Any voting system is flawed, no matter what. As soon as you solve one problem another sprouts up. Yes, the electoral college is flawed but it has panned out our Democracy for more years than most other countries can lay claim to.
You could argue on one end that the electoral college is not Democratic because our votes are left to the electorates. You must remember though, we technically don't live in a full-fledged Democracy. We do live in a Republic whereby the power is invested in its citizens. However, because of great population we invest that power in representatives that we choose either directly or indirectly.
Just wondering, do you have a better idea?
Your vote does matter though. If you really want it to make a difference, learn more about the candidates and issues. Find something or someone that you're passionate about and spread the word with whatever talents you subscribe to. Only four to six counties of the twenty-four to twenty-five counties in Maryland go Democrat. Although it was against a lame-duck candidate, Robert Ehrlich (Republican) won the governorship of Maryland. So, it can be done if enough people actually get out there.
Oh I DO lean about the issues and I make sure I know how each and every candidate I vote for feels about the issues. Two years ago I sat at the computer trying to find any information I could about every local candidate that was running before I chose who I was voting for. I even had a 'cheat sheet' I brought into the polls to remind me why I was voting for one candidate or the other.
My issue is that not matter who I choose I will lose something. Our current system not only favors two party but practically discourages a third party from running. And the two parties we do have keep getting more and more polar. Being a moderate and doing that little thing called compromise is 'frowned upon'. Well I am a moderate. I cannot side with either party. All those silly questionnaires out there to tell you what your are? I always score 50% plus or minus a point of two.
I am adamantly pro choice, pro gay rights, for protecting the environment but not sure I give in the the whole global warming thing. I am agnostic and the only thing that keeps me from being atheist is not caring whether a higher power exists.
While I am for the war in Iraq I believe we have done all we can for the country and now it is time to step back and let them take over. While I acknowledge they will continue to need our military presence we need to start pulling out to give the Iraqis the chance to take over power.
While I personally do not like guns I believe our citizens have a right to have them. More laws do not prevent gun violence because the law abiding citizen is not the one breaking the law. I am very anti-universal health care. While I believe every deserves access to affordable care, universal health care is not the answer. Social service programs...well yes there are people who are using them for the they were intended but I am the one who believes those people are not the majority. I believe we should be drilling for oil in our country. It is a long term solution I know but at least we will no longer be depending on foreign oil. I believe at least a portion of social security should be privatized. I do not believe it takes a village to raise a child...it takes parents. But guess what? I believe gay parents are just as good as hetero parents.
I could keep going on and on. You give me an issue I will have an opinion about it. I know how I feel about the issues. So the question of the day? Which party do I fit in? My problem is my opinion does not fit into either party and right now both parties are becoming more and more polar. I wish more people would be willing to work together and compromise on the issues but it just does not look like that is happening anytime soon.
I wish everyone no matter their party had a right to vote in the primaries though I see why that would not work. I wish that if the popular vote is different that the EC vote we would support the popular vote as true.
But I guess it boils down to my issue not being so much with the system as the people. Compromise and working together (bipartisan support) is so important yet in our government we view it as weakness. That to me is just so sad and makes me a little apathetic.
I told my Romanian assistant I have a CB radio on my motorcycle and he told me in his country, it is illegal for citizens to have any device that can transmit.
