Bill Sykes' Newsletter
from America.
(September 2004)
An ex-Brit gives his views-(without fear
or favor)---of the American Scene
American Presidential Elections. ( A brief lesson
in American Constitutional History).
Under the Constitution of the United States there are
three branches of Government.
The Legislative Branch: Which is the law making institution.
The Executive Branch: Which is the law enforcing institution.
The Judicial Branch: Which is the Law interpreting institution.
Here is a brief description of how the Chief Executive
of the "Executive Branch", who is the President
of the United States, is elected.
 A President must be at least thirty-five years of age
when he/she is elected, and his/her term of Office is
four years.
The President of the United States is limited to only serving the Country
for two terms.
The Constitution states that the President and Vice President must be a native
born citizen.
Naturalized citizens, although not eligible for Presidential office, are
eligible for all other governmental offices in the United States.
Quote: "The President of the United States of America is elected by the people
- but
not directly."
Comment:
The statement, "but not directly",
has always bothered me, as you will see from the next
sentence. The people cast their votes for, "Presidential
Electors", and these Presidential Electors
are the ones who elect the President. The numbers of Presidential Electors
representing each State are as follows: The number of Presidential Electors
is equal to the number of United States Representatives plus the number
of United States Senators who are currently serving any
State within the Union at the time of the Presidential
election. The Presidential Electors are not members of
Congress. The Presidential Electors are pledged to vote
for the candidate who was nominated at the National Convention
of their party.
Have you got all that? If you have, then you certainly surprise me!!!
Surely you have some comments?
 So - you see my dilemma when it is said, "That
the President of the United States is elected by the
people of the United States". Perhaps it should
say the President is elected by "some" of the people of the
United States.
In the last Presidential Election, (which of course was between George
W. Bush and Al Gore), Candidate Gore received 500,000 (give or take a
few) more popular votes, (the votes of all the people), than incumbent
President Bush, and still lost the election mostly due to voting irregularities
in the State of Florida and the final "selection", (not election),
made by the members of the United States Supreme Court who acted as arbitrator
in the dispute. So it finally came down to a situation whereby a majority
vote amongst the seven members of the Supreme Court "selected" George
W. Bush as President of the United States.
What a way to run a Presidential Election!
We welcome feedback about any of the contents of these
newsletters. Please send all correspondence to bill_sykes@huddersfield1.co.uk
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