Donald J. Trump became the President-Elect on November 8th with a big electoral college win. The candidate was able to collect well over the 270 necessary to win. The electoral college system, initially set up by the founders of the Constitution was originally intended not to let the masses decide such an important office like President of the United States. The system and the popular vote usually pick the same candidate, but not so this year.
Hillary Clinton as so far amassed over 1 million more votes than Donald Trump, and with a few more ballots to count in heavily Democratic states that number is sure to go up. This situation predictably has made the Democrats cry foul over the electoral college system. The last time this happened in the 2000 election, the Democratic candidate Al Gore won the popular vote by more than half a million votes but still lost the electoral vote to George W. Bush.
House Representative Barbara Boxer of California filed legislation that would overturn the Electoral College and allow the President to be chosen by a popular vote. But with the Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress, and a Constitutional requirement that an amendment needs three-quarters of the states to approve it, this measure has virtually no chance of passing.
Trump who is no stranger to tweeting his thoughts used to think that the system of the electoral college was a “rigged” system and should be replaced. However, since he is now the benefactor of a win from the process he now lauds the system by tweeting, ” The Electoral College is actually genius in that it brings in all states, including the smaller ones, into play. Campaigning is much different.”
Trump is correct. The Electoral College system does give little populated “Fly over states” more power to choose the President. But should the system be kept? Right now the answer to that question looks like it depends on what political party you support.