The Genius of the United States Constitution is truly a remarkable thing. Those of us who have grown up under its effects have a tendency to think of it as common to life. It is like the brilliance of a fine watch, we glance at it to obtain the time of day without notice or understanding of the wonders of its design.
"The Principles of the Constitution form the bright constellation which has gone before us and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation. The wisdom of our sages and the blood of our heroes have been devoted to their attainment. They should be the creed of our political faith, the text of civic instruction, the touchstone by which to try the services of those we trust; and should we wander from them in moments of error or of alarm, let us hasten to retrace our steps and to regain the road which alone leads to peace, liberty, and safety." - Thomas Jefferson
It is worth our consideration that the United States is the only nation whose foundation of government is a creed. While other nations establish their identity in ethnicity, geography, ideology, or even tradition, the United States finds itself grounded upon certain principles of law. We find that these principles are largely derived from the Founder's understanding of the Biblical text itself and its influence upon the thinking and the way they viewed the world around them.
The term "American exceptionalism" has been used in the past to point out our Arrogance as a people. However, its origin is not American, it was coined by the French scholar Alexis de Tocqueville during his visit to the United States at the beginning of the 19th century. The phase should not be taken for or pointed at a particular people, for we are a diversity; it is instead intended to highlight an exceptional political system that has provided a level of freedom and human dignity as well as a social responsibility that never before existed in history. No other instrument of government, ancient or modern produced firmer stability, offered more freedom, promoted individual prosperity, or conveyed such hope and peaceful transference of power as the United States Constitution.
Admittedly a direct national vote where every vote is counted and the winner wins has an appealing sound to it. However, that is because we have just glanced at the watch to see what time it is and never considered how it works. This is fueled by the fact using the Electoral College a President can be elected as President without receiving the majority of the popular vote. This has happened in the American experience a number of times.
There are other complications to the Electoral College such as faithless electors, but generally, the electors are faithful to cast their votes for their party candidate. However, it seems the main criticism always brought against the College is the popular vote.
"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government, lest it comes to dominate our lives and interests." - Patrick Henry
"We have received the Constitution as the work of the assembled wisdom of the nation. We have trusted to it as to the sheet anchor of our safety in the stormy times of conflict with a foreign or domestic foe. We have looked to it with sacred awe as the palladium of our liberties, and with all the solemnities of religion have pledged to each other our lives and fortunes here and our hopes of happiness hereafter in its defense and support. Were we mistaken, my countrymen, in attaching this importance to the Constitution? No. We were not mistaken. The letter of this great instrument is free from radical fault. No, we did not err." - Andrew Jackson
When considering a direct election, most do not recognize the possibility without the Electoral College, it would be possible for a candidate to lose as many as 49 states in the popular vote and still win the Presidency. Somehow we miss the point of a direct election or majority count. With our politics as closely divided as they are now and a 51% majority winning an election, a 1% could tilt the slate of power.
Also, consider in a direct election the people in four of our large cities would carry the equivalent of electoral clout as 15 of our states. If you take the population of Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming; in a direct election the city of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston would carry as much political say as all these states combined.
The idea of eliminating the Electoral College in favor of a direct election is a very dangerous consideration to entertain. Of the 5 times the College failed to elect a President without a popular vote, all were unique circumstances. If you even consider those times a failure, what system could provide such consistency over two centuries? We should be careful in our perceived modern wisdom to cast away the brilliance of our Fathers.
"The Constitution, our bulwark of liberty, is the closest instrument we have to earthly justice and fairness. Should the apparatus fail to support our particular preferences at the moment, we can yet be assured that it will protect us ultimately, in the long term. Ours is not a compact for a moment, but for perpetuity." - Samuel Tilden
We have here considered only one aspect of the Electoral College, there are many unique designs in its application that provide both safety and security to our electoral system. I would encourage you to study what it does and how it does it and why before expressing an opinion of its unfairness. I suspect after a thorough understanding you will come to the conclusion your vote really does count and it is most protected by the genius of the Electoral College.
God bless,
David
