by Samuel Hitchens

Created on: April 17, 2009   Last Updated: April 18, 2009

George W. Bush, the first President in 100 years to win the Presidency, without the popular vote, would probably sing the praises of the electoral college. As a matter of fact, most of the founding Fathers would likely agree. The threat of an absolute democracy, in 1787, was one that weighed heavy on the minds of people like John Adams, " Democracy never last long. It soon waste, exhaust, and murders itself. There was never a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.". Our founding Fathers did their research on other civilizations, so in creating a government that would stand the test of time, they new the dangers of a true democracy.

In a true democracy the minority can find itself ignored behind the voice of the majority; for that matter, common sense can find itself unjustly stifled under the foot of the frantic masses. For example, let's imagine a terrorist attack, one that takes the lives of several thousand innocent Americans. As a result of this tragedy we become frightened, angry, and helpless; we turn to our President. The President decides he must take extreme executive actions, for bowing our civil liberties, for our own protection. Suddenly we realize we're subject to unconstitutional wiretaps and unwarrantable surveillance and other loss of civil liberties.

Another pitfall of a true democracy might be an over zealous White House Chief of Staff drooling over an economic crisis of magnanimous proportion. One that might even be heard muttering, "Never waste a good crisis". The hysterical masses might unwittingly mortgage their children's future on an economic stimulus package that puts the government in control of the private sector. Thus resulting into an economic oppression.
The founding Fathers agreed that the President should be chosen by the electoral college, and in this day of voter fraud and endless recounts, it isn't a bad thing. Although the electoral vote isn't perfect, the perils of a "winner take all" democracy are evident and must not be over looked. The further we seem to stray from the formula in which our foundation was laid, the less we resemble the nation that our founders so fiercely fought for. In determining the Presidential race through the popular vote, we would alienate certain states and populations; some of the less populated states would receive even less attention than they already do. The electoral vote still ensures that the voice of the minority is heard, in some cases even the voice of reason.

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