Do you know what that is, the Electoral College? And, perhaps more importantly, do you know how fundamental the Electoral College and the function it performs is to the American political process and the election of the President of the United States?
It is, my fellow Americans absolutely necessary that you understand for this extremely important political mechanism is under severe attack. There are many who wish to eliminate the Electoral College in favor of a popular vote as the main election procedure. And, you can be certain that those who are against the EC are:
THE DEMOCRATS
THE PROGRESSIVES
THE RADICALS
who wish to do virtually anything to get and retain power, absolute power over the political process in America.
Each of our 50 states has its own voting procedures. And, that includes not only the popular vote, but the Electoral Vote which follows thereafter. ARTICLE II of our beloved Constitution provides as follows:
“Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of Electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the state may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or person holding the office of trust or profit under the United States shall be appointed an Elector.”
So, if a state has two federal Senators, and it does, and thirteen Representatives for the House, that state would have a total of fifteen Electors who would cast their votes for President presumably based on the outcome of the popular vote IN THAT STATE (not our country at large). Such total votes in this case fifteen would be the Electoral Votes of that state which would be counted toward denomination of the candidate for President of that political party. So that, every serious candidate for President must take into account every one of the 50 states and the Electoral Votes it offers for the nomination of any individual as party candidate for President of the United States. No state can be ignored. That puts the smallest states on a par, at least procedurally with the largest states and it prevents states like California and New York from dominating the political process with their sheer number of citizens and residents removing the political voice of the smaller states. In essence, the Electoral College procedure is a true democratic mechanism, ensuring that the political voice and opinion of the smallest states and its citizens will be heard at the national level, and will be counted, and will matter in terms of formulating the thinking of denominating party and its final candidate. THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE POLITIAL PROCESS really works and has worked most efficiently and effectively since 1787. It is a fundamental principle of our Constitution, and represents the clear and clairvoyant thinking of our Founding Fathers who were concerned that there not be any sectional or special interest majority domination, but rather all things fair and equitable across the county. In terms of sheer numbers, America could be dominated by the populous states of California, New York, Texas, Florida and others without any real representation or political expression from smaller states like North and South Dakota, New Mexico, Montana and others. In a constitutional way, Wyoming can be every bit as important in electing the candidate for President of any party as New York or California.
Radical, progressive Democrats, many of them socialists wish to replace the Electoral College, what they term the “18th century anachronism” with a straight popular vote. They claim that in a true democracy, it is only the majority that counts. But, no democracy functions well or is in fact fair unless the political voice of all is heard. Progressives decry the fact that Democrats achieved a larger popular vote than Republicans in 2016, but the Electoral College saw to the election of the Republican candidate Donald Trump who won the Electoral Vote in the right number of states. That election and its results were exactly what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they established the Electoral College as a fundamental part of our Constitutional political process. The Electoral College works, it is good, it is protective, it is fair, it is democratic and it is right for America and its 50 states. IT SHOULD NOT BE CHANGED!
In reality, it would be almost impossible to eliminate the Electoral College. The Constitution requires for any amendment that three quarters, 75% of the states approve the amendment or the elimination of an existing constitutional provision and that would mean that some THIRTY–EIGHT STATES would have to approve such a constitutional change. That would never happen. The smaller states would never vote for such a change for they would then be completely dominated politically by the larger states. The popular vote of United States citizens is contained within the state in which the voter lives and no matter how many voters, a state like California only has so many Electoral Votes which does not allow it to be dominant in the political process. And that is good for democracy and a democratic result. The Founding Fathers were concerned with an unchecked democracy. An aggressive, even militant majority could completely eviscerate the rights of the minorities and control, even dominate the country. The Electoral College would prevent that. It puts a premium on moderation. When candidates, such as a Bernie Sanders with his socialistic – Marxist philosophies presents radical political and economic ideas, 50 states, each one of them, can moderate the political platforms and ideas of radical candidates, or fundamentally change them, or eliminate them. The Electoral College process requires reason, moderation and compromise, characteristics sadly lacking in our political process today. A so called radical idea goes through, what Steve Forbes of Forbes Magazine calls “a marinating process” which is healthy, even critical for the American political process. The values and priorities of every state matter and no candidate with radical propositions can ever prevail. Thank the Electoral College for that.
Essentially, a nationwide coalition is essential for any candidate to gain a majority in the Electoral College. Hear the numbers. The House of Representatives of our federal government contains 435 members. The Senate of the United States contains 100 members. That is a total of 535 men and women who exercise incredible power over WE THE PEOPLE. Each state no matter the size has two Senators. Each state then has a certain number of Representatives in the House based on population. That changes every 10 years. But every state has no less than one Representative no matter what. Each state therefore has a minimum of three Electoral Votes and perhaps four or five no matter how small the population. Those five votes really matter because they are five of 535 Electoral College Votes and they can often make the difference. A Bernie Sanders or a Donald Trump cannot ignore WYOMING. Or Montana. The Electoral College Votes of every state are important and can make the ULTIMATE DIFFERENCE.
America’s political parties are collections of many diverse interests at the state levels. There are different backgrounds, a wide array of cultures and beliefs. But America politically has always been structured around the:
MELTING POT THEORY.
