Still Free

Yeah, Mr. Smiley. Made it through the entire Trump presidency without being enslaved. Imagine that.

Monday, February 25, 2019

A Threat To Democracy

Ever since Trump's improbable election to the US presidency, Democrats and anyone in the "Never Trump" camp have wailed about the threat to democracy that Trump represented. The evidence of this has been his use of executive power in the same manner that has been done by his predecessors. However; since his use of said power is in opposition to the way certain interests want it to be, then it is "bad for democracy". One of the points trotted out is that Clinton won the popular vote and therefore Clinton should be president.

It is lost on those making the popular vote claim that the US Constitution was created specifically to thwart the popular vote. The founders realized that if the president (and at the time senators) were elected by popular vote, those areas with dense populations would be able to rule over those in [relatively] sparsely populated areas of the country. This is one of the reasons that while Representatives are delegated in proportion to population, Senators are equally apportioned. This system is a check on the seizing of power via population manipulation. It's not perfect but it is how American democracy works.

To be sure there have been times where the "loser" of popular votes have won the presidency. Those persons understood the system and agreed to abide by its rules and didn't become sourpusses. Then came Clinton. Instead of gracefully accepting defeat as she should have, it was an all-out attack on the institutions. Trump must be a Russian agent and the Electoral College is "not fair". This is typical third-world country shit where the loser claims all manner of interference in order to delegitimize the winner (though there IS often interference). The repeated claims of "unfairness" sets the population up to never trust the process. This is what American electioneering is headed to, but quick. And so the Democrats are attacking the Electoral College directly in Colorado:

he Democrat-controlled Legislature approved a bill Thursday calling for Colorado to join other states in casting presidential electoral votes for the winner of the national popular vote.

Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat, has said he will sign the measure. Currently, the state's electoral votes are cast for whoever wins in Colorado.

In essence, the voters of Colorado are going to be robbed of their votes. Trust and believe that this is being done ONLY because Trump won the last election. Had Clinton carried the Electoral votes and lost the popular vote this would not have even been discussed. Colorado's electors do not represent the "national vote". They represent the voters in their state and their state alone. Period. Full stop. If the people in their state voted for the "loser" in the popular vote (whoever it may be) and their electors decide to vote the way say, Florida who voted for the winner voted, it is a misrepresentation of the voters in Colorado. THAT is a threat to American Democracy.