Everyone knows the Drudge Report favors (to put it as kindly as possible for Drudge) Donald Trump.
And it’s no wonder – they both have similar marketing styles and simplistic ways of looking at and communicating the world to their fans and followers.
“Voterless Election in Colorado!” “Cruz Wins All!” “Great anger – totally unfair!”
Whoa! What’s going on here?
Join me in imagining a conversation I would have with someone named John who is open minded but inclined to side with Trump or Drudge:
John: It’s unfair. The election is rigged.
Dave: I can see how you would feel that way, but let me ask you this: do we live in a democracy or a republic?
John: What’s the difference?
Dave: In a democracy, people vote directly and majority rules. In a republic, people vote for representatives or delegates and they study things out and vote on behalf of those they represent.
John: You mean like Congress?
Dave: Exactly. Or like at the upcoming convention.
John: We should do away with conventions. They’re obsolete.
Dave: Without conventions, we would have to elect nominees directly.
John: What’s wrong with that?
Dave: Someone who only wins a plurality might become the nominee.
John: What’s wrong with that?
Dave: That’s how Hitler got elected, for starters. It’s never a good idea to let a minority candidate become the nominee. Take this other example: in 1860, Seward got 37% of the vote of the delegates on the first round. Lincoln got 22% and other candidates got 41%. If we had called off the voting after the first round and given it to the person with the most votes, then Seward, who had relatively shallow support, would have been the Republican nominee, and could have easily lost the general election. History shows that when the Republican Party nominated the candidate who had the strongest DEPTH of support and could win over a majority of delegates, namely Lincoln, it resulted in the best possible outcome compared to nominating the person with the strongest POPULAR support.
John: Wow. I didn’t know that. So you’re saying that electing delegates who go to a convention is a better system than direct elections?
Dave: Exactly. The founding fathers knew what they were doing when they made America a Constitutional Republic and not a Democracy. To this day, our elections are at least partly rooted in the idea that you have to have a system that reduces the threat of the Tyranny of the Majority. Even worse than that, though, is the Tyranny of the Minority that is easily possible when a plurality of the direct vote is all that is necessary to gain power. That’s exactly how Hitler came to power and then subtly but swiftly consolidated his power through deception and concealment.
John: Hmmm, so are you comparing Trump to Hitler?
Dave: * sigh *