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  • From: Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Political parties
  • Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:18:40 -0700


On Mar 21, 2008, at 5:16 PM, Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote:



Many of America's Founding Fathers hated the thought of political
parties

But, Gene, they hated them in this context:

James, I did not write that statement.

The first presidential election (1789) involved only ten states. Two states
had not yet ratified the constitution and one (NY) filed too late.

Of the ten states that participated, seven did not hold presidential
elections as today, the legislators chose the electors. The idea was that you elected
your state reps and trusted them to support a presidential candidate of best
interest to your state. It was not until 1860 that all states held popular
elections of electors.

Under that system you would not need political parties, and indeed, in the
first election there were none.

A vote based on a simple majority of votes would be a disaster. NY,
California, Texas, and Florida would choose every president and the rest of us might
as well stay at home. Candidates would know this and shower largesse on those
states at the expense of the rest of us.






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