We have had an election, an Electoral College vote and soon an inauguration.
We keep hearing that the Electoral College should be dumped in favor of the popular vote results. On one hand that sounds great. However, I have a couple issues with that idea.
A straight popular vote winner means that the mob rules the country. In this last election, the bulk of the mob would be living in California and the northeastern part of the country.
Take a moment to think about how statewide candidates such as senator or governor campaign in Minnesota. Do they come to Alexandria, St. Cloud, Little Falls, Wadena or Fergus Falls for more than a brief stop maybe once during the campaign? Now apply that type of campaigning to the presidential race. The candidates would concentrate on the East Coast, West Coast, Texas and maybe Chicago and/or Detroit.
The Electoral College makes the presidential candidates campaign in the middle of the country. We have the popular vote within each state. Each state assigns their electoral votes according to the results within the state, thus all states are important to the Electoral College total.
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Maybe the Electoral College is not so bad after all.
Patricia Seifert
Grey Eagle
