> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nick Demos [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2000 2:30 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: OT: Microsoft Windows 2000 Advertising
>
>
> > It's a shame that the current political turmoil is winding
> down and we have
> > to be satisfied with less sensational news such as who blew
> up that big ol'
> > naval ship over yonder (what was its name again?). I can
> think of some
> > similar comparisons between the two presidential hopefuls
> that are almost as
> > good as "13 times more reliable than Windows 98", and which
> make me laugh
> > just thinking about them (which I have learned is a
> different thing from
> > them actually being funny).
> >
> > Bush: I've passed thirteen times more drug and roadside
> sobriety tests than
> > Al Gore.
> > Gore: I've written, read, and own thirteen times more books
Nick wrote, in part:


> 2.  It is a shame that the one with the largest popular vote
> does not get
>      "elected".  Our "wonderful" politicians should have
> fixed that a long time
>
>      ago.

From my point of view, which is both reactionary and that of a person who
has lived most of his life in the less populated states, changing to a
purely popular vote would be truly going in the wrong direction.

Many of us still take the view, as did many of the Founding Fathers, that
this "Nation" is as much a federation of states as it is a nation (so call
me a Federalist.)  The present system is a compromise between the extremes
of totally Federal government and a loose confederation of independent
states, both of which were common preferences in the late 18th century.

I definitely do not want California and the East Coast deciding my fate!

Aside:
Those who read yesterday's Supreme Court opinion would realize that the
states are not even compelled to hold a popular election for US President -
the legislature may choose the electors if that is how the state wants to
set it up.  I like that a lot because then those in less populated
congressional districts get more say per voter (via their elected
representatives), and again, the city dwellers don't have sole determination
over the results.

-dtd

-Dave