An interesting video on the Electoral College was brought to my attention. It makes many unsupported claims but does give an alternate view. The claim that “pure democracies implode” is unsubstantiated. Canada, UK, Western Europe, Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand all have strong democracies without requiring the device of an electoral college.
The video claims that without the college, candidates might concentrate on big cities and ignore other parts of the country. But that’s exactly what is happening now at a different level. To my knowledge Clinton and Trump have not visited Massachusetts once as their party’s candidate. It also says that the actual states that are “swing” ones change, which they do over the years. But not within an election season.
In my opinion the video does not explain why the college itself is so important. It does however explain very nicely how the various checks and balances work to maintain a stable government. I believe democracy is an absolute. Either it is a system where everyone has one vote and all votes are equal, or it’s not. The Electoral College subverts that by making it possible to elect a President who was not the choice of majority of voters. As one comment under the video indicates, the US is a republic not a democracy.
Anyway, see and decide for yourself.
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