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Electoral College provides a check and balance

Jan 22, 2021
Jan 22, 2021 Updated Apr 13, 2025
5

Editor,

Regarding the Jan. 21 letter “Electoral College gifts” by Jorg Aadahl, the reason we have the Electoral College is so that a few populous centers cannot dictate what is good for the entire county. What do Californians and New Yorkers know about life in the Midwest? It’s another check and balance to make sure our government works for all, not just the coastal elites as we are called.

(5) comments

Wilfred Fernandez Jr Jan 22, 2021 3:56pm

Mr. Guttenbeil,

I agree with your understanding of the Electoral College. In addition, I wonder if proponents for the elimination of it have made time to read about drawbacks and historical problems associated with majority rule.

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.

Socrates

Terence Y Jan 22, 2021 8:55am

Mr. Guttenbeil, thank you for explaining the Electoral College to 25 words or less so that everyone can easily understand its role, and importance. Even Mr. Aadahl, one would hope.

Jorg Jan 22, 2021 8:54am

Joe, of course you’re entitled to your opinion, which is shared by 39% of the population, while 23% of even Republicans are in favor of abolishing the Electoral College. There are many reasons for the overwhelming and steadily increasing support for the majority vote, - the more obvious one is to avoid more of the Republican disasters we have seen on both sides of President Obama’s administration. It is understandable that about ¾ of Republicans favor the EC, since that appears to be the only chance for them to control the WH, - whether or not that’s in the best interest of the country.

Finally, you give Trump credit for not getting us into more wars like the ones started by the previous Republican president, based on lies. However, Trump refused to listen to military experts, who have criticized him for his random actions in the Middle East, which I’m sure the far more experienced Hillary Clinton would have handled better. You remember, the one that won the popular vote?

Ray Fowler Jan 22, 2021 12:16pm

War started based on lies... you mean the same lies used by Bill Clinton in developing policy? Those "lies" were supplied by the US intel community and shared with our allies. Random actions? Ask Bashar al-Assad about random actions. What happened when President Trump later suggested getting out of Syria? Democrats howled. Oh, yeah... let's turn to Hillary. One word: Benghazi.

And Katie Couric said Republicans should be deprogrammed?

Ray Fowler Jan 22, 2021 7:08am

Joe

Thanks for your LTE. I agree.

I responded to yesterday's LTE which proposed the EC should be abolished. I asked the writer to suggest an alternative method of voting... he either would not or could not do so.

Just tossing the EC cavalierly aside is simply not a good idea. It will likely lead to candidates needing only a plurality to win and single party rule. As you pointed out, that is not working in California and New York... add Illinois to the list. One of those states may be pushed into bankruptcy, soon. When that happens, the governor of that mismanaged, single party ruled state will expect the feds to bail out his or her state. As the feds do not have any real money of their own, the bailout will come from other states... both large and small. That includes those same small states that EC abolishing advocates want to nudge aside by dismantling the Twelfth Amendment.

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