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  • From: dan charlson <charlson AT mindspring.com>
  • To: "InterNetWorkers" <internetworkers AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Florida elections?
  • Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2000 12:32:20 -0500


I'd disagree on the statement that "most people" are familiar with their
elected representatives at either the state or national levels. More than
most might know them at this time of year perhaps, when they've seen
signs, read articles, seen TV coverage, etc. But I bet if you were to
walk through the mall (park, restaurant, wherever) six months from now
and ask, a vast majority wouldn't be able to name *any* of their senators
or representatives...

Re: the Electoral College as opposed to a straight "popular vote" -- the
EC gives the states with smaller populations (like, West Virginia, say)
some voice in the election. In a popular vote election, why bother to
campaign in WV when the majority of the votes are going to come from
California, New York, Texas, etc.? But for 5 Electoral College votes,
it's worth it for the candidates to swing through WV and some of the
other less-populated states once or twice. The "Tyranny of the Majority"
was feared by America's founding fathers, for good reason.

- -dan


on 11/9/00 11:19 AM, mdthomas AT mindspring.com wrote:
>I've noticed that it's very hard for people to think
>in purely strategic terms -- tactics invariably
>play in to even the most high level planning. I see
>the meeting of the electoral college as being purely
>tactical. It's just a mechanism that was needed in
>the horse-and-buggy days. Most people know who their
>congressmen are, but who knows who their representatives
>in the electoral colleges are? I don't think I've ever
>even seen a picture of any of them! I don't think the
>press even covers their meetings!



- --
dan charlson <charlson AT mindspring.com>
http://www.danorama.com/
----------------------------------------------
That government is best which governs least.
-- Henry David Thoreau





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