The Presidency should be decided by popular vote (or not?)

[LanternWaste]

71. I have no real problem with individual states choosing delegates...

The best analysis of the abolition of the Electoral College I know of is found in Peirce's 'The People's President'. Conclusion is that in doing so would reduce the both the representation and the power of the smaller states, who would then become fundamentally irrelevant to the process of governing the country (as would too the rural, less-populated regions of the high population states). Indeed, the 1787 Convention illustrated this in that representatives of the larger states were for the most part, against the idea of the college, while the smaller states recognized that insured their continued relevance if they decided to join the republic.

And, as the position is known as President of the United States rather than President of the United Peoples, I have no real problem with individual states choosing (as they see fit), and then sending delegates to make that choice. At the end of the day though, the issue is very, very far down on my list of concerns with contemporary politics.