Large Majority of Americans Want to End Electoral College

https://lemmy.world/post/20216354

Large Majority of Americans Want to End Electoral College - Lemmy.World

The only reason they want a popular vote system is because it would have worked in their favor in 2000 and 2016.

The minute it goes against “their” candidate they’ll scream to go back to the electoral college.

See the multi-state pact here:

www.nationalpopularvote.com/written-explanation

Currently passed in 17 states for 209 electoral college votes, it doesn’t take effect until there are 270 accounted for.

But do you really think the residents of a state like Oregon, or Washington, or California will just be OK with their electoral college votes being passed to a popular vote winner who is a Republican?

Especially if that person failed to win their state?

Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote

One-page explanation (PDF) The National Popular Vote law will guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It will apply the one-person-one-vote principle to presidential elections, and make every vote equal. Why a National Popular Vote for President Is Needed The shortcomings of the current system stem from “winner-take-all” laws that award all of a state’s electoral votes to the candidate receiving the most popular votes in each separate state.

National Popular Vote

But do you really think the residents of a state like Oregon, or Washington, or California will just be OK with their electoral college votes being passed to a popular vote winner who is a Republican?

Yes, because they won. People who favor democracy understand they won’t always be in the majority, and that’s OK bedause they aren’t shitbags. People who only want the system to work in their favor are called Conservatives.

You have more faith than I do. If Oregonians thought their vote was overturned because of a national popular vote winner, there would be riots.

You mean if they lost? How many riots have there been in Oregon when the candidate Oregon shows didn’t win the electoral college? Trump lost the popular vote in 2016, but we didn’t see riots in Oregon.

That’s not your best argument against a national popular vote agreement. The best argument is that no national campaigns would give a shit about Oregon if the goal was winning the national popular vote. Oregon is a progressive coastal state, but it’s still a flyover state.

In fact, states wouldn’t matter at all. State borders are just imaginary lines drawn around population centers. Campaigns would focus exclusively on demographics and high density population zones. Oregonians as a demographic would be considered “safe” for progressives and “lost” for conservatives, so neither side would give them much effort. California Republicans and Texas Democrats would be the big winners. States like New York and Florida would become the new battlegrounds, as candidates spoke to the concerns of the most people.

And in a way, that would be much better. It would encourage more voters to actually show up, and local races would become more important. But with first past the post, winner take all national elections, you’ll still have two parties demonizing the other.

Found the person not from Oregon:

en.m.wikipedia.org/…/2016_Portland,_Oregon_riots

2016 Portland, Oregon riots - Wikipedia

Lol, I’m from Philly, that’s not a riot.

Oregonians as a demographic would be considered “safe” for progressives and “lost” for conservatives, so neither side would give them much effort.

That’s now. You’re describing the electoral college.