Ocasio-Cortez says the electoral college system is a racist scam

[Soph0571]

While proponents of the Electoral College insist that each state must have a set number of votes corresponding to their populations in a national election in order to keep large states from having too much power and ensure that rural voters are not forgotten by candidates, Ocasio-Cortez suggested that conservatives actually want the system kept in place in order to give white voters a greater say in who wins elections.

“Due to severe racial disparities in some states the Electoral College effectively weighs white voters over voters of color,” the congresswoman wrote.

“The rural representation argument doesn’t hold up either,” she added, “as there are rural parts of virtually every state, and popular vote elections show that candidates still visit and center rural communities’ needs.”

“Facts are facts, America,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “The Electoral College has to go.”

[link:https://www.rawstory.com/2019/08/ocasio-cortez-says-the-electoral-college-system-is-a-racist-scam/|

Which is exactly how they like it, right?

[still_one]

1. Wonder if Rep. Ocasio-Cortez understands what it would take to do that. Words are cheap "The

Electoral College has to go"

Great sound bite, but passing an amendment to the Constitution is another thing

[Voltaire2]

2. It doesn't require an amendment.

The popular vote compact just requires states with a total of 270 electoral votes to adopt it. We aren’t that far away.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Popular_Vote_Interstate_Compact

[sarisataka]

4. I expect the compact will last until

The first time it is invoked.

I noticed most of the states are "blue" states. Picture this scenario
A three way race splits the Democratic vote. A Republican candidate gets 44% of the popular vote and 240 Electoral votes. A Democratic candidate gets 38% and 224 Electoral votes. The third candidate only gets 17% but is very popular on the West coast and picks up 74 Electoral votes in those three states. Per the compact, those states should support the Republican and bring his total to 314.
Do you really see those states giving their votes to a Republican because a non-binding compact says they should?
Or would they go against the compact and support a candidate with a lesser popular vote but more politically aligned?

If it was a reversed situation with a split Republican vote- very few "red" states have signed on so they don't even have a non-binding obligation to support a Democrat.

[Voltaire2]

5. I love it when people just look for reasons

why we can’t change anything.

[sarisataka]

10. I love it when people think

Meaningless actions equal change.

I noticed you avoided addressing the situation I put forth. Is it too uncomfortable to address?

[tritsofme]

6. I've been saying this for years. The "compact" would dissolve the first time it is invoked.

[Takket]

9. The compact is also worthless without any red or purple states on board

If it is only blue states it doesn’t help awarding EVs to the Dem that would have won the stars anyway

[DeminPennswoods]

3. Yes and no

IIRC from my American history classes, the Electoral College was set up 1) because the Framers didn't entirely trust voters and 2) in case a president who was clearly unfit for the job was elected by popular vote, the electors could step in and cast their vote for a different candidate.

Under the framers' original concept, what should have happened in 2016 was electors casting their official vote for Clinton after recognizing that Trump was simply unfit to be president, thus preventing him from taking office. However, in most states electors are simply loyal members of whatever party wins the state. They would and will not cast their vote for a candidate not of the same political party.

[Voltaire2]

7. 3) slave states wanted to be able to block

an abolitionist President.

When the founders of the U.S. Constitution in 1787 considered whether America should let the people elect their president through a popular vote, James Madison said that "Negroes" in the South presented a "difficulty … of a serious nature."

During that same speech on Thursday, July 19, Madison instead proposed a prototype for the same Electoral College system the country uses today. Each state has a number of electoral votes roughly proportioned to population and the candidate who wins the majority of votes wins the election.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/electoral-college-slavery-constitution

[PRETZEL]

8. Also, a big part of the issues with the EC

is the winner take all concept. This concept has pretty much left Presidential Elections to be decided by only a few states.