Tradewinds explains the Electoral College

The only political issue here is the functioning of the Electoral College, and not the lack of social civility which is now on display for the world to witness on their evening newscasts..How truly regretful such unbecoming and out-of-control behavior by this vindictive segment of American society the demonstrates a complete lack of any meaningful political maturity.. What ever happened to the noble and just belief in "the rule of law" as a restraint against forceful violent, unlawful civil breakdown and purposeful disobedience?? But then one must never forget, that every purpose has a deliberate reason just as every reason has a deliberate purpose whether ethical fair in motive or morally unjust in outcome..

I can remember many years ago as a student of Constitutional Law, I had a difficult time accepting why the American founders, James Madison, John Jay and even Alexander Hamilton supported such an undemocratic way to decide a Presidential Election.. Perhaps it may have been my idealistic beliefs in the absolute virtues of individual democracy that lead me astray.. But then, one must remember, America was never a democracy; it was always a Republic..That government must be based on consent.. In fact, prior to the ratification of Constitution, it was a Confederation of thirteen Republics or separate states that were sovereign unto themselves (Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution).. The thirteen states for the most part were rural domains with New York, Boston and Philadelphia making up the large urban centers where the vast majority of the population resided.. To prevent the large urban centers from completely controlling and monopolizing political power, the idea of an Electoral College was established by Article II, Section I of the new Constitution to assure the broadest individual participation in the voting for the head of the Republic's Executive Branch of government.. In many ways this "Division of Power" results in broader democratic representation in voting for the high office of President..

For those supporters of plurality rule, one vote per citizen, this is exactly how elected members of the House of Representatives were select every two years (Article I).. It was their specific function and elected duty to represent the desires of electorate.. In contrast, originally the Senate was designed to represent the specific interests of the individual thirteen states.. Members of the Senate were appointed by their respective state assemblies or representative bodies for six year terms.. The selection process eventually was changed by the passing of the XVII Amendment in 1913 where the people were empowered to elect their Senators.. Power was in effect by law given up by the state assemblies and granted to direct election to the people..

Originally, Congressional Power was intended to be shared jointly by the people and the states where neither the rural or the urban states could dominate the Federal election process; thus, preserving the establishment of the Republic and a republican form of government… All this changed in 1913, where the individual states lost any meaningful political representation, and power was shared between a democratically elected Congress and Presidency..

Since that time, well over a hundred years in passing, the concept of being a Republic has gradually given away to a political party form of an elected Democracy.. In the view of many contemporary constitutional scholars this erosion has resulted in a debasement of the values and fundamental principles of the established Republic as originally envisioned by America's founding fathers.. Many controversial legislative issues like Obamacare for example would never have passed a state appointed and controlled Senate.. As for the Electoral College today in the view of the many, its underlying functions is just as important as when it elected the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln who won only a plurality vote but was victorious in the Electoral College.. Say what you will, the Electoral College has served to preserve "the Republic to which it stands" despite numerous attempts to create an autocratic and collectively controlled government of unlimited power and control over the people..

The Constitution and the Electoral College provisions has served the vast majority of legal citizens of the United States for well over 220 years.. The constitutional amendment process (Article V) has permitted the Constitution to be amended into law 27 times since Ratification.. Want to change the Electoral College provisions of the Constitution?? This can be done in two different ways either by the "whenever Two thirds of both Houses deem it necessary" with the consent of Two thirds of the States or by the "Application of the Legislatures to call for a Convention for proposing Amendments".. In either case, the interests of the people are served and protected from the threat of an over powering government or outright tyranny.. Who says the Constitution does not change with the passage of time?? Only those who seek to politically undermine or overthrow Constitution which serves to guard, protect and guarantee the universal and inalienable the rights of the citizenry..