Republicans So now that the Republicans were VOTED in control of congress

It is irrelevant as to whether the Republicans held one house of congress or both, all they have needed is one of them to obstruct every initiative put forward. To be clear, the Dems have done the same with not allowing votes to come to the Senate floor as you alluded to. As to who should go first in the peace talks, I don't know that either side is willing to do so. A 24 hour news cycle coupled with bundles of dark money have made compromising or changing ones mind political suicide so no one does it anymore.

I agree with Red that a viable third party would go a long way toward helping as well as the ending of gerrymandering every ten years. If, by ending the winner-take-all system of Presidential elections, we mean that we split the electoral votes based strictly upon the popular vote then I would agree with that notion also. Currently I think there is some rumbling in the Republican base about trying to split electoral votes on a state level in swing states to try and give themselves a better shot at winning the Presidency. I am vehemently opposed to altering the electoral college in this manner but would favor splitting the electoral votes of each state to reflect the popular vote.

 

Why do we need the Electoral College at all? Just count the votes and whoever gets the most wins.

 

Woa dude. Where do you get these ideas!

 

From your lips to God's ears.

 

That's part of it. There was also the concern that the large population states would overwhelm the small population states. The same reason that the senate was created is that is gave the small population states more weight.
Is it needed now? I don't know. I lean to having the electoral college be proportionalized within the states. That way the minority rump in a large population state votes would have meaning. As it is the districts such as the Rs in Orange County Ca and Ds in Austin Texas and the like votes have no meaning. The D majorities in Ca & R majorities swamp the minorities that have little hope that their vote will have any influence in the outcome.

 

http://jonmcnaughton.com/content/ZoomDetailPages/OneNationUnderGod.html

Because this is how Republicans think we got the constitution and it should never be changed, even though I think TJ said it should be looked at every 20 years so current generations aren't enslaved to prior generations, I'm paraphrasing of course.