Does this letter to my local editor make any sense???

[carrowsboy]

Electoral College Prevents Tyranny

Editor, Times-Dispatch: Chris Wiegard's recent letter in support of replacing the Electoral College with a simple majority would disenfranchise himself. Our government is not now, and never has been, a democracy -- a form of government that terrified and was repugnant to all of the Founding Fathers who deliberately chose a constitutional republic.

No democracy in history has lasted more than a few hundred years, with all ending in bloodshed and tyranny. So strong was the fear that a president could become a tyrant in place of the king, there was no support for the popular election of the president at the Constitutional Convention.

As Wiegard points out, the purpose of the Electoral College is to protect the minority, the overall purpose of the Constitution.

If a majority were to become the criteria for presidential elections, let me here announce my candidacy. My platform is quite simple. No taxes of any type will be paid by any resident of New York, Pennsylvania, or California. Everyone else can therefore be a slave to whatever degree is necessary to provide for those residents. St. George B. Pinckney. richmond.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&%09s=1045855935005&c=MGArticle&cid=1149189942074&path=%21editorials%21letters

[Eric J in MN]

1. The argument that the Electoral College protects small states...

...is a common argument of opponenets of choosing a president by popular vote.

The NY Times editorialized on this subject after the 2004 election, and said that the US Senate performs that well enough, and we should go to a popular vote for president.

[ISUGRADIA]

2. Far from coherant, some brainwashed rightie

"that terrified and was repugnant to all of the Founding Fathers"

yeah, that's why 95% of the people were disenfranchised originally. genius would have us go back to only white property owning males voting also.

[carrowsboy]

3. agreed.

What got me was the NY, CA pay the most in taxes, correct?

[Eric J in MN]

4. He's saying that regardless of how NY and CA...

...are treated today by presidential candidates, if we ever do go to a popular vote for president, then presidential candidate will pander to those states.

[Bill McBlueState]

5. but I don't know where he got Pennsylvania.

At any rate, with a popular vote, it wouldn't matter what state anyone lived in. All voters would have equal say. Under the current system, people in Ohio and Florida seem to matter a lot more than the rest of us.

[mitchtv]

6. While an Elector in Wyoming represents

far fewer people than an Elector from CA. Atleast have electors represent the same amount of voters