Deri,

This link pretty well explains how the electoral college functions, but
I still have a hard time figuring out it's usefulness.  Back when the
country was more rural and/or it was more difficult to get to the polls,
it made some sense, but now it seems to have outlived its original
purpose

http://www.fec.gov/pages/ecworks.htm


Kendall Corbett

An unreasonable man (but my wife says that's redundant!)

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all
progress depends on the unreasonable man.
-George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950

Can someone tell me what are the advantages of the Electoral College
system
over more democratic systems.

UK is in the same boat as the USA here - not unknown for the "result" to
not
match the popular vote. Other European countries seem to have adopted
systems
which produce a parliament which more closely matches the popular vote.

I do find it funny that the UK touts its "democracy", but in fact the
system
is designed to perpetuate 2 party politics, which can't possibly
accurately
reflect the broad range of opinions in society.

Cheers

Deri