The Election Rant Post I Should Just Cut-n-Paste Every Four Years

Ah, election time. 

The season where we flex our ancient talent for creating gods and monsters. Build them up with wants and wishes. Tear them down when their need is done. Or simply dispel them when some clever mage on the “other side” crafts a spell exposing the mere human hiding underneath. Not to worry. Plenty more where that came from. Donate now! The Vatican thinks it knows a thing or two about sinners and saints? Amateurs. If it’s for a good cause then normal rules don’t apply. Heck, even abnormal rules don’t apply. It’s “us” versus “them”, remember? This is WAR so don’t be so damn judgmental.  Besides, plenty more where that came from. Not to worry. Donate now! Remember what you are fighting for. Make it your life until we tell you about the new thing we need to make the most important thing which is WAY more important than the last three things that we told you were the important thing to think about. I know it is confusing. It’s supposed to be. We’re smarter than the “other side”. That’s why we’re here! We’ll let you know what to remember and what to forget. Let us do the heavy lifting. You have so much on your plate and here’s a list to constantly remind you. The best minds, our minds, are working on solutions right now, but you have to donate! Without your help we can't take control and fix everything. Yes, get in control and fix you. I know what that sounds like, but words don’t always mean what they sound like. You know that, right? You’re smart enough to know that, right? I know it is confusing. Not to worry. Plenty more ideas where those came from. Donate now!

Support your candidate of choice. It is for your own good. 

My Side Good, Your Side Bad (a sticker for all political occasions)

(2020 update. I'm pleased to announce our political servants have outlawed tribalism. Guess I can finally delete this. YAY!)

 

The political landscape does not grow civility, discourse, originality, or moderation. I know you know this. So, we distilled the essence of politics (as well as most online political exchanges) into six words so you can have fun poking fun at the whole mess. Put it on your vehicle or wall and watch people wonder if you are referring to them. Good times!

Simply click on either image of the sticker and you’ll be whisked away to the magical land of our new Teespring store we're toying with. 

Fixing the Electoral Process

Every four years, talk of dismantling the Electoral College drags itself, if only temporarily, into the public mind. Critics argue it undermines the concept of pure democracy by placing greater importance on some states over others. They also point out how a candidate can win the popular vote, the Vox Populi, yet lose the election. Both observations I agree with. Yet, to make a national election hinge solely on the popular vote fails to avoid both the aforementioned thorns. Take for example the battle ground state of Ohio. The US Census Bureau’s 2006 figures list its population as 11,478,006. That is for the entire state. New York City, for the same year, had a population of 8,214,426. That is one city. Include the entire state and New York will trump Ohio every time in every election. Therefore, candidates will focus on higher, densely populated areas over smaller, less populated ones.

A simple solution I’ve been mulling over is having two layers of pure democracy. The first layer consists of leaving the popular vote on the state level just as it is. The change I’d make is this: whoever wins the state’s popular vote wins the state, and the candidate who wins the most states wins the election. In this system, no state is more important than then any other. Candidates would have to win a broad appeal across the country to win the election.

Have at it. 

 

2020 Update. 12 years later. Nothing has changed. The Electoral College is still both hero and villain. It all depends on who you ask. Maybe that means it has just the right amount of flaws and strengths? Hmmm....