Home > Norcross.Talk > Archives > 2008 > September > 15 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USVoting lessons
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It was about this time in 1980 and scores of students at Aloma Elementary School in Orlando, Florida cast ballots in a mock presidential election.
Perhaps those students were the ultimate political prognosticators, because they elected the then Republican candidate, Ronald Wilson Reagan, as president of the United States in a landslide.
That memory came flooding back when I read the article by AJC reporter D. Aileen Dodd on Norcross’ Hopewell Christian Academy, which recently held a mock election of their own.
Three students, selected by their social studies teacher, were chosen to represent and present a speech before their classmates as either John McCain, Bob Barr, or Barack Obama.
In Hopewell’s mock election, there were 86 votes cast for Barack Obama (including one from the guy chosen to represent McCain). I guess we will find out in just over a month if they are anywhere near as accurate as we were at Aloma.
Here is the problem: Obama (and Reagan in 1980) was elected by the popular vote in these mock elections.
Did we learn anything from south Florida in 2000? Nothing?
Class is in session and here is today’s lesson: As far as the presidency goes, your vote doesn’t matter.
That’s right… I said your vote (for president) means nothing.
Why? Because the majority was never meant to rule by design. We are not a Republican nation. We are not a Democratic nation. We are not a Christian nation. Therefore, the popular vote is insignificant. Well mostly. It is a great example of the brilliance of our Founding Fathers so that all men are equal under the rule of law and so our government maintains a balance of power.
See, we have this thing called an Electoral College. THEY elect the president of the United States. The votes you cast in November are nothing more than a message to the Electoral College saying “hey… this is who we think should be the next leader of the free world and we hope you agree.”
There is nothing written anywhere that says that an Elector has to vote according to the popular vote. Nothing.
Now, if those individuals ever want to be an Elector again and not be chased outta town with a witch hunt right on their tail end… they’ll probably want to vote according to the peoples choice they themselves were chosen to represent.
Today’s lesson doesn’t mean you shouldn’t vote. You just need to know and understand when your vote matters… and when it doesn’t.
Class is dismissed.
Permalink | Comments (33) | Post your comment | Categories: Woody Bass
Comments
By LT5000
September 15, 2008 4:30 PM | Link to this
Gee Thanks Woody. I think everyone who reads this blog knew this information in Third grade.
What’s next? An article about who is actually qualified to be be President of the USA? Perhaps your daily journal.
You have proven once again that you and Badie are third rate hacks.
Really, you could have easily found something more salient to write about in Gwinnett. It would have been really easy.
Maybe you could have written about this:
Gwinnett Daily Post 11 September 2008
Grand jury: Crime up by illegals
Group suggests educating immigrants on laws, customs
LAWRENCEVILLE - A grand jury panel said illegal immigrants appear to be committing a “disproportionate number” of crimes in Gwinnett.
In presentments to be published in today’s Gwinnett Daily Post Legal Notices, the panel recommended the county commission and state legislature track the impact of illegal immigration on taxpayers.
LT5000
By You R A DUHmarse
September 15, 2008 5:16 PM | Link to this
I think everyone who reads this blog knew this information in Third grade.
Welllll duuuuhhhh.. but for some reason people still think otherwise… just watch the news.
And for all the complaining I have seen you comment about this blog or that blog or one person or another….. I still see you come back week to week to read and comment and respond to others comments. So you must not dislike it as much as you claim.
By LB
September 15, 2008 7:16 PM | Link to this
Sounds like you are going to vote for Obama. You did not mention how many votes were for the other two mock candidates.
By Woody Bass
September 15, 2008 7:53 PM | Link to this
Who LB?? ME? PFFFFT I dont even think so.
Barring no major and significant bit of information that would lead me to actually vote for either of them… I am doing a write in candidate. I doubt very seriously that the debates coming up will change my mind.
