The DISHONEST History Of The Electoral College
If we listen to Hamilton's take on the EC in Federalist 68, it was the only part of the US electoral system designed to prevent a malignant sociopath like Trump from ever becoming president.
The process of election affords a moral certainty, that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications. Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity, may alone suffice to elevate a man to the first honors in a single State; but it will require other talents, and a different kind of merit, to establish him in the esteem and confidence of the whole Union, or of so considerable a portion of it as would be necessary to make him a successful candidate for the distinguished office of President of the United States. It will not be too strong to say, that there will be a constant probability of seeing the station filled by characters pre-eminent for ability and virtue.
But it turns out it was that antidemocratic abomination that IMPOSED a malignant sociopath on the nation. AND it seems Hamilton wasn't being truthful
The Framers of Constitution were involved in an illegal coop against what were then the supreme law of the land... the Articles Of Confederation. It was failing but also essentially reformproof. So when the Framers devised their new system it had to fix the problems with the Articles... but it also had to be ratified or the nation might be in a worse situation. So many cynical compromises were included that need to be revisited... such as the EC. As it turns out it's the presidential counter part to the 3/5ths person rule. Madison explains it in the secret minutes of the Convention...
"The people at large was in his opinion the fittest in itself. It would be as likely as any that could be devised to produce an Executive Magistrate of distinguished Character. The people generally could only know & vote for some Citizen whose merits had rendered him an object of general attention & esteem. There was one difficulty however of a serious nature attending an immediate choice by the people. The right of suffrage was much more diffusive in the Northern than the Southern States; and the latter could have no influence in the election on the score of the Negroes. The substitution of electors obviated this difficulty and seemed on the whole to be liable to fewest objections."
July 19, 1787
Why didn't we ever learn that in US History class?
