Elect. College vs. Popular Vote...Past Elections...

[FettsBabe]

Past Elections...

1884 Grover Cleveland P.V.= 4,879,507 E.C.= 219
James Blaine P.V.= 4,850,293 E.C.= 182
*Won election by 29,314 P.V's; E.C. by 37!

1888 Benjamin Harrison P.V.=5,447,129 E.C.= 233
Grover Cleveland P.V.=5,537,857 E.C.= 168
**Lost popular vote but won elect. college!

Real Close Race:
1876 Rutherford Hayes P.V.=4,036,572 E.C.=185
Samuel Tilden P.V.=4,284,020 E.C.=184

Landslides:
Franklin D. Roosevelt: 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944
Ronald Reagan: 1980 (look at the 1976 election for comparison)

For more stats check out:

Past Election Stats

 

[Nick Stone]

The electoral college will never be repealed. Think about it.

 

[Double Trouble]

Two reasons it will not be repealed. First, it actually does serve a useful purpose, despite its shortcomings. Second, the 'entrenched' parties have much to lose by getting rid of it. They've effectively used it to keep 'third party' candidates out. For example, Perrot got 19% of the popular vote in '92, but got 0 electoral college votes.... and that was the end of him as a possible challenge.

 

[bigbootydaddy]

yeah...its prob for the best, people just need to be informed, and if you didnt vote, dont bit*h about it

 

[ecrespol]

I like the two party system. Besides if the 3rd parties weren't on the political fringe then they would fall into one of the other groups

 

[konichiwa]

How can you like the two party system and still subscribe to the democratic beliefs of American soceity? That baffles me.

 

[GreenGhost]

I don't see any disadvantage in having a third party. The third party could force compromises on an issue by issue basis. In some cases it could cause members of the 2 largest parties to disagree and vote individually, and not follow the position of their party blindly. I think right now going against the majority in the party can be such a bad carreer move that many representatives don't even consider doing it. A third party could make this more commonplace. I think requiring the support of non-party members leads to better solutions. One party dominating the Presidency, Senate and H.Reps is a bit scary.

I don't see it happening, though.

 

[konichiwa]

Well the Democratic and Republican parties didn't evolve until the 3rd president, so I can see a viable 3rd party entering the fray by 2008 or 2012. It sure would make everything more interesting.