by Stephen Dreyfus

Created on: March 08, 2009

www.electoral_college_equals_electoral_garbage

Electo ral Colllege Equals Electoral Garbage

Common sense isn't. That is, it isn't common; in fact, common sense is uncommonly rare. One need look no further that the mental gyrations both laypersons and experts alike go through to provide convoluted logic that somehow abolishing the Electoral College and allowing each eligible voter to have one vote, can possibly do more harm than good. The entire issue is a no-brainer. However, this hasn't stopped a plethora of political analysts from producing the same sorry rhetoric over and over. And it is all in vain.

There is no valid argument for perpetuating the antiquated Electoral College. Yet there doesn't need to be. We are stuck with the Electoral College regardless whether everyone agrees it should be abolished or not. Our country is stuck in an endless cycle of political inertia. Every four years thoughtful persons may contemplate that the ridiculous way we choose the highest office in the country, the Presidency of the United States, makes no logical sense whatsoever. But within days after the election is over, or perhaps weeks if the winner of the most Electoral votes didn't get the majority of popular votes, the issue fades into obscurity, and only the most die-hard debaters really care. This is certainly insufficient interest to ever compel a Constitutional Amendment that could change anything. Consequently, the Electoral College is an albatross destined to forever hang around the neck of democracy, stinking up the place and choking off the ideal that every voting citizen has the same equal vote.

Of course, the Electoral College is just one way to choose a President. We could revert to the medieval ideal of Camelot, and have whoever can pull a sword out of a stone declared the true King and leader of the country. Another idea is have the top two political contenders for Presidency battle it out in a Saturday afternoon wrestling bout. Or perhaps it would be better for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to flip a newly minted Eagle embossed gold dollar; heads Obama wins; tails it's John McCain. Think of all the money that could be saved not having to finance political races! Then again, why not literally draw straws to determine the winner? This smacks of good old fashioned Americana. Or better still, why not really save the country money and simply offer the Presidency for sale by auctioning it off to the highest bidder, with all the proceeds going directly to

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