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How are you feeling about the state of American democracy?

Started by Sun_Worshiper, January 06, 2022, 05:36:19 PM

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dismalist

Quote from: Wahoo Redux on January 09, 2022, 02:13:19 PM
Quote from: dismalist on January 09, 2022, 10:21:52 AM
QuoteIt is time to get rid of the Electoral College----although I understand the complexities of doing so and realize that it will not happen.

Interestingly, among its many other advantages, the Electoral College serves also as a bastion against voter fraud.


Conservatives know that without the Electoral College they would be done politically.  This is why they are so desperate to keep it.

The Electoral College helps prevent a tyranny of the majority. That is its most important function.

[Conservative? Speaking with Hayek, I am not a conservative.]
That's not even wrong!
--Wolfgang Pauli

jimbogumbo

Quote from: dismalist on January 09, 2022, 02:42:19 PM
Quote from: Wahoo Redux on January 09, 2022, 02:13:19 PM
Quote from: dismalist on January 09, 2022, 10:21:52 AM
QuoteIt is time to get rid of the Electoral College----although I understand the complexities of doing so and realize that it will not happen.

Interestingly, among its many other advantages, the Electoral College serves also as a bastion against voter fraud.


Conservatives know that without the Electoral College they would be done politically.  This is why they are so desperate to keep it.

The Electoral College helps prevent a tyranny of the majority. That is its most important function.

[Conservative? Speaking with Hayek, I am not a conservative.]

We wouldn't need the EC for that if we had ranked choice voting with the reshuffling technique (single-transferable) rules.

downer

Quote from: jimbogumbo on January 09, 2022, 03:18:27 PM
Quote from: dismalist on January 09, 2022, 02:42:19 PM
Quote from: Wahoo Redux on January 09, 2022, 02:13:19 PM
Quote from: dismalist on January 09, 2022, 10:21:52 AM
QuoteIt is time to get rid of the Electoral College----although I understand the complexities of doing so and realize that it will not happen.

Interestingly, among its many other advantages, the Electoral College serves also as a bastion against voter fraud.


Conservatives know that without the Electoral College they would be done politically.  This is why they are so desperate to keep it.

The Electoral College helps prevent a tyranny of the majority. That is its most important function.

[Conservative? Speaking with Hayek, I am not a conservative.]

We wouldn't need the EC for that if we had ranked choice voting with the reshuffling technique (single-transferable) rules.

How many states have adopted this? How many might consider it in the next 50 years?
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."—Sinclair Lewis

Ruralguy

Why is tyranny of a minority better than tyranny of a majority?

dismalist

Quote from: Ruralguy on January 09, 2022, 03:23:04 PM
Why is tyranny of a minority better than tyranny of a majority?

There is no tyranny of a minority here in the US as a whole, on account that too is hard to pull off, on account of the electoral college. If one finds a particular State tyrannical, one can move.

Let them compete to keep them in line.
That's not even wrong!
--Wolfgang Pauli

jimbogumbo

Quote from: downer on January 09, 2022, 03:22:57 PM
Quote from: jimbogumbo on January 09, 2022, 03:18:27 PM
Quote from: dismalist on January 09, 2022, 02:42:19 PM
Quote from: Wahoo Redux on January 09, 2022, 02:13:19 PM
Quote from: dismalist on January 09, 2022, 10:21:52 AM
QuoteIt is time to get rid of the Electoral College----although I understand the complexities of doing so and realize that it will not happen.

Interestingly, among its many other advantages, the Electoral College serves also as a bastion against voter fraud.


Conservatives know that without the Electoral College they would be done politically.  This is why they are so desperate to keep it.

The Electoral College helps prevent a tyranny of the majority. That is its most important function.

[Conservative? Speaking with Hayek, I am not a conservative.]

We wouldn't need the EC for that if we had ranked choice voting with the reshuffling technique (single-transferable) rules.

How many states have adopted this? How many might consider it in the next 50 years?

Current list of alternative voting rules:

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/06/29/more-u-s-locations-experimenting-with-alternative-voting-systems/

jimbogumbo

Quote from: dismalist on January 09, 2022, 03:31:06 PM
Quote from: Ruralguy on January 09, 2022, 03:23:04 PM
Why is tyranny of a minority better than tyranny of a majority?

There is no tyranny of a minority here in the US as a whole, on account that too is hard to pull off, on account of the electoral college. If one finds a particular State tyrannical, one can move.

Let them compete to keep them in line.

Since you hurt my feelings with that math slur of my character (the margin thing, even though I hadn't confused margin with totals:)), I'm back at you here. There is no tyranny of the minority if we count states, but certainly is if we use a registered voter as the unit.

downer

Quote from: jimbogumbo on January 09, 2022, 03:35:15 PM
Quote from: downer on January 09, 2022, 03:22:57 PM
Quote from: jimbogumbo on January 09, 2022, 03:18:27 PM
Quote from: dismalist on January 09, 2022, 02:42:19 PM
Quote from: Wahoo Redux on January 09, 2022, 02:13:19 PM
Quote from: dismalist on January 09, 2022, 10:21:52 AM
QuoteIt is time to get rid of the Electoral College----although I understand the complexities of doing so and realize that it will not happen.

Interestingly, among its many other advantages, the Electoral College serves also as a bastion against voter fraud.


Conservatives know that without the Electoral College they would be done politically.  This is why they are so desperate to keep it.

