Headline, November23, 2013

''' O' LORD-GOD :

 MAKE THE ENEMIES OF !WOW! = 

RIDICULOUS '''

Voltaire's prayers were answered. ''And God granted it''.

But before I get to the main post, first, my all time favorite ''Little Red Riding Hood''  parable.............

I asked Mafia Don Lorenzo Ponti :

''IF THIS money just........disappears........how much will it bother you?''

He shrugged. ''It would be a loss. Not something that couldn't be recouped, of course. This time it would be quicker to accumulate.''

''What makes you think so?''

He said, ''This World, Mr Hammer.  Look at it. Every city is full of violence, every country is on the brink of war. The people are so wrapped up in troubles that they turn to anything we want to supply them with to keep their minds from unwinding. You know that.

The government has to run its sting operations to keep its members in line. The police and politicians go down the drain when corruption pays them ten times what their employers do.''

He was right on the mark!!

Painfully, painfully true as the present state of the world.

By the way this brilliant work that I have cited above is a comment from Mickey Spillane!

. 

In no time,  in the days ahead, you will get to read Headlines on and about Electoral College. But just, just  short of that,  one tiny primer for now, to get you all to think : The Philosophy of  Governance, and Electioneering & Elections:

An Electoral College is a rare work of art and science in politics,  -and if History is any guide, a terribly   ''uderrated unifier''.

Many many people in the world do not understand an Electoral College. This observation also applies to many Americans. For example they are shocked to learn that their  President is not directly elected by popular vote

The fact is that even in the Constitutional Convention of America two sterling demands  stood edifice like for a lively debate: ''Give us check and balances and unifying Electoral College''.

''Too bad,'' wrote one highly respected American author, ''our schools and media do such a miserable job in explaining the College's virtues.'' The institution is an extraordinary positive contributor to keeping America together.

Let me explain this American honor some more:

A presidential candidate gets all of a state's electoral votes (which equals the size of its congressional legislation)  -if he outpolls his rivals in that state's popular vote 

(The exceptions are Maine and Nebraska. There, electors are chosen who represent the winner of each congressional district's popular vote.)

To win the Presidency,  a contender must win an outright majority of the nation's electoral votes, that is, 270 out of 538.

This feature forces general election presidential candidates to wage national campaigns. 

''Contenders making narrow sectional, racial or ideological appeals have no chance of triumphing''.

One thing that hits you -as you observe carefully the campaign trial- is how extraordinary diverse this nation is. The Electoral College encourages the bringing together of people and interests with differing priorities.

''It pushes Leaders to ameliorate divisive conflicts rather than fan them'' 

On the other hand, let's take a look at Europe. European-style parliament encourages a  -''multiplicity of parties''-. Like many other countries that you can think of : Pakistan, India and on......

The American model and system makes for a strong, nationally minded chief executive, a very very important necessity for this vast continental state.

Parochial interests find their outlets in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

The Electoral College also performs another useful service   -dampening postelection conflicts when the vote is close. In 1960, for example the popular vote was a virtual tie, but the Electoral College tally was decisive.

The Electoral College performed a similar service for the extremely close 1968 election.

And when third party movements do erupt or sprout, the dynamics of this fantastic system moves one of the major parties to co-opt the protesters ideas or grievances.

The worries about the College's alleged flaws are overblown. Not since the election of 1824 has the House of Representatives actually chosen a President, and that was before the current broad-based, two-party system had emerged.

And not since 1888 has a second place candidate in the popular vote, won the presidency. In that case  -and in 1876-, vast numbers of Republican-voting  African-Americans in the South were disenfranchised.

Come 2008, and we now have a different world. 

In the end, let me return to Voltaire's prayer. Voltaire's prayer was answered; so just be assured, so ours too,  will be granted.

With respectful dedication to ''Precious Freedom''. So all those of you who are free, see ya all on the World Students Society Computers-Internet-Wireless:

'''!!! The Future !!! '''

Good Night & God Bless!

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless