REFORM??? Who here believes we should get rid of Iowa & NH and the electoral college and implement changes??

I'm not going into details. Either you have a background knowledge of the questions asked or not. What I ask is....

1. should we abolish the electoral college system described in the US Constitution and simply go for a direct vote for the leader of the executive branch? I have no intentions to dismantling the rest of the democratic republic process we rely upon in voting in Congress and other lower level offices, but the electoral college just seems so-outdated and not unnecessary.

2. Iowa??? New Hampshire??? We're relying on two small states to determine a large portion of the USA political future? The president is the leader for all US citizens and should reflect the majority of voters found throughout the land and not two small-time states of little importance.

3. I envy the British and their election process of a Prime Minister. It lasts only a few weeks. For us, it lasts 1 and a half years now!!! It's overtop and wasteful. It also makes us jaded and apathetic.

i've never understood why small states need protection from large states when electing a president. I fully understand the reason when setting up a Congress so there's equal or balanced power between the reps and senators. However, the president represents every citizen, and every citizen should have one vote with no special weight put upon his or her vote because he or she lives in a small state.

one vote for every citizen when choosing a president and no special rights and privileges. it should be a direct democratic vote. the man or woman with the greatest amount of votes should take the office. simple, accurate, and what is needed.

1. No we should not eliminate the electoral college. It is an excellent check built against tyrrany of the majority. It allows for more voices to be heard than a direct majority would allow.

2. Regardless of how Iowa and New Hampshire turns out, each State has the opportunity to let their voice be heard. If you want change, lobby your State to move up your primary/caucus.

3. The British system is more stagnant than our own (believe it or not). In its design, only true party loyalists will ever have a shot at being the PM. At least in the US, there is an outside chance that someone outside the mainstream can win.



EDIT- If you think it is unfair, LOBBY YOUR STATE TO MOVE UP THEIR DATE. Stop playing the victim.

Not me. I like the current system....

The Electoral College is in the constitution. It is possible to amend the constitution.

However, the Electoral College is there to protect the little states from the heavily populated ones.

Yes, I think the EC has outlived its original intent. We need publicly funded elections, to abolish lobbyists, and to let the campaign last 4 weeks only per state.

Hmmmmm.....I wonder how many lobbyists will boo hoo and cry that we are taking milk from their children's mouths if we abolish them? Can't they just be absorbed by the companies they work for?

I agree. Why not go back to the one man, one vote system, Where the popular vote elects the president? Funding of the candidates by the government is a waste of money. Matching funds? Gee, if they were to plow the billions into federal aid for those who truly need it, maybe there wouldn't be such a division of classes.

Liberty and Justice for All.........You are poorly named. Although I share your digust of lobbyists it is a protected freedom under our constitution. The right to free speech and the right to petition the government. Also if you abolish the electoral college all of our presidents will come from NY,NJ,Ma<Ca and Illinois. I guess you want to scrap the entire constitution and rewrite it as the neolib manifesto

"If you think it is unfair, LOBBY YOUR STATE TO MOVE UP THEIR DATE. Stop playing the victim." Wow, you really thought that one out. Yeah, just lobby your state. I'm sure that will work. Brandon A., You're right that lobbying is protected by the 1st amend., but I didn't realize abolishing the electoral college system was a "neolib" position. Where did you pull that one from? If you think lobbying your state or representative is going to change the electoral system then you're living in a fantasy world. The electoral college is here to stay. However, the Iowa and New Hampshire and Florida and etc., etc., caucuses are an absolute joke. Forget the fact that voters in states like Iowa and New Hampshire are absolutely nuts (see Alan Keyes in 2000 Iowa caucus). The fact that qualified candidates, who could potentially do very well in a national election, may not even get the chance to run for president doesn't sound constitutional or democratic to me, but then again, anyone who knows anything knows the U.S. is far from a democracy (It's actually a representative republic for those who may not know).