Letters: Electoral College should be scrapped | The Sacramento Bee

Both political parties let us down

Re “Forget #Calexit. Just defend California against Trump” (Editorials, Nov. 11): Don’t blame Donald Trump. Blame the leaders of the Democratic and Republican parties. Collectively, they have caused the electorate to feel disenfranchised. By offering illegal immigrants free medical, tuition and other benefits, Americans feel left out and they see a radical change in the American culture. Trump and Bernie Sanders capitalized on this feeling.

U.S. gets a new worst president

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While Trump’s election is horrible news for the health of the planet and the evolution of civilization, it is great news for President James Buchanan and his descendants. There is now an excellent chance that he’ll finally be supplanted as the consensus worst president in American history. For baby boomers contemplating whether to delay taking their Social Security benefits, you may want to consider drawing them sooner rather than later.

United States has been declining

Of the two flawed candidates for president, the one who advocated change won the election. Change frightens many people. They feel safe with the existing situation, the establishment, even when they are unhappy with it. It is the audacious who create change.

Over the last 40 years our country has declined, no longer the richest, most inventive nation. Once the leader in the world, now we are a pale image of what we once were: only an asterisk in the space program; international influence lost; sovereignty diminished; our people’s lives now rank third or fourth in the world; jobs sent to other countries; infrastructure falling apart; endemic corruption in government; our military in turmoil, weak, ineffective.

This could not continue. Change had to come, if not for ourselves, then for our children. The challenge now is to only make changes that benefit our people.

Trump needs to make amends

I can hardly call our next president by name. This is from someone who experienced sexual assault at the age of 2 along with her sister at the age of 4, and then losing her sister after a lifelong battle of devastation within our family. Unless these things have happened to you, you may never understand the rippling effects of someone who speaks of people the way he has.

My sister stopped speaking for a long time after she was assaulted and our family was ripped apart. My father died at a young age due to what happened and my mom had a mental breakdown.

I truly hope that this man can reflect and vow to never speak in such a vile manner again. God save America.

Trump won’t sink the ship of state

The ship of state made a course correction last night. It was veering too much to port and has turned back starboard. Whether this is the right course remains to be seen. Icebergs await.

Alex Padilla should pick his battles

Re “California election chief slams Trump immigration adviser” (Page 9A, Nov. 11): Interesting that Secretary of State Alex Padilla is taking a stance on Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

Where is Padilla on the fact that Californians are effectively left out of the presidential primary election process? Where is Padilla on the Electoral College system? Is “one person, one vote” really so bad? Why doesn’t he stand up for California voters?

Electoral College serves a purpose

Some elements of the Electoral College, such as the indirect vote through intermediaries, were hotly debated at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. It was eventually justified in part as a stopgap to potentially reverse the vote if the people elected a criminal, traitor, or similar kind of heinous person. The Founders wanted to empower democratic elements in the American system, but they feared a kind of pure, unrestrained democracy that had brought down great republics of the past.

Trump won and so will the rest of us

When it gets down to the nitty-gritty, a winner wins. Donald Trump is a winner. Now, it’s time for America to start winning again.