Sunday, June 07, 2009

Pop Quiz:

Where in the Constitution does it specify the eligibility requirements for citizens to vote for the President? You know, age, sex, property owned, stuff like that...

(Insert Jeopardy music...)

Okay, pencils down.

Which of you answered "It doesn't"? You all get A's. It just says that the states will send electors who will cast their votes; the federal Constitution says nothing about how the states will choose their electors.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Electors by % popular vote....? That's stupid.

There was a reason it was set up the way it was.

Of course there was a very good reason senators used to selected by the local state political machine in charge, too.

Stranger said...

Of course, you realize that electing a president by popular vote will mean the ten largest cities will elect the president - and no one else will have much to say about it?

Stranger

Ian Argent said...

Well, the states are required to provide a republican form of government...

(Which, incidentally, a democracy ain't)

Anonymous said...

Other than the fact that it would be struck down as unconstitutional by the Supremes inside of 15 minutes, I like it!

Shootin' Buddy

staghounds said...

Won't it be funny to watch the legislatures of Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington convene emergency repeal sessions the first time a Republican wins the national popular vote?

staghounds said...

AND, it will make election night news more interesting- because NJ and Illinois' in-state votes will be relevant only as they relate to the national total. And their EC votes won't be attributable until the California votes are counted.

It's easy to envision a situation where these very blue states would put a red state candidate over.

As long as it's only lefties who do this, what does it matter?

Ed Foster said...

Okay, balance of powers to prevent dictatorship. Congress, the Presidency, and the Supreme Court. Plus, Congress is divided into two houses, one, the Senate, in which all states are equal. One, the House of Representatives, elected by the popular vote.

The Electoral College is predicated on the same compromise as Congress, so, if we are eliminating states interests in the Electoral College, shouldn't we be doing the same thing in Congress?

In other words, wouldn't we also have to eliminate the Senate?

Skekis said...

I still want a single electoral vote to be given based on the results of a pie-eating contest.