How did a corrupt senator even find himself in a position where he could’ve handed two pieces of paper to the VP that would have changed the outcome of our presidential election? The Electoral College
A very timely "Report," Thom....Thanks ! However, first let's correct that current "175" number to 195 as the number of state-pledged EC Delegates promised based on the total majority Presidential vote nationwide...ok? I also found that 8 more states with a total of 88 delegates have passed a measure in one of their state Houses to join this effort....which would put the total over the top to negate the current Electoral College system. I see, unfortunately, a complication down the road...not very far...that may disrupt things....and that is the current GOP effort in several states to disrupt their states' election process by usurping their voters' majority choice for President and declaring their own (losing ) candidate instead. Wouldn't this be the exact same thing that some of the these states would be doing by joining this effort to bypass the Electoral College? They would be sending EC Delegates to Washington, D.C. for a candidate who did not win their own state's majority vote....yes? And this would be identical to what the GOP is currently preparing to do in 2024--but ignoring the total popular vote for President ! So...we have a problem, Houston. It seems to me that the language in the state legislatures needs to address this conundrum. They will need to stipulate that the change of state Electors from their state's own majority popular vote for President to the candidate who won the nationwide popular vote would occur only in this condition and in no other. This would preclude a few "swing states" from seizing control of the Electoral College for their losing, minority candidate without regard to the nationwide majority popular vote. The current Electoral College system proved dysfunctional in 2016 with Trump losing to Clinton by some 3 million votes. (The 2000 election was just plain stolen by SCOTUS and handed to "W" !). It's past time to clean up this mess ! We need to support & put pressure on those 8 states to join this effort at the foundation of our democracy.
This guy beat Senator Feingold, a senator that was so honest it irritated his staff. Russ made sure they toe the line on everything, especially how the money was spent. But, there you have it, Ron Johnson apparently has the same criminal nature as Trump. Pence is no hero, he was just covering his butt by refusing to do the crime. He may very well have covered Senator Johnson in the process. Seditious conspiracy is also a crime and Pence's actions won't help him with that.
Supposedly 61% of Americans want to get rid of the electoral college. What would that number be if today's Republicans won the popular vote and lost the election? Oh wait, that won't likely happen, but if it did, many would be armed and in the streets.
Great history lesson, Thom. Whatever civilized way we can do this, we must try.
So, how'd that work out? The Electoral College for President, gerrymandering the House, two Senators per state, and a monopolized corporate media suffocating the First Amendment have all coalesced to ensure the tyranny of the minority. And oh how tyrannical it's proving to be!
Contrary to the wishful-thinking of religious beliefs on display by Rusty Bowers, the Constitution was inspired by flawed men who were deeply racist and misogynistic rather than some god existing in the confused mind of a hugely imperfect right-winger, who said he would vote for Trump again despite everything that has transpired. (What!?)
Fast-forward to the present and most of "The People," from whom all power supposedly derives, have almost no voice in the larger scheme of things. For centuries, with few exceptions, the ultimate power in society -- the power of government -- has been steadily and methodically absorbed by self-serving moneyed interests representing the lucky few (in our society, mostly white privileged males). It scarcely matters what form of government they can subvert; despite glorified founding documents, governments are only as good as the people running them. And let's face it: Most people, and therefore most politicians, are easily corruptible by the lure of wealth and influence. Our laws are supposed to keep the crooks in check.
As Lady Ruby put it, "The President of The United States is supposed to represent every American, not to target one." Clear voices of real people like Shaye Moss and her mom speak louder than all the networks and politicians combined -- because they speak to the heart! We need more of that in the next 140 days, and forever thereafter, if American democracy is to survive this latest, perhaps final, assault.
There are some clear problems with your system of governance, but I'm convinced the only way you're going to avoid getting a president "like Trump" again is to do what Michael Cohen, Mary Trump and many others have done/are doing - get the message through citizens heads that Trump is a grifter who's conned many, many people into believing he's doing something for them, when in truth, he's a narcissist - a person who's lost control of his ego, so that he can only do for himself. He has no interest in doing anything for others, unless there's some benefit in it for him. I know I don't need to tell your readers that; they already know. But we have to get the message across to others that they've been conned, and as the judge said, he's a "loose cannonball".
I imagine he's sticking to his golf courses now as his safe refuge, surrounding himself with people who believe he won the election. As a narcissist, he can't comprehend he could lose to Biden, so he's living in a fantasy world, telling himself it's not possible that he lost, and that he actually won. Americans must awaken, and never elect again losers who are controlled by their egos, instead of the higher state of being in politics to be of service to the greater good of humanity. Follow such an ideal, and America's greatness will be restored.
There is no doubt at all that the US election system has repeatedly failed to assure the majority of voters of getting the president they want. There is no doubt that the Electoral College system, with the Vice-president sitting as the final safety assurance of its integrity, poses a challenge to the numerical majority of US voters in each national election.
