----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bear Powell" <replicant@northstate.net>
To: <tenchi@usagi.org>
Subject: [tenchi:105576] Re: <OT> I have completely lost faith in the majority of
US Voters.
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 2004 14:59:16 -0500

> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Alan Zabaro"
> > Don't forget that this presidency comes with the opportunity to appoint 
> > a number of Supreme Court justices (up to 4). So you should expect a 
> > Republican controlled Supreme Court as well.
> 
> >_<! Ack! I had forgotten about that stipulation.
> 
> > To be honest, I was more concerned about the disdain for habeas corpus 
> > (as demonstrated by Guantamo, and blocked only by SCOTUS - I expect this 
> > to change), as well as the effort to find ways to bypass the 8th 
> > amendment (specifically the "cruel and unusual punishment" portion).
> > 
> > I'm dismayed at these results. (And FWIW I'm a registered Republican)
> 
> We will definitely have to keep an eye on the Republican agenda
> to see how it's going to change things. With so much control now
> I could see it taking a couple hundred years to undo the potential
> damage if they can get many of their prospective ideas through.
> 

Eh...

There was a Republican president with a majority in both houses prior to this, so
I don't see that big of a change.  The Republicans in the Senate still don't have
the votes necessary to override a filibuster.

> > OTOH, at least there won't be an extended legal battle this time. It's 
> > pretty clear what the majority voted for.
> 
> Yeah, I still feel the Electoral College system should be completely
> reworked or simply gotten rid of. I see nothing wrong with letting
> Popular vote be the deciding factor.
> 

No thanks.  The last thing we need is a close popular vote with that sort of system
in place.  Then you'd see Florida all over again, but on a national scale.  I live
in California, so my generally conservative votes don't count for much on the
national scene (Boxer...  ugh...), but I'm still happy to see the Electoral College
in place.  I don't even like the idea that some states have implemented of splitting
up their electoral votes according to what percentage of the state's vote each
candidate got (i.e. a state that had 5 votes and went 40/60 on the popular vote would
split the votes 2/3 between the two candidates).  It has the same problem in the event
of a close national race.  Its much better to only have to wrangle about one
or two states - although until someone pulls off another Reagan style landslide, you're
pretty much guaranteed to have at least minor bickering over a state or two after
every election.

> Also, for the record I am considered "Independent/Unaffiliated".
> I still find it amazing that I was a Young Republican in college. >_<!
> Times definitely have changed and my viewpoints have drastically
> altered from my teenage mindset.
> 

Everyone changes.

^_^

On an unrelated note, are you in the WoW Stress test right now?  And if so, which
server are you on?


junior

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