Khurkhogur]

I think it's completely immaterial whether the electoral college is abolished or not. Sure, removing it (and several other reforms) would make the US significantly more democratic and would probably increase political participation and dynamism. But ultimately it doesn't matter. The US' stability (as well as that of the wider liberal-democratic world) is slowly but surely degrading. It won't matter how democratic the US is when that comes to a head.

[San Lumen]

it was in part designed so neither the slave nor free states could dominate the other. The other is the Founding Fathers wanted it to be a check on the people not to be a rubber stamp.

Those are the two reasons for it. Any other reason given is revisionist history.

I'm sure you have something other than your word on that...

try reading a history book.

[American Legionaries]

I'm sure you have something other than your word on that...

try reading a history book.

Funny guy. I'll take that as a "no".

[New Kvenland]

If the electoral college were abolished, the big states like California would dominate the country. This is why I think it should be. Clearly you guys out east can't handle running this government, I think we could do better.

[San Lumen]

If the electoral college were abolished, the big states like California would dominate the country. This is why I think it should be. Clearly you guys out east can't handle running this government, I think we could do better.

California didn’t exist when the Constitution was written.

[The Cocon Reservation]

If the electoral college were abolished, the big states like California would dominate the country. This is why I think it should be. Clearly you guys out east can't handle running this government, I think we could do better.

California didn’t exist when the Constitution was written.

Well, it did exist, but the Spanish owned it.

[San Lumen]

California didn’t exist when the Constitution was written.

Well, it did exist, but the Spanish owned it.

Until 1821 when the Mexican War of Independence gave the Mexican Empire independence from Spain.

In 1846 it briefly became a Republic but it was short lived due to the outbreak of the Mexican-American war.

After a series of defensive battles in Southern California, the Treaty of Cahuenga was signed by the Californios on January 13, 1847, securing American control in California.

Following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (February 2, 1848) that ended the war, the westernmost portion of the annexed Mexican territory of Alta California soon became the American state of California, and the remainder of the old territory was then subdivided into the new American Territories of Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and Utah.

Baja California stayed part of Mexico.

[New Kvenland]

If the electoral college were abolished, the big states like California would dominate the country. This is why I think it should be. Clearly you guys out east can't handle running this government, I think we could do better.

California didn’t exist when the Constitution was written.

California has existed for hundreds of millions of years. The Constitution has existed for 235. Which one sounds more legitimate?

[The Black Forrest]

If the electoral college were abolished, the big states like California would dominate the country. This is why I think it should be. Clearly you guys out east can't handle running this government, I think we could do better.

California didn’t exist when the Constitution was written.

What has that got to do with anything? Never mind the fact Europe first visited in 1542 and Spain established Alta California in 1769.

[San Lumen]

California didn’t exist when the Constitution was written.

What has that go to do with anything? Never mind the fact Europe first visited in 1542 and Spain established Alta California in 1769.

It didn’t exist as a state until 1850 and it’s admission was part of the Missouri Compromise.

[The Cocon Reservation]

California didn’t exist when the Constitution was written.

California has existed for hundreds of millions of years. The Constitution has existed for 235. Which one sounds more legitimate?

And yet it wasn’t under US control until 1848, around 65 years after the Constitution was written. Therefore, they didn’t have the state in mind while writing it.

[The Black Forrest]

What has that go to do with anything? Never mind the fact Europe first visited in 1542 and Spain established Alta California in 1769.

It didn’t exist as a state until 1850 and it’s admission was part of the Missouri Compromise.

And again what has that got to do with anything?

[San Lumen]

California has existed for hundreds of millions of years. The Constitution has existed for 235. Which one sounds more legitimate?

And yet it wasn’t under US control until 1848, around 65 years after the Constitution was written. Therefore, they didn’t have the state in mind while writing it.

It also didn’t become the most populous state until 1970.

[The Black Forrest]

And yet it wasn’t under US control until 1848, around 65 years after the Constitution was written. Therefore, they didn’t have the state in mind while writing it.

It also didn’t become the most populous state until 1970.

And?

[San Lumen]

It didn’t exist as a state until 1850 and it’s admission was part of the Missouri Compromise.

And again what has that got to do with anything?

It’s stupid to say California would control elections as reason to keep the Electoral College when it was not territory of the United States. It wasn’t even on anyones mind. It was part of Spain and then after the Mexican war of independence it became part of the Mexican Empire.

[New Kvenland]

California has existed for hundreds of millions of years. The Constitution has existed for 235. Which one sounds more legitimate?

And yet it wasn’t under US control until 1848, around 65 years after the Constitution was written. Therefore, they didn’t have the state in mind while writing it.

Just because some aristocratic slaveowners from 1700s Virginia couldn't conceive of somewhere as perfect as California doesn't change the fact that Sacramento could lead this country better than Washington ever has or ever will

[American Legionaries]

And again what has that got to do with anything?

It’s stupid to say California would control elections as reason to keep the Electoral College when it was not territory of the United States. It wasn’t even on anyones mind. It was part of Spain.after the Mexican war of independence it became part of the Mexican Empire.

California very much is territory of the United States, it's a whole fucking state, the single most populous one, even...

[San Lumen]

It’s stupid to say California would control elections as reason to keep the Electoral College when it was not territory of the United States. It wasn’t even on anyones mind. It was part of Spain.after the Mexican war of independence it became part of the Mexican Empire.

California very much is territory of the United States, it's a whole fucking state, the single most populous one, even...

Don’t treat me like I’m stupid.

At the time of the Constitutional Convention it was part of Spain.

[Eahland]

If the electoral college were abolished, the big states like California would dominate the country. This is why I think it should be. Clearly you guys out east can't handle running this government, I think we could do better.

The entire point of abolishing the electoral college is that the states become irrelevant to the question. It's no longer a matter of only the people in half a dozen swing states having meaningful votes. Everyone's vote counts, and counts the same, no matter where they live.

[American Legionaries]

California very much is territory of the United States, it's a whole fucking state, the single most populous one, even...

Don’t treat me like I’m stupid.

At the time of the Constitutional Convention it was part of Spain.

Lol...

Okay, and before the earth coalesced into the planet we now know New York was space dust, how does that matter today?

[The Black Forrest]

And again what has that got to do with anything?

It’s stupid to say California would control elections as reason to keep the Electoral College when it was not territory of the United States. It wasn’t even on anyones mind. It was part of Spain and then after the Mexican war of independence it became part of the Mexican Empire.

Do you realize how foolish you sound?

Person: Doing away with the EC would be a bad idea as states like California would have an advantage.
You: California wasn’t a state when the Constitution was written!!!!

It’s a gibberish response to the claim. Try again.