Quote:
Originally Posted by Flash Walken
I am only replying to you because what you're saying is patently false. You made the assertion that one vote in the electoral college system was not more valuable than any other in the country. I replied by saying your assertion was false, and then backed my position with an argument. There are countless other examples of well researched positions I have taken in this thread, though I won't repeat them because they've been stated previously. Saying I simply dismissed your positions is partially correct, but that's because the evidence which I have spent a good deal of my life studying, proves you wrong, evidence not only supported by me, but by 4 other Presidents who have been elected by the very same electoral college which they have later opposed outright.
If you're unwilling to 'debate' further, just say so. Don't say it's a waste of time only to continue the 'debate', while continuing to argue how invalid my positions are with other posters (while refusing to address any points I make, directly to me), using falsehoods and lies that are easily seen as what they are by refering to the ACTUAL DOCUMENTATION in this very thread, a couple of pages prior.
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It was a waste of time to start the argument. That wasn't simply something I said to 'get out of it' as you infer. I'm a busy guy, believe it or not. I work 6 days a week and usually 10 hours a day. I have a wife and 2 kids. I have 2 mortgages. Spending an hour typing something that I felt was totally ignored IS a waste of time to me. That is where that line was born.
I never once said that ANY of your points were invalid, save the phrase 'utter joke' in your initial post. You actually made some great points. Now that you have decided to officially call me a liar my conscience tells me that we should just shut this one down. I'm not here to make enemies and don't want an argument like this to prevent discussions on other topics with you, although its probably too late for that as you have clearly shown you see yourself on a much higher intellectual plane than I. However, that would surely be seen just how you probably want it seen...that I'm running away from you because I was 'owned' as the kids like to say. So, a bit of a pickle I am in.
By the way, which President are you?
I maintain that no one electoral vote is any less important than any other. I maintain this contention based on logic. In any given election, electoral votes can end up being more important than others. They don't start out that way though.
You mentioned the case of Florida in 2000. The only reason Florida became an issue is because of the way other states fell. In 2000, Al Gore won the state of New Mexico and its 5 EV's by 366 votes. He won the state of Iowa and its 7 EV's by 4110 votes. Gore won Wisconsin and its 11 EV's by 5,396 votes. 3 extremely close states. If Bush turns those states his way then Florida isn't important at all. It only became important because of the way the other states fell. So to suggest that a candidate must get a certain state in order to win because it is the most important is simply not true, except in hindsight when all of the other states results can be included in the anaysis.
The electoral college actually doubles the voting power of some small states. Montana has around .35% of the total population of the US, but it's electoral vote is .69% of the total. I'll grant you that this is probably way more important in Congress than it is in a Presidential election. The point remains, however, that the electoral college gives at least some power back to the smaller states.
I'd love to hear ideas for a new system. No, its not required that you come up with one, but given your dedication to the study of American History (guessing, maybe it is Political Science) you may already have ideas. I'd love to hear them.