To be fair, Jackson did turn out to be pretty appalling.

Don't forget the role of slavery. The electroral college was also a protection for slavery.

Don't forget the role of slavery. The electroral college was also a protection for slavery.

That is true (and of course it was pushed as "States' rights" when the tide turned against it). However, I put most weight on the "three-fifths of a person" clause in the Constitution in protecting slavery. It worked easily with the EC, but it did so through its impact on House representation. Conversely, equal Senate representation initially favoured the northern states, which on average were smaller than the southern states.

Zen, I fly out of Dulles all the time, and it's not super-complicated. You do have to allow a lot of time though, as the terminals are a ways from the main building. After you check in, just follow the signs.

You know who would be awesome in the job? A career diplomat who has put in years of service and earned the job.

LOLOLOLoLOLOLOL.

The political appointee positions in State go deeper and deeper every year. So even if you did this you'd have hundreds of random political appointees running around.

Kerry's made it extremely clear that he wants the job, and it will probably go to him. But you know what's even scarier? If Mitt had been elected it would've been JOHN BOLTON.

Kerry's made it extremely clear that he wants the job, and it will probably go to him. But you know what's even scarier? If Mitt had been elected it would've been JOHN BOLTON.

I like to imagine that in a wacky misunderstanding, he instead appoints Michael Bolton. Forget the Monroe Doctrine, world, get ready for the Romney Doctrine: "Let the U.S.A. touch you... there."

hundreds of random political appointees running around.

Like the minions in Despicable Me?

Banana

Rachel Maddow seems to be having the happiest broadcast of her life right now.

Conversely, equal Senate representation initially favoured the northern states, which on average were smaller than the southern states.

But it is also true that at the time many of the smaller Northern states were involved in the triangle trade - sugar( & molasses) rum and slaves. So it still favored slavery.

Incidentally ita !, preferential voting is not woo-woo. You take an election where we might want a run off and rank your choices so that the results of a run-off can be calculated mathematically. IF there are 3 candidates and all the voters rank them and nobody gets a majority then it is straightforward to calculate who would win a run-off. Simple fairness in any election with more than two candidates.

Incidentally one result of not having PR or some form of choice voting is that even in Congress (which is supposed to be the small d democratic house of Congress, and which currently has approximately equal population in districts) we can have cases where one party wins a majority of the popular vote and ends up winning a minority of the seats. That has happened a number of times in the past 20 years, though it is so taken for granted that apparently it passes unnoticed. I don't know if happened this time or not, but conditions were certainly ripe for it.

TB, I think you might have missed my B'cracy-induced sarcasm. I don't know how preferential voting can need explaining to anyone who posted through that (I'd figure it you don't get it, it's a choice by now)--and I have been around that long.