2020年11月9日
午夜,夜未央,在酒館一角呷過了Guinness,在高懸的電視熒光屏上看過了President Biden的笑容,手機上傳來早已嫁到美國去的小友短訊:「Biden won!」然後是一個狠狠kiss我的emoji!我伸伸懶腰,翻翻手上的一大卷The Federalist——係吖!這陣子我浮誇得愛在酒館中踞看美國建國先賢(「Founding Fathers」叫「國父」太封建了!)的《聯邦黨人文集》,還要是Terence Ball編的劍大版呢。
今天路人甲皆謂美國總統選舉倒瀉籮蟹,眾聲喧嘩,摔角濺起的泥漿一地都係,但人家從來亂中有序,風雲聚散,見證了逾二百年的和平權力轉移,而咱搞的還不是那紫禁城中的一套陰謀詭計?
然而,我常奇怪,The Federalist中討論總統選舉制度的偏又不太多,1788年3月22日Alexander Hamilton在The Federalist Paper No. 68上開宗明義:
「The mode of appointment of the chief magistrate [i.e., president] of the United States is almost the only part of the system, of any consequence, which has escaped without severe censure...The most plausible of [its opponents]...has even deigned to admit, that the election of the President is pretty well guarded. I ventured somewhat further...that if the manner of it be nor perfect, it is at least excellent.」
Hamilton信心滿滿,笑謂那制度「unites in an eminent degree all the advantages the union of which was to be desired.」然後殷殷條陳那all the advantages of excellence。
那制度便是後來垂之久遠的Electoral College,是以酒館中幽暗中我還得一讀再讀他們的No. 68。
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