However.. I will say this… if this were the mostly independent thinking centrist McCain of 2000… I would have voted for him. And frankly, that McCain would have been a better President than Bush. Unfortunately, this is not the case with McCain of 2008. If mCCain would have gone with who everyone believes he really WANTED for his VP (Lieberman)… I “might” have changed my mind. But that didnt happen. Palin seems very bright… she seems like a bit of a political rebel and I am slightly impressed with her… but Im not quite drinkin that Kool-Aid just yet.
By Michael H. Smith
September 15, 2008 8:15 PM | Link to this
I not voting for either of the illegal alien amnesty / guest worker candidates, McCain or Obama - Even if they could split Lieberman in half with each one having a part of him for their VP. Neither of them, McCain or Obama, offer the right change on the issues for this country and the American people.
They both stink!
By roska
September 15, 2008 8:47 PM | Link to this
But your vote certainly does count in local elections where people don’t seem to care at all if they vote.
Look at the turnout for July/August elections that picked the County Chairman and Senate candidates with less than 10% of the electorate even showing up.
I bet 10% of all voters could tell you the names of their Congressman, Senators and elected County Officials. I bet 60% could tell you all the names of the Bulldogs starting backfield.
Hell yeah. Go dawgs. We know what is really important.
We’re screwed.
By Michael H. Smith
September 15, 2008 9:10 PM | Link to this
Only goes to show if you stick around long enough you’re bound to make into a minority group.
I am in the minority on both counts. In fact, I can’t name one player on the bulldogs team. Gee… I’m soooooooooo upset about that - NOT!
By Michael H. Smith
September 15, 2008 10:43 PM | Link to this
AP News Flash
House Democrats outlined $18 billion in tax incentives over 10 years for alternative energy and efficiency improvements Monday, proposing to pay for them by rescinding tax breaks for the biggest oil companies.
Another lesson in voting:
No matter who is elected as President, Congress is where the laws are passed, taxes are levied and our money is spent.
Now how many people understand that when Congress taxes a business it is the consumer that actually pays the tax?
Mr. Obama’s Democrats must think we are stupid .
That $18 billion will be paid at the pump people, by you and me. NOT THE OIL COMPANIES!
This is so typical of liberal misguided thinking. I’ll bet Speaker Pelosi stayed up all night to come up with this dimwit funding scheme. Only question that remains is how much Kool-Aid did she have to drink?
Class in session: Time to administer the Independent Conservative sobriety test, for all those charged with LUI - Legislating Under the Influence of kool-aid.
(1) Cutting the capital gains taxes in half on all investments, stocks and bonds that are made in alternative energy production and delivery will more than cover the needed funding to grow the green economy. ( By the way, we want to keep all of the green economy’s money and jobs in this country for U.S. Citizens)
(2) Returning to every U.S. Citizen half of the royalty money collected from leasing Federal lands and offshore areas proportionally in a check will help to stimulate the sluggish economy and help each us pay for the higher energy cost we now face. ( We won’t have to borrow any more money to give ourselves another loan in the names of our future generations, just to get by)
(3) Use the other half of all the royalty money collected from leasing Federal lands and offshore areas to pay for building the needed energy infrastructure ( i.e. electric grid and pipelines) to deliver traditional and alternative energy from where it is produced to wherever we need it and can use it. This will give investors the confidence to commit their money into creating alternative forms of energy (Like the Pickens Plan). So our wallets won’t hemorrhage next time the gulf area has a hurricane.
(4) However, the Federal Government, yep ol’ Fedzilla, should retain control of all the energy infrastructure built with the other half of our royalty monies and lease that infrastructure back to the energy producers for the delivery of their energy products to us. The two reasons for doing this is for funding purposes in additional building, maintaining of the system going forward and in serving our national security interest here at home. The private sector has not made the investments over the years it should have in the energy infrastructure of this country (i.e. electric grid and pipelines).
Consider the above as true or false questions.
Okay liberals and neo-cons, class dismissed.
By Tiredofit
September 15, 2008 11:03 PM | Link to this
Woody - A better topic than most.
@LT5K - You are a self absorbed, sanctimonious blowhard. If you’re such hot $hit, go ahead and apply for a job writing a blog at the paper- YOU FARGING ICEH0LE! All you ever do is throw stones. Love to see how long you would last. Glass houses - Do\/chebag!