The Electoral College helps prevent a tyranny of the majority. That is its most important function.

[Conservative? Speaking with Hayek, I am not a conservative.]

We wouldn't need the EC for that if we had ranked choice voting with the reshuffling technique (single-transferable) rules.

How many states have adopted this? How many might consider it in the next 50 years?

Current list of alternative voting rules:

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/06/29/more-u-s-locations-experimenting-with-alternative-voting-systems/

Thanks. Informative. I'm not holding my breath for a national wave of enlightenment.
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."—Sinclair Lewis

dismalist

If a political party keeps harping that the rules are wrong it means it doesn't see itself as winning with current rules.

The way to win is to adapt one's program to appeal to people less like oneself. The horror!

[My guess is that the Democratic Party, on average, doesn't see how it can form a national coalition of the winning, so we get this nonsense that the Republic is going down the tubes. It won't. Live with it.]
That's not even wrong!
--Wolfgang Pauli

mahagonny

Quote from: Wahoo Redux on January 09, 2022, 02:13:19 PM
Quote from: dismalist on January 09, 2022, 10:21:52 AM
QuoteIt is time to get rid of the Electoral College----although I understand the complexities of doing so and realize that it will not happen.

Interestingly, among its many other advantages, the Electoral College serves also as a bastion against voter fraud.


Conservatives know that without the Electoral College they would be done politically.  This is why they are so desperate to keep it.

Eric Adams, a democrat, is also a conservative. We'll take him. Conservative ideas will find a home, because conservative ideas are what life produces. We are all somewhat conservative, but only some of us deny it. My prediction (also hope) is the democratic party will splinter as people with common sense find each other and fight for a place at the table.

Quote from: dismalist on January 09, 2022, 03:59:26 PM
If a political party keeps harping that the rules are wrong it means it doesn't see itself as winning with current rules.

The way to win is to adapt one's program to appeal to people less like oneself. The horror!

[My guess is that the Democratic Party, on average, doesn't see how it can form a national coalition of the winning, so we get this nonsense that the Republic is going down the tubes. It won't. Live with it.]

+1
Sometimes seeing the people who've been the problem finding themselves in a panic is a good sign.

Wahoo Redux

Quote from: dismalist on January 09, 2022, 03:59:26 PM
[My guess is that the Democratic Party, on average, doesn't see how it can form a national coalition of the winning, so we get this nonsense that the Republic is going down the tubes. It won't. Live with it.]

It is not the Dems restricting voting access.

It was not the Dems attacking the Capitol.

[Interthreaduality]  It is not the Dems who have their own private special college with fundraising letters to strangers filling with lies and distortions.

It is not the Dems filling the airways and the Internet with angry propaganda.
Come, fill the Cup, and in the fire of Spring
Your Winter-garment of Repentance fling:
The Bird of Time has but a little way
To flutter--and the Bird is on the Wing.

dismalist

Quote from: Wahoo Redux on January 09, 2022, 06:05:09 PM
Quote from: dismalist on January 09, 2022, 03:59:26 PM
[My guess is that the Democratic Party, on average, doesn't see how it can form a national coalition of the winning, so we get this nonsense that the Republic is going down the tubes. It won't. Live with it.]

It is not the Dems restricting voting access.

It was not the Dems attacking the Capitol.

[Interthreaduality]  It is not the Dems who have their own private special college with fundraising letters to strangers filling with lies and distortions.

It is not the Dems filling the airways and the Internet with angry propaganda.

Angry propaganda! In the internet no less! The horror!

You can't win this way, friends.
That's not even wrong!
--Wolfgang Pauli

mahagonny

#87
Quote from: Wahoo Redux on January 09, 2022, 06:05:09 PM
Quote from: dismalist on January 09, 2022, 03:59:26 PM
[My guess is that the Democratic Party, on average, doesn't see how it can form a national coalition of the winning, so we get this nonsense that the Republic is going down the tubes. It won't. Live with it.]

It is not the Dems restricting voting access.

It was not the Dems attacking the Capitol.

[Interthreaduality]  It is not the Dems who have their own private special college with fundraising letters to strangers filling with lies and distortions.

It is not the Dems filling the airways and the Internet with angry propaganda.

It is the Dems, not the repubs, who are deciding for all of us that black lives are more important than white lives. Yes, with consequences.

https://www.city-journal.org/racial-essentialism-corrupts-medicine

https://www.persuasion.community/p/race-isnt-a-risk-factor

Sun_Worshiper

Conservatives in this thread need to get a grip on reality. Republicans literally tried to overturn the results of a free and fair national election. They spread lies about voter fraud and all kinds of other idiotic conspiracy theories that are now mainstream in the party. Most of their party leaders refuse to acknowledge that Trump lost the election or to condemn the insurrectionists that attacked the Capital building. This is not politics as usual.

marshwiggle

Quote from: Sun_Worshiper on January 09, 2022, 08:34:33 PM
Conservatives in this thread need to get a grip on reality. Republicans literally tried to overturn the results of a free and fair national election.

According to Gallup, in 2021, percentages of American voters:

  • Republican 31%
  • Democrat 27%
  • Independent 41%

For either party to win, they have to win a majority of independents. If they lose, it's because they didn't appeal to enough independents. APPEALING TO MODERATES IS THE WAY FORWARD FOR EVERYONE. Catering to the extremists on either end is not a winning strategy.
It takes so little to be above average.