However, it may be dangerous to undo this system; the numerical majority in the US will always be favoring voters from states with huge urban centers, and it will always tempt urban voters to impose their doctrinal super liberal views on the minority populations in states with smaller populations overall, and fewer huge urban centers.
Mr. Hartman's current resident is within the Greater Metropolis of the City of Portland, Oregon, and in that state the massive voting power of liberal voters in the City of Portland, Multnomah, Beaverton and Hillsboro have completely ignored the concerns of almost all of Oregon's more rural areas. The same tendency would most likely come to pass in National elections if the Electoral College System was either eliminated or modified. A quick review of the current legislative state adoption of allocation of a majority of the electoral voters show clearly that minority voters in smaller states with few mega urban centers, and in states with a generally more conservative voter basis are not going to deliver the needed 75 electoral votes. www.nationalpopularvote.com.
Perhaps, again, rather than continuing to swing back and forth between two parties that no longer represent anyone but the rich and corporations, voters need to become more willing to build consensus towards the center, and to send all our career politicians home at the end of each of their first term -STOP VOTING FOR INCUMBENT POLITICIANS. We need a return to a state of SERVICE for all those who wish to occupy elective offices. Maybe we pay them well during their term, plus a stipend for the first year after they leave office. The data and history appear to show that enough US voters are simply not willing to trust a system based entirely on the possible tyranny of urban voters; thus we need a different discussion, and a different national consensus, it appears. And, increasingly, our US representatives and Senators collect life-time benefits and incomes that tend to insulate them from the very real problems their constituents face at home. It is remarkable that they have pensions and healthcare worthy of Kings and Queens while their constituents have neither. So, NOT VOTING FOR ANY INCUMBENT POLITICIAN EVER MAY BE A REALLY SMART LONG-TERM SOLUTION.
Mr. Hartman's citation:
It’s time to take another step forward in fine-tuning our republic and abolish the Electoral College.
The most straightforward way would be to amend the Constitution, but that requires a super-majority in both the House and Senate and approval of 3/4ths of the states. That’s not going to happen any day soon.
Another path is for enough states to equal 270 Electoral College votes to commit to pledge all of their College votes to whoever wins the popular vote. This is called the “National Popular Vote” option, and so far enough states have signed onto it to represent 175 College votes: 75 more “votes” are needed for it to go into effect. You can check if your state needs to join the interstate compact at: www.nationalpopularvote.com
The lesson we should have learned in school.
A very timely "Report," Thom....Thanks ! However, first let's correct that current "175" number to 195 as the number of state-pledged EC Delegates promised based on the total majority Presidential vote nationwide...ok? I also found that 8 more states with a total of 88 delegates have passed a measure in one of their state Houses to join this effort....which would put the total over the top to negate the current Electoral College system. I see, unfortunately, a complication down the road...not very far...that may disrupt things....and that is the current GOP effort in several states to disrupt their states' election process by usurping their voters' majority choice for President and declaring their own (losing ) candidate instead. Wouldn't this be the exact same thing that some of the these states would be doing by joining this effort to bypass the Electoral College? They would be sending EC Delegates to Washington, D.C. for a candidate who did not win their own state's majority vote....yes? And this would be identical to what the GOP is currently preparing to do in 2024--but ignoring the total popular vote for President ! So...we have a problem, Houston. It seems to me that the language in the state legislatures needs to address this conundrum. They will need to stipulate that the change of state Electors from their state's own majority popular vote for President to the candidate who won the nationwide popular vote would occur only in this condition and in no other. This would preclude a few "swing states" from seizing control of the Electoral College for their losing, minority candidate without regard to the nationwide majority popular vote. The current Electoral College system proved dysfunctional in 2016 with Trump losing to Clinton by some 3 million votes. (The 2000 election was just plain stolen by SCOTUS and handed to "W" !). It's past time to clean up this mess ! We need to support & put pressure on those 8 states to join this effort at the foundation of our democracy.
This guy beat Senator Feingold, a senator that was so honest it irritated his staff. Russ made sure they toe the line on everything, especially how the money was spent. But, there you have it, Ron Johnson apparently has the same criminal nature as Trump. Pence is no hero, he was just covering his butt by refusing to do the crime. He may very well have covered Senator Johnson in the process. Seditious conspiracy is also a crime and Pence's actions won't help him with that.
Supposedly 61% of Americans want to get rid of the electoral college. What would that number be if today's Republicans won the popular vote and lost the election? Oh wait, that won't likely happen, but if it did, many would be armed and in the streets.
Great history lesson, Thom. Whatever civilized way we can do this, we must try.
So, how'd that work out? The Electoral College for President, gerrymandering the House, two Senators per state, and a monopolized corporate media suffocating the First Amendment have all coalesced to ensure the tyranny of the minority. And oh how tyrannical it's proving to be!
