American democracy does not work

[Sebby Michelango]

They lost to Donald Trump. The most disliked candidate in American history.

We have the feminists blaming the people for being misogynistic and racist etc.
we have others blaming American democracy itself.

Yeah let's blame everyone else except oh I don't know, THE DEMOCRATS! 

That wouldn't suit the media's narrative. So blame everyone else!

The democrats and the liberals have received criticism and blaming as well. It's not only the American democracy itself, candidates or republicans. Many Americans are disagree with people who's against weapons or they who wants free health care. Some democrats and liberals have experienced people being disagree with them and that the critic would rather have individualism/liberalism. So every parts gets both support, criticism and blame. It goes both ways.

[Just Me Here]

The US is 240 years old. during this time (before Trump was elected, this year) there have been 4 presidents who have lost the electoral vote. So every 60 years one of the presidents gets lucky, and before Bush in 2000 it had not happened in 112 years.
Yes, it is a flaw in the system to a certain extent, but given that claims of voter fraud and rigging are far more prevalent is it not reasonable to say that this is the issue that should be tackled first.
Also, 126,000 New York voter polls were purged, due to death or duplication. This is a single state. When you have popular vote margins differing by c. 400,000 the slight margins of error imposed by the electoral college system seems to pale in insignificance to dead voters getting impatient for the Second Coming and the Apocalypse and trying to vote for their preferred warmonger, trump or hillary.
So i think that when citing the popular vote it is important to note that this is a rather nebulous concept, especially since it so poorly describes only eligible voters.
The US electoral college system is just as broken as the proposed US popular vote system as far as I see it. However, you could argue that the electoral college system only helps compound the inaccuracies inherent in the popular vote system.

[Dena]

The electoral college isn't flawed as that was how it was designed. Federalist 68. The government was never intended to be a democracy and the people were never to select the president by popular vote. There was far to much risk of passion overriding common sense.

[Deborah]

The jokes write themselves.

"The process of election affords a moral certainty, that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications. Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity, may alone suffice to elevate a man to the first honors in a single State; but it will require other talents, and a different kind of merit, to establish him in the esteem and confidence of the whole Union, or of so considerable a portion of it as would be necessary to make him a successful candidate for the distinguished office of President of the United States. "


It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.
André Gide, Autumn Leaves

[Dena]

That is because the electoral college members tend to be bound on the first vote. The are supposed to vote their conscious without guidance from the state. Had they done that, they would pick somebody other than Clinton or Trump. It has been done in the past but no longer.

[Deborah]

The real reason for the electoral college was to allow the Southern States to count non voting black slaves as part of the state population to secure greater influence in Washington.  It gave their states more white representatives and more electoral votes than the northern states.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/electoral-college-slavery-constitution/


It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.
André Gide, Autumn Leaves

[SonadoraXVX]

The US of A, is the first nation on earth, where a representative democracy has been around since the founding fathers founded the US of A and the US Constitution, but no means perfect, hence the amendments done to the U.S. Constitution. This nation is a great experiment that has never been tried before, so we are learning as we go along, we all need to learn from our nations past, to make it a better place to live. Where I get that the USA is a representative democracy, since other people mention the US of A is a republic, please look at the link below...,but I digress, We as American need to reconcile and talk to each other as rational human beings, to come to an accord and peaceful conexistence.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/05/13/is-the-united-states-of-america-a-republic-or-a-democracy/

[JMJW]

Believe it or not, there are actually petitions to try to *snicker* get the election overturned so Hillary will be President. Citing some legal loophole that the Electoral College representatives can ignore their state's result. Let's say somehow that actually happened, and everything these fools were hoping for happened. All that would happen then is a second American Civil War. Congrats. 

[Deborah]

If reconciling means surrender then no.  Those people have done everything in their power for eight years to undermine the President and gridlock the legislature.   There is nothing rationale there to reconcile with.   


It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.
André Gide, Autumn Leaves

[Rachel]

What is amazing is that every 4 or 8 years there is a change of office without tanks in the streets. Unfortunately most Americans do not vote. So those whos candidate wins is about 1/2 of 1/3 of the citizens or 1/6 of the citizens. The same for those who's candidate loses. 

Thank you all veterans for enabling us to have our freedoms.

I am very uneasy with Trump in the office because I do not know what he will do and how he will do it. One thing that terrifies is the thought that if Trump does not finish his term Pence will be president.

In the USA we have made LGBT gains. I hope we continue to move forward.

This election I voted for the first time as Rachel

[Artesia]

I find it worrisome that ISIS(or was it the Taliban) , Russia, and North Korea are giving congratulations to Trump.  As far as I remember, opposing nations/forces don't typically do that.  I know a 105 year old woman that I would have preferred over the choices given.

This national trend of hate needs to stop.  There are more important things to deal with.  Failing school systems; wage divide between lower positions and higher positions; gender inequality that is not skill/ability based; what we will do about jobs since so many, and more switching, are done by computers or machines; and a real national medical treatment plan.

[warlockmaker]

I would like to close this topic. This is not the time to discuss this. I apologise for not being fully aware of the great divisions in America. and my lack of empathy to see both sides impartially. I hope America can heal its wounds  and rebuild the dream of democracy as your founding father envisioned.

[stephaniec]

I hope so too . I'm still crying

[cheryl reeves]

This country was not founded as a democracy bit a constitutional republic,we did not become a democracy til 1933 under Roosevelt when the govt took power away from the people and our govt became a war power govt. under control of the world Bank.

[Cindy]

I will lock the topic as the OP requested. The discussion is going in a circular and repetitive manner as well. Fell free to start and alternative topic but remember the raw feelings many members have and please comply with the ToS.

Thank You
Cindy