Hillary won the popular vote—Trump won the Electoral Vote—or did he?
Dec 19th the Presidential Electors cast their votes—Jan 6th we’ll know who captured the White House—or will the House of Representatives decide?
It seems pretty cut and dried that Trump captured the White House. Usually the Presidential Electors are a meaningless “rubber-stamp” weeks after the popular vote winner in each State is declared. However, this year the complaining, protesting, rabble-rousing, turmoil and battle continue—to defeat Trump.
The Presidential Electors have been bombarded with continual email, snail mail, petitions, and phone calls to persuade them to vote for anyone but Trump. The goal is to reduce the Electoral votes below 270, and let the House of Representatives make the choice.
How did our presidential election process deteriorate to become so loathsome and degenerate? Three main reasons: political parties, campaigning and popular vote.
Why do we assume the loudest Huckster makes the best President?
The Framers intelligently created a constitutional federation—not a democracy. We describe the structure as a complex constitutional representative republic.
The Framers of the Constitution very carefully outlined in Article II, the procedure for electing a President for the United States. Nowhere in the Constitution does it authorize: political parties at all (let alone taking over the election process), office seekers campaigning across the nation, or popular vote by the people—mass democracy.
Nothing seems to be more misunderstood than the reasons why the Framers outlined in the Constitution, the use of Presidential Electors in the process of electing a President for the United States. It is known as the Electoral College.
There have been many recent articles defending the Electoral College and many articles demanding we eliminate the Electoral College by going to a national popular vote. Tragically, the genius of the purpose and benefits of the system, outlined in the original Constitution is totally unknown today. Even the articles coming to the defense of the Electoral College, are missing the most important points.
The Presidential Electors were not designed as an “after-thought” to be merely a “rubber-stamp” after years of campaigning—self-aggrandizing office seekers, boasting their qualifications, while trying to cover-up their criminal actives and minimizing their own misdeeds; while tearing their opponents to shreds. The constitutional election process was designed to avoid political campaigning across the nation, party primaries, state and national conventions, office seekers running on promises which are usually legislative issues, not their prerogative at all, as an Executive. Candidates promise people so called entitlements, buy votes with bribes, and take millions from special interests on their way to capture the White House. The best salesman wins the war. Or as I asked earlier, “Is the loudest Huckster the best President?”
The Framers designed an ingenious system which was the opposite of all of this. As I mentioned, it was designed to avoid all campaigning, rabble rousing, tumult and disorder because the Office of the President was not elected by the people! He was not the “King of the people.”
The Framers had discussed many options for selecting a President, and they rejected the idea of a popular vote for President. The one and only national office to be elected by the people was member of the House of Representatives.
Here is one of the critical missing facts in every discussion: Every national level office was outlined to be elected using a different method, by a different group of people, representing different (and sometimes conflicting) interests. Each position was to serve a different term in office and was given different enumerated responsibilities. Each office was to represent a different interest and check other offices from usurping delegated prerogatives. (Party politics only represents the party interests at every level.) Each position outlined by the Constitution was designed for thinkers and statesmen at every level.
The method for electing the President was described in detail in Article II of the Constitution. The ingenious system designated the Electors as the first step in the process. The Electors were the “forethought” not the rubber-stamp “afterthought”.
The Presidential Electors in every State had a very important assignment. This group of carefully selected intelligent individuals, chosen in whatever manner their State Legislature decided, would meet in their individual states on the same day across the nation. Each independent Elector was to recommend two outstanding individuals who could be presidential possibilities. Nominate two (not campaign for one) who they thought would best represent the interest of the Nation and carry out the will of Congress as the Chief Executive. Their recommendations would be based on past performance and service to their state or to the nation—not campaign promises.
The President’s responsibility was not to appeal to the will of the people—he was not the “King of the People.” The President was the chief Executive of the Union of the States.
The list of names recommended by the independent Electors in each State with the number for votes for each, were then signed, sealed, certified and submitted to the Seat of Government. The lists would be opened in joint secession of Congress. The process of opening and tallying the Electors’ nominations determined who the candidates would be. The 5 most recommended individuals by the Electors were the candidates submitted to the House of Representatives for election by the States. The Representatives from each State formed a delegation which had one vote. The Vice-president was to come from this same pool of outstanding statesmen.
This system for electing a President is so ingenious, because one group outside of government control and influence—the Electors, representing the people of the various States, would make the recommendations, and another group which was part of government, the peoples’ House of Representatives, would make the final election, as equal states.
The Framers outlined and established a “Constitutional Federation”, not a democracy. This was a truly ingenious structure of government. They created a “more perfect union,” established justice, safeguarded freedom, individual liberty and prosperity.
We claim that constitutional government was destroyed by party government. The first branch to fall was the Executive Branch. The hastily written and ratified 12th Amendment was a result of party machinations usurping the assignment of the independent Electors to recommend outstanding presidential possibilities. Parties encouraged political campaigning, running for office and led the country from a constitutional federation to mass democracy.
We invite examination of our research and analysis in our book, The Evolution and Destruction of the Original Electoral College. From NewsWithViews
Previous articles for more details:
1 – Sore-Losers
2 – The Framers Designed a Far Superior Process
Carolyn Alder carolyn@freedomformula.us
The original Constitution was truly the “Formula for Freedom.”
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© 2016 Carolyn Alder – All Rights Reserved
