hopelessly devoted to deconstructing popular culture and conventional wisdom, one blog at a time

It's the Electoral College, stupid!

Published Wednesday, October 13, 2004 by seanlmccarthy | E-mail this post

The media is focusing on a Colorado ballot initiative, and for good reason -- Amendment 36 would begin putting a stake in the heart of the antiquated Electoral College, which overturned the popular vote in 2000 and hampers every minor-party presidential campaign. This is about much more than whether it helps Bush or Kerry in Colorado. This is about allowing supporters of other candidates, from Ralph Nader and H. Ross Perot to anyone else, to have a say in the outcome without being told their votes are wasted. Nader might not have been able to earn any Electoral College votes in 2000, but his support would not have cost Gore the election. Yet Perot's 19 percent of the vote certainly would have cast doubt upon Clinton's victory in 1992. Certainly something worth pondering, although I haven't seen that pondered anywhere yet.

Related sites:
Text of Amendment 36
Center for Education in Law and Democracy
Denver Post, Sept. 26
Rocky Mountain News, Sept. 22