Oh No, The New Awesome Primary Thread

I understand the point you are trying to make but a rather substantial quibble here.When you go into the booth and vote for president you are, in actuality, voting for the slate of Electors pledged to vote for that candidate if elected to the Electoral College. In most states the majority popular vote will determine which slate of Electors will enter the Electoral College. In two states the slate of Electors may be split. The only way to determine which slate of electors will enter the college is by tallying the popular vote. You cannot have the Electoral College release the state voting result since the college has not yet been formed and cannot be formed until the results are released. That cannot be done in a media vacuum.Also, the Florida situation came about because the Florida courts, the Florida Supreme Court and the Florida legislature attempted to resolve their voting fiasco by invalidating parts of the Florida election code in place at the time after the election had commenced. Any change to the Electoral College system, even it's repeal, would not have resolved the Florida election problem.To maintain the distribution of political influence to the states with the Electoral College scheme yet give the appearance, at least, of a more popular election, one new scheme is to do away with this slate of electors stuff and award that state's X number of votes to the popular winner in that state. Exactly what we have now but without all this falderal of having electors meet, sending their votes in sealed envelopes to the Senate to be opened and counted thus giving a result we already know has happened. All that would be needed is for the state to certify their result to the Federal Election Commission who would certify the final count, which, barring another Florida, could be done the day after the election.

I'm not saying your outline is not effective. I'm saying it is not feasible.Right now each party selects its own set of Electors. Whichever candidate wins the popular vote in that state it is his party's slate of electors that, according to the state's election law, are the state's appointed electors. (BTW, the appointed electors from all states combined is said to be the "electoral college" though that term was not used until the early 1800s. It does appear in our present election law however as the "college of electors".) They are the ones who get to go to the state capital, sit in the state senate's chambers and cast their electoral votes, all votes being for their candidate for president and all votes being for their candidate for vice-president. The list of vote-getters sent to Washington has only two names on it. One unanimous selection for president and one unanimous selection for vice-president. That is all. That is the manner in which all but 2 state legislatures in this country have directed the appointment of their state's electors.This puts a lock on the state's electoral votes for the popular party of the time. It also creates roadblocks to national third-party organizations since the state's electoral votes are never split such that another party can gain any headway over time.You will not get any of the state legislatures to change this. The popular party will never agree to give up their lock on the electors and neither party will do anything to invite viable competition from a national third party.

Very true.But there is another answer to this Cruz citizenship issue.When the Constitution does not fully define a term SCOTUS has always deferred to whatever definition was determined by Congress.US Code Title 8 Section 1401 defines who are natural-born citizens and who are not. Note Subsection (g).

quote:

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(g) a person born outside the geographical limits of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is an alien, and the other a citizen of the United States who, prior to the birth of such person, was physically present in the United States or its outlying possessions for a period or periods totaling not less than five years, at least two of which were after attaining the age of fourteen years...

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This is the present law.At the time of Cruz's birth this section had a 10 year in-country requirement with 5 after age 14.Cruz's mom, Eleanor Darragh, met those requirement with plenty to spare prior to Cruz's birth.The entire controversy is crap.One look at all the Obama-birther lawsuits and we can be assured such a lawsuit on the Cruz question will not even make it out of the Federal District Court let alone be called up by SCOTUS.

Nah. I think his ego would be a better number 2. Edited by AZPaul3, : No reason given.

Go, The Donald!

Kinda like trying to Poe a Christian. Can't be done.But I liked it.

The most important opening salvo of a presidential campaign is the announcement. It sets the tone for the candidate and for the campaign.A rambling racist egotistical screed is not a good start.The speech writers should be shot. All one of him.Wait! I take it back. Don't shoot the speech writer(s). The speech did just what a campaign announcement was supposed to do. It gave us a very good view of the man, his personality, his philosophy. It showed us just what we would get with a President The Donald.If someone is looking for an egomaniacal billionaire bigot for president then they have found their man. Edited by AZPaul3, : add

quote:

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I have a great relationship with the Mexican people. I have many people working for me — look at the job in Washington — I have many legal immigrants working with me. And many of them come from Mexico. They love me, I love them, the 2016 GOP contender said in an interview with NBC News. And I’ll tell you something, if I get the nomination, I’ll win the Latino vote.

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Trump said that there’s nothing to apologize for in relation to his controversial comments about Mexico, arguing that he’ll win the support of Latinos because of his record creating jobs.

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Hillary Clinton is not going to be able to create jobs, I will tell you right now, he said. Neither is Jeb Bush going to be able to create jobs. I will create jobs and the Latinos will have jobs that they don’t have right now. And I will win that vote.

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The DonaldI donno bout that. The guy obviously can work magic and literally everyone loves him, especially all those Latinos and Mexicans he employs. Or will, once he has the crown.It's gotta be in the wig. Edited by AZPaul3, : what wig?

The Donald is not making the Republican candidates look bad. They do that pretty much on their own. What Sir Combover is doing is making the entire party into the most embarrassing laughing stock ever to appear in American politics.The fact that he, arguably, has the popular lead among the party's corps of candidates is an embarrassment to this nation. That about 15% of the grass root Republicans do not recognize this state of affairs is a further sad and embarrassing commentary on the Republican electorate.We only have the two parties in American politics and one of them, besides being in the headlock of the religious right, is seriously considering taking on this buffoon as their national standard bearer. The Republican party is totally screwed up. The American body politic is totally screwed up.This should be personally embarrassing for every American everywhere.

Trump refused to back off a pre-debate comment about most women being fat pigs, Scott Walker reiterated his stance that when a woman is in mortal danger from her pregnancy she should die rather than abort, and, in a rather bold moment, Rubio said, yes, he is inexperienced, but if you want someone with a lot of experience then a voter should pick Hillary Clinton.And, yes, they all talk with god.The overnight pundits have weighed in and have concluded that the three big winners of last night's Republican debate are Hillary Clinton, Barry Sanders and the Democratic Party. Edited by AZPaul3, : No reason given.

Doesn't matter. The president can bully pulpit a scientific agenda all she wants but the action is in the congress. With the congressional majority party being republican science, from space exploration, stem cells, health and safety through vaccines and global warming, will all be given short shrift. And with the congressional majority party fragmented the term "do nothing congress" will take on new meaning in all aspects of legislative initiative not just science.Until the republicans are run off the hill science and health care and budget and tax reform, and, and ... are dead issues.

Are you sure you're talking about Mo Brooks and not Mel Brooks?

Damn those interns!

What? And have to import our lobster and maple syrup?No deal. You're stuck with Quebec.Now, if you want to talk New Jersey ...

That's right, Ted. All (brown-skinned Arab) refugees are guilty until proven innocent. Truly the American way.