Robert Hemingway is, in my view, not only incorrect, but is being quite disingenious, if not flatout prevaricating, in his remarks about the election of Mr. Bush to the presidency in the topic "definition of Self Publishing Online" -- because:
The United States, a REPUBLIC, is comprised of 50 members ("States") and, under the federal umbrella, additional number of protectorates (Puerto Rico, etc.) with lesser authority and responsibility than the States.
Being a REPUBLIC, that means that votes count within the STATE, whose elected representatives (the "Electoral College members") gather to vote for a president, based on the vote in their state. That means the "national" vote does NOT count; "nation wide popular vote" is meaningless. If anything, this confusion is partly the fault of political parties that lose, and on teachers who omit the lesson.
Indeed, the record shows that more states, more counties, and more incorporated cities cast the majority of votes within their confines for Mr. Bush. Going a step further, if we were to count votes by AREA, a larger AREA of the United States voted for Mr. Bush. Why? Because of the large number of votes within the biggest cities.
This method helps keep the United States on a somewhat even keel, as the heavily populated cities (where political machines control the outcomes) do not overrule the balance of the nation on the presidential vote. Mr. Bush is NOT THE FIRST president elected to office with a 'minority' of the public vote. A careful study of the Associated Press reports is required to find the other names, but -- buried under all their anti-GOP rhetoric -- it's there.
Our national heritage includes the Declaration of Independence, as well as the Coinstitution of the United States. Neither one uses the word "democratic." Certainly were we "democratic" we might expect a natinal popular vote to count, but IT DOES NOT.
It wasn't until Woodrow Wilson, in 1916, asked our nation to enter the European War "to make the world safe for democracy" that the word came near our government. F. D. Roosevelt, in 1940, said "America must be the great arsenal of democracy" by aiding England in World War II.
Ironic to both speakers: England, our ally, is not a democracy. The United States is not a democracy. BUT these two presidents spoke as if the WORLD was a democracy -- where the fattest cat, who spent the most (tax) dollars, could buy the most votes from the most people....
As to Journalism's position in American politics: most newspapers are profit making organizations, businesses, who want *less taxes *more hours worked by employees *less unionism *less responsibility for personnel health and safety *less personnel "benefits *less taxes *a more responsive political agenda in their community, their state and of course at the national level, less taxes. You'd think they'd be behind the GOP, because the GOP has as its single flag the banner that reads "States Rights." Their opposition, the Democratic (National) Party, wants a srong central government based in the federal government of laws, bureaus and rules, regulations and financial giveaways to "favored representatives" (also called pork barreling) ... but NO states rights.
Interestingly enough, BOTH parties are guilty of pork barreling, of padding political platforms to produce tax dollars for their personal constituents.
AND, the losing party always complains about the party that wins. Something ALWAYS "threw" the election; ergo, the original post.
Edward W. Stollery II
Professional Resource Specialist
Thank you, everyone: Michael, John and Andrew, for taking part, and the rest of you for cheering us on. ...
Edward W. Stollery II
02/09/01 03:03
12488
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