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I think Democrats calling for getting rid of the Electoral College are off-base for a few reasons. Of course I get the beauty and simplicity of saying “whoever gets more votes wins.” It seems like the essence of democracy and has a strong innate appeal.
First, getting rid of the Electoral College would require a Constitutional amendment. This would be a non-starter with many legislators whose states would lose electors. It’s an impractical conversation to raise.
Second, the incentives would drive candidates to campaign in high-density cities and big media markets. It would skew both campaigns and policies against lower-density rural areas in a very direct way.
Third, it runs the risk of making Democrats seem like we are losing elections by the rules that have been in place for decades so we need to change the rules. That’s a very unprincipled place to be. We need to win an election by the rules we have before we call for any changes.
If I were to advocate for any change it would be to make states award electors proportionally instead of winner-take-all. This would lead candidates to campaign everywhere and not just the ~12 battleground states. I believe Americans would appreciate this change a great deal.
I understand the passion and frustration with the Electoral College. For those who wish to change it, again, our challenge is to win the election in 2020. Focus on that and when we win we will be in better position to have these conversations. 👍🇺🇸
