Real presidential election today

[MadScientist]

The electoral college vote is today. The 538 people who actually get to vote directly for the president, do so today. Not that there will be anything dramatic, the only question is will Palin get a vote or two like Edwards did 4 years ago.

On a side note Nebraska actually split it's electoral votes this year since Obama took one of the congressional districts. Does anyone know what the results would have been if all states did this?

[packinpatland]

It's official.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28241363/

[swede]

Many of the founding fathers weren't big fans of out and out democracy. They knew how small-minded and stupid the masses could be. (Witness the Kerry campaign handing out cigarettes to willing homeless voters in Milwaukee on Election Day 2004.) They hated political parties and tried vigorously to prevent them. But a little thing called the right to free assembly ensured our right to be Whigs and Democrats.

The notion of the electoral college was presented as a way of selecting a President while preserving that same small state/ large state balance of power we see in the upper and lower houses of Congress. The state legislators were appointed the task of selecting the slate of electors. The electors were expected to bring nominees to the meeting and soberly discuss the merits of each man. I suppose it would have been akin to a more public version of selecting a pope.

Selecting the electors was a job given to the state legislators to keep and use wisely, but they gave the responsibility to someone else.

The Founding Fathers were all about the Republic but the states themselves were hotbeds of democracy, and the legislators almost immediately ceded to the local voters the constitutional power given to them--the state legislators--to select the electors. Soon afterwards came the inevitable formation of political parties as citizens began identifying themselves as either pro-federal or pro-state in their politics.

If you don't like the electoral college, remember that Madison, Hamilton, Jefferson, et al didn't want you to have the vote to begin with.

They figured you'd eventually start voting for the Presidential candidate that looked best in jeans and seemed kinda nice.

[hoosier]

Many of the founding fathers weren't big fans of out and out democracy. They knew how small-minded and stupid the masses could be. (Witness the Kerry campaign handing out cigarettes to willing homeless voters in Milwaukee on Election Day 2004.) They hated political parties and tried vigorously to prevent them. But a little thing called the right to free assembly ensured our right to be Whigs and Democrats.

The notion of the electoral college was presented as a way of selecting a President while preserving that same small state/ large state balance of power we see in the upper and lower houses of Congress. The state legislators were appointed the task of selecting the slate of electors. The electors were expected to bring nominees to the meeting and soberly discuss the merits of each man. I suppose it would have been akin to a more public version of selecting a pope.

Selecting the electors was a job given to the state legislators to keep and use wisely, but they gave the responsibility to someone else.

The Founding Fathers were all about the Republic but the states themselves were hotbeds of democracy, and the legislators almost immediately ceded to the local voters the constitutional power given to them--the state legislators--to select the electors. Soon afterwards came the inevitable formation of political parties as citizens began identifying themselves as either pro-federal or pro-state in their politics.

If you don't like the electoral college, remember that Madison, Hamilton, Jefferson, et al didn't want you to have the vote to begin with.

They figured you'd eventually start voting for the Presidential candidate that looked best in jeans and seemed kinda nice.

Yup, the candidate who looks best in jeans clearing brush and seems the kinda nice you'd wanna have a beer with.

[swede]

Many of the founding fathers weren't big fans of out and out democracy. They knew how small-minded and stupid the masses could be. (Witness the Kerry campaign handing out cigarettes to willing homeless voters in Milwaukee on Election Day 2004.) They hated political parties and tried vigorously to prevent them. But a little thing called the right to free assembly ensured our right to be Whigs and Democrats.

The notion of the electoral college was presented as a way of selecting a President while preserving that same small state/ large state balance of power we see in the upper and lower houses of Congress. The state legislators were appointed the task of selecting the slate of electors. The electors were expected to bring nominees to the meeting and soberly discuss the merits of each man. I suppose it would have been akin to a more public version of selecting a pope.

Selecting the electors was a job given to the state legislators to keep and use wisely, but they gave the responsibility to someone else.

The Founding Fathers were all about the Republic but the states themselves were hotbeds of democracy, and the legislators almost immediately ceded to the local voters the constitutional power given to them--the state legislators--to select the electors. Soon afterwards came the inevitable formation of political parties as citizens began identifying themselves as either pro-federal or pro-state in their politics.

If you don't like the electoral college, remember that Madison, Hamilton, Jefferson, et al didn't want you to have the vote to begin with.

They figured you'd eventually start voting for the Presidential candidate that looked best in jeans and seemed kinda nice.

Yup, the candidate who looks best in jeans clearing brush and seems the kinda nice you'd wanna have a beer with.

A razor-sharp riposte that confirms Jefferson's fears.