" No Way to Pick A President " - Witcover, Jules

           Rhode Island's own late great Senator John O. Pastore is

    the wise man in Jules Witcover's book "  No Way to Pick a President ".

    Read the next to the last chapter on the electoral system , aptly

    titled : " An Accident Waiting To Happen ".

             Pastore : " I would do away with the whole electoral

    college. I would do away with it completely. I would have the

    people elect the President of the United States on election

    day....  I  say when the people go to the polls the man who

    receives the greatest number of votes should be elected President

    of the people. He is the President of the people of the United

    States, and not the President of the states. It makes no

    difference to me how many electoral votes the people of

    Rhode Island have. "

               Concludes  Witcover : the present electoral college

     makes possible the " installation of person whom the majority

    of Americans don't want. This particular college should

    close its doors . "

               Senator Pastore - of the silver tongue - was

    debating this issue in 1956 with none other than  John

    F. Kennedy.