@All - Sure they taught the the electoral college in grade school, but most of the public wasn’t paying attention. Just like most of the public acts like or thinks they are voting for a King instead of a President. An absolute Monarch could do something about “gas prices”. A President can’t do jack. Since we don’t live in Swaziland, we get a President. Deal with it.
It is not responsible for a concerned voter to take the position that they don’t like either candidate and are not going to vote for either one. I think a larger percentage of both sides feels that way this time. The reality is - its going to be one or the other. So pick the one you like most or dislike least.. -And then wait and see how the electoral college follows through.
By Michael H. Smith
September 15, 2008 11:18 PM | Link to this
No thank you triedofit. Your reasoning is why we keep electing the same bums over and over again, then crying and P’moaning the fact that politicians do what they want to do no matter what we the people of this community and country have to say. To do what you suggest is the most irresponsible thing anyone could ever do. It might, just might I say, do one of these two wings attached to the same dirty filthy corrupt bird to suffer a very painful defeat so they truly understand that when voters tell them no….. WE really do mean HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did you get my message this time on immigration and so-called FREE TRADE and Energy Independence, DNC and RNC?
By Michael H. Smith
September 15, 2008 11:33 PM | Link to this
By the way, I will vote but it will not be for McCain or Obama.
By Tiredofit
September 16, 2008 8:22 AM | Link to this
Ok- Michael.
Vote for Barr instead of McCain. We end up with Obama instead.
That works out well, doesn’t it?
By Michael H. Smith
September 16, 2008 9:08 AM | Link to this
Not voting for Barr and I certainly will not be intimidated by your reasoning into voting for the lesser evil anymore. Bush and the GOP has told me and others like me to go straight to hell on the issues that really matter and affect our everyday life. I intend to return their compliments to them in kind this election.
Either the GOP changes into the reform party of Progressive Populist Teddy Roosevelt or it really won’t matter one way are the other as to which poison we are forced to drink. Socialism or Monopolism are equally deadly, which really works out about the same.
By Michael H. Smith
September 16, 2008 10:01 AM | Link to this
I hope the Independents that are not card carrying hacks belonging to either political party are watching what the Democrats are up to at the moment. The Dems are working on another stimulus package, in other words taking out another loan in the names of our future generations of children to fund their socialist schemes.
The royalties from federal lands and off shore areas is estimated to be $2.6 trillion but do the Dems want to use any of that money to build the infrastructure ( they say we need) rather than take out another loan in our good name and that of our future generations?
Nope!
Comrade Pelosi who wants to restrict offshore drilling to 50 miles out and has other socialists desires for our royalty monies.
From the US News and World Report Bulletin
The Hill reports “Democratic leaders responded to the financial crisis on Wall Street by pushing for a new economic stimulus package designed to direct money toward ailing industries and states.” Democrats, adds The Hill, “see a huge political opportunity in the $50 billion package they have been planning for weeks.” The Wall Street Journal says “the biggest piece of the Democratic bill would provide funding for infrastructure projects, congressional sources said. The bill would also provide money for food stamps and help to cash-strapped states that are shouldering increased costs in Medicaid, the health program for the poor.”
…….. of course the illegal aliens will get their cut from this grand scheme which will mean the full effect of such an economic stimulus will not be realized by this country or we citizens. Hey… but as long as they vote Democrat all is well at the Tammany Hall Congress. Just remain clam, everything is under their control.
By Tiredofit
September 16, 2008 10:55 AM | Link to this
I’m not trying to intimidate you.
You’ve made it clear what & who you don’t want. So what do you want and how do you think it will help?
“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” -Winston Churchill, 1947
By LT5OOl
September 16, 2008 11:53 AM | Link to this
Barack Obama is bad blah blah blah. Illegal immigrants blah blah blah. Liberals and DemocRATS blah blah blah. Woody and Rick Badie are hacks blah blah blah. I am a douchebag blah blah blah.
