Thoughtful Tina DuPuy column this morning from the Standard-Examinar's "Currents" digital edition section, making a strong case, wethink, for the abandonment of our archaic locally-administered "electoral college" system of electing U.S. Presidents. We've heard arguments for the abolition of the electoral college many times in the past, of course, but this morning's proposal presents a creative and novel twist... Here's the gist on Ms. DuPuy's clever idea:
There were long lines, lost ballots and chaos on Election Day. Different voting precincts with different rules and sometimes different philosophies on who should cast their ballots we’re highlighted in the national media. What it all leads to is a voting result which have a whisper of illegitimacy. There’s a lingering doubt as to if the elections were fair and therefore the result valid. And it’s partisan: The Left will say that of George Bush stole the election, the Right about Obama.Check out Ms. DuPuy;s full column here:
We could solve this issue by modernizing elections. Not only tossing out the Electoral College and letting Americans directly vote for a president, but making the requirements uniform (i.e. universal suffrage). This would make voting in Oregon just as relevant as a voting in Cuyahoga County.
A census is constitutionally required every ten years and we don’t leave it up to each state to compile it.
But we leave our national elections up to (in some cases) the county officials?! Federalize federal elections. We have national standards for schools and milk safety but we can’t vote the same way in every state?
We can change this. And there’s no better time than three years and 11 months before the next presidential election begins.
As an added bonus, we'll also take the liberty of embedding this morning's accompanying political cartoon, which not-so-subtly illustrates Ms. DuPuy's point:
So what about it O Gentle Ones? Isn't it time to finally level the U.S. federal election playing field, once and for all?
We say Ms. DuPuy has come up with a danged good idea; but what say you?
2 comments:
Yep I'll agree with revamping the system! why should we vote someone in when most of the people want one just because the lesser some is more popular in the populated area's. Thought the Idea was for EVERY Vote to count not just those in special States.
B.O. 2
G.O.P. 0
:-)
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