| teamsilent13 said: If our founders wanted a straight majority they wouldn't have spent the time making the electoral college. It's actually exactly in place for the exact reason he won. A few huge cities shouldn't determine the fate of the country on their whim. |
The electoral college exists to protect the country from the potential of a tyrannical ruler who doesn't represent the interests of the country. Basically, it puts the final say into the hands of the electoral college instead of the people so “that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications.” In practice, this means essentially nothing because the EC votes firmly alongside the voters.
I've never understood the argument that "a few huge cities shouldn't determine the fate of the country". I'm not sure why the vote of someone who lives in a city shouldn't count as much as someone who lives in the country. Further, that is largely the same position we are in now. There are only really a few states that actually matter. The majority of votes are meaningless because they exist in entrenched states and a vote against the majority in those states means nothing. What good is a vote for Trump in California?
A change to popular voting would mean that every vote matters, not just votes in a few swing states.
But I suppose this isn't really on topic.