Sorry, thought you all might have missed old LT, so I thought I’d give you some of his greatest hits.
P.S. Woody, you need to take off that stupid hat or move back to the Florida Hooterville you grew up in. This is the picture you are presenting to the world (via your blog)—and you’re gonna wear a baseball cap? From a well-known rival to many Georgians? Why not just wear a shirt that says “You are dumb” while you are at it, since you are apparently trying to insult people? Have a little more class. And lose the smug expression and many, many pounds while you’re at it. Sorry, had to add in the ad hominem attack on Woody in honor of LT. He is recovering from his last PNP party and can’t post.
By Michael H. Smith
September 16, 2008 11:55 AM | Link to this
I’ll will probably cast a write-in vote for Mitt Romney because of his positions on immigration (especially illegal immigration) and his no-surrender agenda of American jobs contrary to McCain’s shameful “inhumane” embrace of unfair trade policies that surrender American jobs and his legalization agenda of illegal aliens. They may be God’s children too, Senata McCain, but allow me to inform you sir the American people, U.S. Citizens, are not the Devil’s only begotten! Same applies in full to the pandering Senata Obama in that respect.
Rep. Duncan Hunter’s position on trade is actually more to my liking. On energy I’ve expressed some of that already. On healthcare I’m not with either side entirely. Same said on taxes, individual and corporate and on the entitlements.
By the way, we are not a Democracy by constitutional definition. We are guaranteed a Republican form of government, which means we are in fact meant to be a Representative Republic. All the more reason I should casts ballots for those who actually would represent me, not those give me a few grains of sugar and demand I swallow their bitter lump.
But as Franklin said: We have a Republic, if, we can keep it.
By LT5000
September 16, 2008 1:05 PM | Link to this
LT5OOl,
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
You might want to throw a few facts in there if you really want to impersonate me.
LT5000
By Michael H. Smith
September 16, 2008 2:06 PM | Link to this
The wicked witch of the west Nancy Pelosi has waved her broom. Her so-called comprehensive energy bill that is more like incomprehensible energy BULL, allows for no amendments. Americans need to make House Democrats pay at the ballot box for their strong-arm partisan arrogance that will only inflict more pain on we U.S. Citizens and does not move this country forward in achieving economic prosperity and the security of energy independence.
By Cindy
September 16, 2008 9:03 PM | Link to this
I still wonder where Bruce Wilcox is. I hope he’s ok. He’s been missing for a while hasn’t he?
By LT5000
September 17, 2008 10:44 AM | Link to this
Cindy,
Hopefully Bruce went to France to hang out with other like minded people.
I’m missing him as much as I will miss Badie and Woody when the AJC finally tanks.
LT5000
By Cindy
September 17, 2008 1:29 PM | Link to this
Now I wish I’d gone to the commission meeting so I could see the developer hang a bird as his parting shot and call Bannister out about being corrupt. That’s news-worthy, right there. :)
By Soryu
September 17, 2008 3:20 PM | Link to this
Yes the electors actually vote for the presidnet and my question is so?
Since 1824 when the electors were first selected by the popular vote how many times have the electors not matched up with popular vote? Two times: 1876 and 2000 (in 1824 Jackson won the popular vote and had the most electoral votes, but didn’t have the majority of the electors. The House then elected John Quincy Adams as president).
Going to a strict popular vote wouldn’t make your vote in say Georgia mean any more than it does now and can you imagine instead of recounts and lawsuits in a single state in 2000 dealing with Florida, losing candidates suing all over the place, forcing recounts in every county in the country to try to scrape up enough votes to get the victory? It would be pure madness.
By obama voters need a clue
September 18, 2008 8:21 AM | Link to this
Obama infomercial taking place at the black WalMart. Transparent.
Voter registration drive to be held in Snellville
SNELLVILLE - A voter registration drive will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Wal-Mart Supercenter at 3435 Centerville Highway in Snellville.
The Rho Kappa Lambda Graduate Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and Upsilon Alpha Omega Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority are sponsoring the drive to make sure every resident has the opportunity to register to vote in the Nov. 4 presidential election.
