November 17, 2000

"Man, ain't this presidential race sump'n else?" my husband commented, on the second day of the recent nail biter election. "I got bags under my eyes an' I'm plumb dizzy from the television networks tossin' Florida back an' forth betwixt an' between 'em like a football. No wonder they call it a toss up state."

"I'm not sure we can take this more than once every hundred years or so or we'll all have ulcers," I added.

"In a way it was kind of fun to see some of the pollsters and pundits with egg on thur faces. Man, wuz they off on thur numbers goin' into the election. That's whut they git fer pollin' folks like me who give 'em bogus answers to questions that ain't none of thur bidness to begin with," Mel said, chuckling. "Bet them news anchors is gonna be plumb gun shy next go-round. An' it shore nuff looks like thur gonna hafta change Florida from the `Sunshine State' to the `too-close-to-call' state."

"Funny how the populace in certain states is almost homogeneous in their thinking and really diverse in others. Nationally, of course, it appears to be split almost down the middle, if the voters this election cycle truly reflect the nation's mindset," I suggested. "Some 96 million people voted, but that isn't nearly all the people. We really don't know whut the rest of them think."

"Must not keer if they didn't bother to vote," Mel observed. "Ain't no excuse rilly. They made it easier than ever to vote—that is if you can make out which hole to punch on the ballot. Ain't nuttin' more reliable than a Number 2 pencil if you ask me."

From there, our discussion moved to the Electoral College and whether or not it's still relevant today. "Somehow it jist don't seem right that the guy with the most votes don't win. That's how it works in ever' other election," Mel noted. "Whatever happened to majority rule?"

"Our founding fathers came up with the Electoral College to avoid mob rule. Although we have a democratic form of government, we're not a direct democracy. We are a constitutional republic, with representatives. We essentially have presidential races in each of the 50 states..."

"Well thanks for the civics lesson, Cokie Roberts," my husband sniped. "Seems like an elitist idea, like our forefathers didn't thank us common people wuz smart enough to pick our own leader so they get some high priest to do it for us. I thank it's time for the Electoral College to go."

"It would take more than an act of Congress to get rid of it. A two-thirds majority of each state legislature would have to approve an amendment to the Constitution. That's a pretty tall order. I'm for keeping it. Our nation's founders gave this a lot of thought, and it has generally worked well. If it went to just the popular vote, candidates would likely campaign in four or five of the densely populated states and forget everyone else. This way, the little guys have clout, too."

"Maybe so, but a ol' country boy like me coulda settled this mess a lot quicker an' cheaper."

"How' that?"

"It's winner take all...I'd jist flip a coin an' say, `Heads I win, tails you lose!'"