There seems to be a discussion about the EC in more than one thread, so, given the renewed sentiments in the nation about getting rid of it, I thought I'd start this thread.
I used to be one of you guys who believe in the EC, almost as some kind of providential patriotic genius. It's really not. It was just a compromise solution for a dilemma, which was appealing to the concerns of the US at the time. I think at a phase in our early history it did serve its purpose, but the conditions which made that compromise acceptable then mostly don't exist now.
It seems like most of the pro argument is centered around this flawed understanding:
So why do you think that is any greater evil than having what we have to day, and how well does the EC actually counter that?
Today candidates end up spending nearly all their time in just 6 or 7 "swing" states. The last few elections have hinged on states like Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and a few others. The most important swing states are not rural. And they get most of the candidates' time. To the point, how many candidates campaign in Wyoming? And when was the last time any of you gave a flying **** if a Democratic POTUS candidate came to your neighborhood? When is the last time it mattered in California that a Republican candidate campaigned there?
I used to be one of you guys who believe in the EC, almost as some kind of providential patriotic genius. It's really not. It was just a compromise solution for a dilemma, which was appealing to the concerns of the US at the time. I think at a phase in our early history it did serve its purpose, but the conditions which made that compromise acceptable then mostly don't exist now.
It seems like most of the pro argument is centered around this flawed understanding:
With no EC, candidates would spend all their time in New York City, LA, Chicago, Philadelphia, and half a dozen other megalopolises - and nowhere else. The county-by-county election results map should demonstrate exactly why that would be the outcome.
So why do you think that is any greater evil than having what we have to day, and how well does the EC actually counter that?
Today candidates end up spending nearly all their time in just 6 or 7 "swing" states. The last few elections have hinged on states like Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and a few others. The most important swing states are not rural. And they get most of the candidates' time. To the point, how many candidates campaign in Wyoming? And when was the last time any of you gave a flying **** if a Democratic POTUS candidate came to your neighborhood? When is the last time it mattered in California that a Republican candidate campaigned there?