By show me da money
September 18, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this
Hey, will they pay you to sign up? C’mon, I mean haven’t these people ever heard of “street money”!
By obama voters need a clue
September 18, 2008 10:14 AM | Link to this
You can probably get a free bottle of water anyway…the church bus is usually out front each Saturday evangelizing.
By show me da money
September 18, 2008 10:20 AM | Link to this
How much money was in the brown paper da Reverend got?
By Bubba
September 18, 2008 10:39 AM | Link to this
The misnomer, I think, is in the belief that electing a president will somehow change the country’s direction. It is, in fact, Congress that steers the ship.
I don’t see much difference between Pelosi/Reid and Frist/DeLay. Each pair represents the extreme of their parties. Pelosi/Reid were elevated in status because Frist/DeLay did such a p**-poor job at the helm. I think it was the Terri Schiavo saga in which the conservatives drained the kool-aid and jumped the shark.
Pelosi/Reid had a great opportunity to right the ship, as it were. Instead, their sole function seems to be making a bigger splash than the other kool-aid drinkers. “You jumped a shark? We’ll jump a whale!”
Don’t blame Pelosi, or Reid, or Frist or DeLay or Bush. Blame yourselves. Y’all put up with it. Being pro-life or pro-choice does nothing to address our economic issues. Whether or not a candidate smoked marijuana in high school/college 30 years ago has nothing to do with re-establishing America’s energy independence.
Michael Smith said it best: none of the above. If y’all are worried about “giving a vote to Obama” if you vote for Barr, or Romney, or whomever, then work on selecting better candidates for the next election. Woody’s right about the whole Electoral College. The citizen’s duty is to offer two candidates worthy of being selected. If you don’t like the choices, change them. If you don’t try to change them, shut the hell up.
By obama voters need a clue
September 18, 2008 10:43 AM | Link to this
Enuff to cover da car payment and da mortgage. Still need ribs and beer for da party…and for the wife to get her hair done.
By obamavotershaveaclue!
September 18, 2008 10:49 AM | Link to this
I think you mean the wifey needs to get her hair did. And we fittin’ to poe some Tanqueray and grill up some chicken wings too, fool!
By obama voters dont be havin a clue
September 18, 2008 11:23 AM | Link to this
My bad. Get her hair did. And she need to be gettin’ a lil sumptin-sumptin did wid her ashie feets too.
Tanqueray…moderation…drink responsibly.
By obama voters dont be havin a clue
September 18, 2008 11:26 AM | Link to this
There you go woody…we woke up your dead a$$ blog for you.
Run along and write us up a little something we can work with…
By Michael H. Smith
September 25, 2008 9:46 AM | Link to this
Is Prof. Bass playing hookie?
Today’s lesson is now on the board:
Gwinnett studies ‘aggressive’ budget cuts
Does every Gwinnett County department head need a car? Would it be better to lease vehicles instead of buying them? And why does the county have multiple warehouses when one might be cheaper?
These are among the hundreds of questions nine Gwinnett County employee task forces will seek to answer over the next 100 days in an urgent effort to cut costs and increase revenues as the county settles in for what its leaders believe will be a long economic siege.
“We need to demonstrate to our citizens that we are doing everything we possibly can,” County Administrator Jock Connell said Wednesday after announcing the initiative.
The groups will seek to find $35 million in reduced expenses or increased revenues, and should make their recommendations by November, in time to be included in the 2009 budget.
“There will be some aggressive recommendations,” Deputy County Administrator Michael Comer predicted.
The $35 million figure roughly matches the amount of money county officials have budgeted to spend from the county’s reserve fund this year due to stagnant or declining revenues and rising costs.
http://www.ajc.com/gwinnett/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/2008/09/24/gwinnettbudgetcuts.html
Now let us see if the dumb DemocRATS have any sense to at least ask the right questions. To quote one of their very own from their lousy liberal ilk: Like, DUH?!
How enjoyable it will be to watch the liberals fail the county pop-quiz once again only to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory when the finals are given in November.