The Electoral College Will Destroy America

[Zorro]

And no, New York and California would not dominate a popular vote.

Last week, Nate Silver, the polling analyst, tweeted a chart illustrating the chances that Joe Biden would become president if he wins the most votes in November.

The “if” is probably unnecessary. It’s hard to find anyone who disputes that Mr. Biden will win the most votes. This isn’t a liberal’s fantasy. In a recent panel discussion among four veteran Republican campaign managers, one acknowledged, “We’re going to lose the popular vote.” Another responded, “Oh, that’s a given.” The real question is will Mr. Biden win enough more votes than President Trump to overcome this year’s bias in the Electoral College.

Mr. Silver’s analysis is bracing. If Mr. Biden wins by five percentage points or more — if he beats Donald Trump by more than seven million votes — he’s a virtual shoo-in. If he wins 4.5 million more votes than the president? He’s still got a three-in-four chance to be president.

Anything less, however, and Mr. Biden’s odds drop like a rock. A mere three million-vote Biden victory? A second Trump term suddenly becomes more likely than not. If Mr. Biden’s margin drops to 1.5 million — about the populations of Rhode Island and Wyoming combined — forget about it. The chance of a Biden presidency in that scenario is less than one in 10.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/08/opinion/electoral-college-trump-biden.html

[Jeebo]

1. If Democrats hold the House and win the White House and Senate...

...they need to put priority on fixing a number of things, including the electoral college. Another thing they need to do is pass federal legislation REQUIRING any candidate for federal elective office to release his/her tax returns. They need to strengthen the laws concerning subpoenas of witnesses in House and Senate investigations, so that NO president can EVER AGAIN get away with ignoring and stonewalling those subpoenas, or with instructing his subordinates in the executive branch to ignore them. They need to change the filibuster rules in the Senate so that nobody can ever again do what the turtle has been doing, just ignoring anything the Democrats in the House send to the Senate, or nominees from the president (Merrick Garland). There's a whole bunch of things like that the Democrats need to do to fix the holes in our federal government that the orange con man has exposed. And they should put priority on these legislative fixes. Along with getting the plague under control, of course, and the economic devastation it has caused. There will be SO much to do, but first, of course, we have to get to work winning these elections...

-- Ron

[brush]

2. This has to change. It's like the repugs get a head start in...

every presidential race.

[marie999]

3. Hard to get 2/3 of both houses to vote for it and probably all small states

will vote against it so hard to get 3/4 of states to vote for it. Worth a try though.

[lagomorph777]

4. There are paths that don't require an Amendment.

For example, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Popular_Vote_Interstate_Compact

Maybe federal election assistance could be tied to participation?

[marie999]

5. We have an Electoral College.

Right now the winning party in every state picks the members of the Electoral Collage. Who do you want to pick them? You mess with that then don't complain if in the next election a Republican wins using the same means. And how do you think the voters will react to making their votes meaningless? You don't like the Electoral Collage, change The Constitution.

[lagomorph777]

6. Yes, an Amendment is desirable, but takes decades. We need help now.

In the interim, I would like the voters of each state to pick the EC members. Do it proportionately to the votes.

[marie999]

7. That works according to The Constitution.

[lagomorph777]

8. Bingo!