The ever present need for the Electoral College
During the last few months leading up to the November 4th election the evidence was overwhelmingly clear: the Electoral College is as important now as it was when it was first instated. After discussing the up-coming election with fellow UCF students, reading reports in the news papers, and hearing interviews conducted on satellite radio it is evident that a direct democracy could lead to unprecedented disaster. Unfortunately, in the 2008 election, scores of previously uninterested and mindless drones registered to vote rendering the buffer intended to protect the integrity of the government useless (in this particular case). In the 2000 election the Electoral College prevented the disaster that could have been Al Gore.
Ever charismatic and manipulative Barack Obama was skillfully able to turn an important political election into a popularity contest, a contest in which neither politics, nor reason were involved. For example: the current recession is considered to be the fault of George W. Bush (regardless of the reality of this claim the argument will be taken at face value). While G.W. Bush is by most means a Republican President he is a fiscal liberal (and thus the irony). It is the lack of political interest that requires the continued existence of the Electoral College. As belief that the recession is due solely to the liberal expenditures of Bush is commonly held by the American public it could only be described as moronic for the aforementioned public to elect an openly fiscal liberal… as it in turn did, thus proving that democracy will always require barriers to prevent the mindless masses from the chaos that would be direct elections.
In an interview with Newsweek Jamie Foxx stated “I'd understand because I'm going to always say ‘I'm voting for the brother!” In that compilation of phrases Jamie Foxx simplified one of our time’s most crucial elections into a matter of race. However, if it is turned around and a white man says “I’m voting for McCain because he is white” (which is in effect what Jamie Foxx said) it is considered to be a racist remark. Aside from the obvious racism in the quote to Newsweek Jamie Foxx demonstrated a lack of deep political understanding.
While political ignorance is more publicly displayed by celebrities it is by no means limited to the rich and famous. In a (very unscientific) poll hosted by Howard Stern black voters were asked which candidate they personally supported. (As was always the case) When they responded Obama the consequent question was “is it because…” and points from the McCain platform were inserted to finish the question. To my horror all these “Obama supporters” blindly agreed with the McCain platform simply because it was disguised as Obama’s (to listen to these interviews: www.youtube.com “Harlem voters”).
To say that all Obama supporters were sucked into the empty rhetoric that were his campaign slogans (“hope” “change” and the ever vague “yes we can”) would be an overstatement, however, the mass that consequently won him the election was captured by the candidate’s charisma and youth.
Ever charismatic and manipulative Barack Obama was skillfully able to turn an important political election into a popularity contest, a contest in which neither politics, nor reason were involved. For example: the current recession is considered to be the fault of George W. Bush (regardless of the reality of this claim the argument will be taken at face value). While G.W. Bush is by most means a Republican President he is a fiscal liberal (and thus the irony). It is the lack of political interest that requires the continued existence of the Electoral College. As belief that the recession is due solely to the liberal expenditures of Bush is commonly held by the American public it could only be described as moronic for the aforementioned public to elect an openly fiscal liberal… as it in turn did, thus proving that democracy will always require barriers to prevent the mindless masses from the chaos that would be direct elections.
In an interview with Newsweek Jamie Foxx stated “I'd understand because I'm going to always say ‘I'm voting for the brother!” In that compilation of phrases Jamie Foxx simplified one of our time’s most crucial elections into a matter of race. However, if it is turned around and a white man says “I’m voting for McCain because he is white” (which is in effect what Jamie Foxx said) it is considered to be a racist remark. Aside from the obvious racism in the quote to Newsweek Jamie Foxx demonstrated a lack of deep political understanding.
While political ignorance is more publicly displayed by celebrities it is by no means limited to the rich and famous. In a (very unscientific) poll hosted by Howard Stern black voters were asked which candidate they personally supported. (As was always the case) When they responded Obama the consequent question was “is it because…” and points from the McCain platform were inserted to finish the question. To my horror all these “Obama supporters” blindly agreed with the McCain platform simply because it was disguised as Obama’s (to listen to these interviews: www.youtube.com “Harlem voters”).
To say that all Obama supporters were sucked into the empty rhetoric that were his campaign slogans (“hope” “change” and the ever vague “yes we can”) would be an overstatement, however, the mass that consequently won him the election was captured by the candidate’s charisma and youth.