Turnabout

Flawed Electoral College poised again to mock the voters

With the national polls skewing for Bush and the swing-state polls drifting in the Kerry direction, it looks like we may get what I've been quietly fantasizing about for months: Another split decision. My fondest wish, after a Kerry landslide, is a situation where Kerry clearly wins the Electoral College--beyond the margin for Republican lawsuits and cheating to take the presidency away--while losing the popular vote by, say, two million votes. Clearly, this is possible; Kerry can squeak out 15,000 vote majorities in Pennsylvania, Florida, and Ohio, while Bush will inevitably bask in overwhelming victories in his cadre of gun-loving, god-fearing, gay-hating states.

Why would this be fun? Well, for one thing, 15,000 vote majorities would eliminate all the recount fuss; we need a nice, tidy result that can be announced before everyone goes to bed. For another thing, it would be a fair turnabout; Republicans would find out what it feels like to be on the business end of a Constitutional anomaly. And that, it can be hoped, would lead to the elimination of the Electoral College. 'Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished, is it not?

Oh, and the runoff voting idea Burt Constable suggests in his column isn't a bad one, either. Only another messy election result will force us to change the system, though. So go out and create havoc, America! Our democracy depends on it.