I feel that we need people to quit voting for the person that their church tells them to vote for and take the time to study the candidate's platforms and make their best educated decision based on that information.

I wasn't so much referring to the popular vote as much as I was the electoral college. The point is that the electoral college is in place for a reason, and a very good reason at that.

And Fanta is right, however, it depends on what you mean by "popular vote." Lincoln only had about 28% of the vote in his reelection year. There's only been a handful of times any president in this country got a majority of the votes, George W. Bush in 2004 being one of them.

EDIT: Also the popular vote has been driving American politics for quite some time. I don't really know how you can say otherwise.

November 6, 1860 Republican Abraham Lincoln wins the Presidential election with 39.7% of the vote, defeating Stephen Douglas, John Breckinridge and John Bell.


There were 4 candidates that year, and
Even though 39.7 % was not the majority of Americans,
it was still the majority of the popular vote!

That is not true, Bush would not have gotten in office in 2000 if popular vote counted so there would not have been 8 years of his bull.

Churches can't tell people who to vote for, else they lose their tax exemption status. But I agree with you. It goes beyond churches though, the worst is the Bolshevik mentality the majority of Americans have when it comes to Republicans and Democrats, who strangely enough, don't disagree on much in the abstract!!

This is exactly my point. The last thing America needs is more dumb Americans voting. If anything, I'd encourage LESS stupid people to vote, and MORE informed people to cast ballots.

Such is the two-edged sword of a free society, I suppose.

That is not true, Bush would not have gotten in office in 2000 if popular vote counted so there would not have been 8 years of his bull.

A state electorial college delegate's vote,
all but twice has went according to
the popular vote of that state!!

Its a good system, and I wouldnt want it any other way!

The country is not populated evenly.
A National popular vote, (electorial college is based on a States popular vote)

would favor Regional interests more than individual states interests!

The NE and Calif. would be the only areas of concern to the candidates. The rest of the country's interests would largely be ignored!

so..how do you feel about your voting privileges?

really man, everyone that is an american is free to vote. if idiots vote an idiot in, so be it. if the majority of the country becomes a bunch of alien worshiping weirdos and elect someone like that, so be it.

our nation is about "majority rules", there is no excluding the stupid or odd. i have a hard time reading your opinions on such matters, it comes off very antiamerican

Oh hilarious. You come in here and say that our nation is based of off "majority rules" (a blatant misconception and ignorant thing to say), and then in the same paragraph have the gall to say I come off as "anti-american"? What are you smoking? It's quite clear you have no concept of political systems, let alone the foundation of our nation, which is NOT BASED OFF OF DEMOCRACY.

No, not every American is free to vote. Felons can't vote in a lot of states. Voting restrictions are still in place today; for example, you may not vote in a state which you are not a resident of. This may seem trivial, but it is hugely important when we talk about politics in America because we have states, not some European-styled unitarian system.

Also, I'm glad you find it hard to read my opinions. The founders would be ashamed of you.

Have you ever heard the terms pompous and presuptuous

Have you ever heard the term ignoramus?

...the complete ass backwardness of your thinking