Contrary to the wishful-thinking of religious beliefs on display by Rusty Bowers, the Constitution was inspired by flawed men who were deeply racist and misogynistic rather than some god existing in the confused mind of a hugely imperfect right-winger, who said he would vote for Trump again despite everything that has transpired. (What!?)
Fast-forward to the present and most of "The People," from whom all power supposedly derives, have almost no voice in the larger scheme of things. For centuries, with few exceptions, the ultimate power in society -- the power of government -- has been steadily and methodically absorbed by self-serving moneyed interests representing the lucky few (in our society, mostly white privileged males). It scarcely matters what form of government they can subvert; despite glorified founding documents, governments are only as good as the people running them. And let's face it: Most people, and therefore most politicians, are easily corruptible by the lure of wealth and influence. Our laws are supposed to keep the crooks in check.
As Lady Ruby put it, "The President of The United States is supposed to represent every American, not to target one." Clear voices of real people like Shaye Moss and her mom speak louder than all the networks and politicians combined -- because they speak to the heart! We need more of that in the next 140 days, and forever thereafter, if American democracy is to survive this latest, perhaps final, assault.
There are some clear problems with your system of governance, but I'm convinced the only way you're going to avoid getting a president "like Trump" again is to do what Michael Cohen, Mary Trump and many others have done/are doing - get the message through citizens heads that Trump is a grifter who's conned many, many people into believing he's doing something for them, when in truth, he's a narcissist - a person who's lost control of his ego, so that he can only do for himself. He has no interest in doing anything for others, unless there's some benefit in it for him. I know I don't need to tell your readers that; they already know. But we have to get the message across to others that they've been conned, and as the judge said, he's a "loose cannonball".
I imagine he's sticking to his golf courses now as his safe refuge, surrounding himself with people who believe he won the election. As a narcissist, he can't comprehend he could lose to Biden, so he's living in a fantasy world, telling himself it's not possible that he lost, and that he actually won. Americans must awaken, and never elect again losers who are controlled by their egos, instead of the higher state of being in politics to be of service to the greater good of humanity. Follow such an ideal, and America's greatness will be restored.
There is no doubt at all that the US election system has repeatedly failed to assure the majority of voters of getting the president they want. There is no doubt that the Electoral College system, with the Vice-president sitting as the final safety assurance of its integrity, poses a challenge to the numerical majority of US voters in each national election.
However, it may be dangerous to undo this system; the numerical majority in the US will always be favoring voters from states with huge urban centers, and it will always tempt urban voters to impose their doctrinal super liberal views on the minority populations in states with smaller populations overall, and fewer huge urban centers.
Mr. Hartman's current resident is within the Greater Metropolis of the City of Portland, Oregon, and in that state the massive voting power of liberal voters in the City of Portland, Multnomah, Beaverton and Hillsboro have completely ignored the concerns of almost all of Oregon's more rural areas. The same tendency would most likely come to pass in National elections if the Electoral College System was either eliminated or modified. A quick review of the current legislative state adoption of allocation of a majority of the electoral voters show clearly that minority voters in smaller states with few mega urban centers, and in states with a generally more conservative voter basis are not going to deliver the needed 75 electoral votes. www.nationalpopularvote.com.
Perhaps, again, rather than continuing to swing back and forth between two parties that no longer represent anyone but the rich and corporations, voters need to become more willing to build consensus towards the center, and to send all our career politicians home at the end of each of their first term -STOP VOTING FOR INCUMBENT POLITICIANS. We need a return to a state of SERVICE for all those who wish to occupy elective offices. Maybe we pay them well during their term, plus a stipend for the first year after they leave office. The data and history appear to show that enough US voters are simply not willing to trust a system based entirely on the possible tyranny of urban voters; thus we need a different discussion, and a different national consensus, it appears. And, increasingly, our US representatives and Senators collect life-time benefits and incomes that tend to insulate them from the very real problems their constituents face at home. It is remarkable that they have pensions and healthcare worthy of Kings and Queens while their constituents have neither. So, NOT VOTING FOR ANY INCUMBENT POLITICIAN EVER MAY BE A REALLY SMART LONG-TERM SOLUTION.
Mr. Hartman's citation:
It’s time to take another step forward in fine-tuning our republic and abolish the Electoral College.
The most straightforward way would be to amend the Constitution, but that requires a super-majority in both the House and Senate and approval of 3/4ths of the states. That’s not going to happen any day soon.
Another path is for enough states to equal 270 Electoral College votes to commit to pledge all of their College votes to whoever wins the popular vote. This is called the “National Popular Vote” option, and so far enough states have signed onto it to represent 175 College votes: 75 more “votes” are needed for it to go into effect. You can check if your state needs to join the interstate compact at: www.nationalpopularvote.com