Replace the electoral College with the College of Cardinals?

[zorkpolitics]

The College of Cardinals will meet about two weeks after the Pope's death, and choose the new Pope, probably after less than 2 weeks of deliberations.  The 117 leaders of the Church meet together, deliberate, reflect on the needs of the Church and the quality of the candidates, then choose who they feel is the best candidate.

In contrast, the US first elects two candidates who have raised the most money before the Iowa caucuses as their nominees.  The nominees usually win the support (blessing) of a few thousand voters in Iowa and NH, then most other primary voters.  Then the two candidates spend 11 months campaigning; spend about $2 Billion so that some 120 million people can select 538 Electors they know nothing about.  These 538 Electors then follow without discussion or reflection, each State's preference.

Would we be better of if the 538 electors actually met together, deliberated, reflected on the needs of the Country and the quality of the candidates, then choose who they felt was the best candidate?

Or should we just save the $2 billion and out source the selection of President to the College of Cardinals?

[dazzleman]

That depends on who selects the electors.

Wasn't that the original intent of the electoral college?  That electors would actually be capable of voting their minds?  I don't really agree with that concept today, but I support the electoral college for the protection that it gives to small states, and the requirement it imposes that candidates have some level of geographical appeal.

I think there are serious problems with our nomination process.  It seems to be a case of self-fulfilling prophesy - that candidate who wins the early primaries is thought of as the winner, which leads to more money and support.  In this way, early voters have a disproportionate effect on the outcome.  And all attempts to correct the problem have compounded it.

[Jake]

I think we should elect, by approval voting, electors from our states.  Then they go and elect the president and vice-president. No voting for president, no billion dollar campaigns, just an election for the people best suited to elect a new leader.

[Bono]

I think we should elect, by approval voting, electors from our states.  Then they go and elect the president and vice-president. No voting for president, no billion dollar campaigns, just an election for the people best suited to elect a new leader.

That would be good if the elites werent corrupted with leftist crap.

[A18]

That sounds like a good idea, but then we should also greatly reduce the power of the president.

[Alcon]

I think we should elect, by approval voting, electors from our states.  Then they go and elect the president and vice-president. No voting for president, no billion dollar campaigns, just an election for the people best suited to elect a new leader.

That would be good if the elites werent corrupted with leftist crap.

Have you read What's the Matter With Kansas?, on an unrelated note? That does a fairly good job of disspelling the "latte liberal elitist" straw man.

[Bono]

I think we should elect, by approval voting, electors from our states.  Then they go and elect the president and vice-president. No voting for president, no billion dollar campaigns, just an election for the people best suited to elect a new leader.

That would be good if the elites werent corrupted with leftist crap.

Have you read What's the Matter With Kansas?, on an unrelated note? That does a fairly good job of disspelling the "latte liberal elitist" straw man.

I never said that there weren't a lot of commies among the proles either. I simply said that the leftist-rightist proportion in the elites is much more overwhelimgly to the leftist side among the elites.

[Soup18]

Bono your sign is hilarious. Alberta should secede from that hellhole.

[Max Power]

I believe we should use Australia's system of preferential voting, and the top two candidates go into a run-off if it's too close.

[Alcon]

I think we should elect, by approval voting, electors from our states.  Then they go and elect the president and vice-president. No voting for president, no billion dollar campaigns, just an election for the people best suited to elect a new leader.

That would be good if the elites werent corrupted with leftist crap.

Have you read What's the Matter With Kansas?, on an unrelated note? That does a fairly good job of disspelling the "latte liberal elitist" straw man.

I never said that there weren't a lot of commies among the proles either. I simply said that the leftist-rightist proportion in the elites is much more overwhelimgly to the leftist side among the elites.

There are plenty of rich Republicans. This is a strawman that the Republicans have partially created to make middle America go against the rest of the U.S.

However, when elitists are Republicans, they are treated as successful, capable businesspeople who have got their way to the top. Of course, Democrats are not capable of this.

[muon2]

Maybe there's something to the idea.

The election was done within a day after a campaign of less than a month.

[Emsworth]

I believe we should use Australia's system of preferential voting, and the top two candidates go into a run-off if it's too close.

Presumably, in the Australian system, no run-offs are necessary; by redistributing votes, one will eventually obtain a winner.

[Jake]

The Aussie system is even worse on third parties because it forces them to beat one of the big parties, something they can't do.  Also, fraud problems would be even worse when ballots have to be checked for preferences.

[minionofmidas]

The Aussie system is even worse on third parties because it forces them to beat one of the big parties, something they can't do.

...while in America, they only have to beat both of the big parties. Oh wait.

[Bono]

The Aussie system is even worse on third parties because it forces them to beat one of the big parties, something they can't do.

...while in America, they only have to beat both of the big parties. Oh wait.

They can split they're vote....