Thread by @Dreamweasel

The worst thing you could do the GOP would be to abandon the Electoral College in favor of a direct popular vote, because the current version of the GOP has all but abandoned the notion of creating policy with broad popular support.

They have forfeited the marketplace of ideas.

“But if we abandon the Electoral College, the GOP will just change their strategy accordingly!”

Yes, but that would still mean they’d need a message that appeals to more than 50% of the voters, and not just cement gains in three swing states. That strikes me as an improvement.

The GOP is fully aware that the Electoral College regularly gives them an advantage; this is why they would inevitably fight tooth & nail to protect it. it’s why their last two Presidents won their (first) elections, despite losing the popular vote.

My response to a Mark Hamill post went the Energizer Bunny route last night & crept into quadruple digits, so I’ve been hearing all kinds of weird denials based on cherry-picked data that no, the EC does not give an unfair advantage to the GOP

https://twitter.com/dreamweasel/status/1481342351842889741?s=21

(Yes, the “Energizer Bunny”. Kids, ask your parents what I’m talking about.)

Posts like this are excellent reinforcement of my original point that the GOP has abandoned much hope of ever capturing the popular vote again. Sure, they’ll blame “handouts” & whatnot, as if somehow only one side considers self-interest as a motivating factor.

https://twitter.com/luisbobby3/status/1481611517837643781

I’ll say the quiet part out loud: The GOP feels no obligation to appeal to “urban”(nonwhite) voters because they feel in their gut that those types of people shouldn’t count as real Americans.

It’s why they equate a direct popular vote to “mob rule”. Because brown people = mobs.