That is, that those who come to America seeking citizenship would be assimilated and become true Americans, committed to and united by our Constitution and its Bill of Rights, its fundamental amendments with respect to freedoms no matter the heritage or personal beliefs of the individuals. That process worked for some two centuries. But then came diversity, and multiculturalism and all things politically correct. And, rather than assimilation, TRIBALISM began where America was divided into groups by culture, ethnicity, gender or any other number of special interests. Political parties saw that tribal influence at work. Witnessed the differences, the rancor and the animosity of the candidates of the democratic party for President. They attack each other bitterly. They disagree with each other, most aggressively. They proclaim their differences and the fact that each is the true representative, thinker and political force of the democratic party. The others, the antagonists are simply DEAD WRONG. Each candidate wishes his or her own thinking to dominate the democratic party and to forge its political beliefs and policies. There is no compromise. Eventually, the Democrats will unite behind one candidate because they have no other choice. But you can be certain there will be an angry, aggressive, contentious convention, and that the process of following the dictates and procedures of the Electoral College will be challenged wherever possible. The Democrats, for example, have unbelievable strife within as the heart and soul of the party is battled for. There is an extreme element who wishes the party to stand tall for socialism and even a certain kind of Marxism. That of course is represented by a Bernie Sanders, but others as well at least in terms of policy and priorities. Moderate Democrats are nowhere to be found for now even if they may ultimately prevail. Sanders is a candidate to be reckoned with especially since so many of our voters, including and especially the younger ones, really do not understand socialism – Marxism and cannot begin to comprehend the lethal effect the election of a candidate like Bernie Sanders would have upon the America of some 250 years. The freedoms America has always stood for can be lost in one generation, as President Ronald Reagan reminded us and those freedoms once lost are gone forever, FOREVER! So many voters simply do not understand that. The Democrats, ever LUNGING TO THE LEFT would radically change America never to be the same again.
The political parties of today, Republican and Democrat are essentially state and local organizations. Each such state organization has its own priorities and in some ways its very own political procedures. Each state determines what is right for that state regardless of what happens in any of the other 49. That is precisely what the Founding Fathers intended. There are to be sure national political committees but they are essentially fundraising entities. They can attempt to influence state elections and decision making but only to a certain point. States become more independent, confident in their internal political power and determined to be more influential no matter its size. State Representatives are determined to champion its citizens and for its political voice to be heard. And, that is exactly what the ELECTORAL COLLEGE is meant to do.
The choice of the President of the United States, and the two candidates who will run for that office is perhaps the most important decision Americans can make. Such a decision is made every four years. The man or woman who occupies the Oval Office of The White House is THE most important and powerful person in the world. The powers vested in the President by the Constitution are incredibly large and vital. In addition, the President issues executive orders which can change American priorities overnight. The President has the incredible power of veto of legislation which can be passed by House and Senate with a majority. But the Presidential veto requires a two thirds majority of both Senate and House to override and pass the legislation, something extremely politically difficult if not impossible. The President appoints cabinet members like the Attorney General. And Ambassadors to foreign countries. And, negotiates treaties with foreign countries subject to approval of the Senate. And much more. It is impossible to imagine the effect on the American way of life and this critical presidential decision making if a radical – progressive candidate like Bernie Sanders became that President. Not only would America be fundamentally altered top to bottom, and probably forever, but so much of the world would change for America is in so many ways a dominate world force. A Sanders or any candidate like him would move America and the world aggressively towards socialism and Marxism. Those freedoms we once had and enjoyed would be lost, and lost forever.
Benjamin Franklin, a key Founding Father was asked following the completion of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 what kind of government the Founders had constructed and we had been given. Franklin’s answer and the condition to that answer were critical then and even more so today. He said:
“A REPUBLIC, IF YOU CAN KEEP IT!”
Now come elections 2020. They are indeed the most critical, the most important, the most fundamental elections America has ever had. Never in our history have there been elections which will wrestle with such fundamental issues, and so much proposed change. The candidates for office, House of Representatives, Senate and President have never been more diverse, different in thinking and political philosophy, individualistic and strong agents for change, and so many either indifferent to our Constitution or fundamentally desiring its overhaul or at least fundamental change. It seems as though traditional America and the REPUBLIC under which we now live rests in the hands of the Republican Party and the reelection of Donald Trump. Every viable candidate the Democrats have put forth champion radical and fundamental change to America and to our beloved and consistent Constitution. If you want a different America, American voter, the Democrats will offer you the candidate to accomplish that. If you believe in the existing America, our way of life, our freedoms, our constitutional protections and rule of law, then it seems you have no choice but to vote republican and for Trump. More than ever, WE THE PEOPLE must be active in the political process. We must understand the issues, the parties and the platforms. We must be proactive in our duties as citizens and work to protect and defend the greatest country in the history of mankind. We the voters, the doers must do that for our children, grandchildren, our families and friends. There is only one America and there never will be another. I for one hope and pray that we keep this America, and make it stronger, and reinforce its values and priorities and stand up to the challenge of Founder Benjamin Franklin and say to him and the world:
WE LOVE OUR AMERICAN REPUBLIC AND WE WILL KEEP IT!