Letters to the Editor: Good luck getting rid of the electoral college

To the editor: I fully agree with George Skelton’s views on the electoral college. In 1989, as a newly elected member of the Democratic National Committee from California, I submitted a resolution calling for the abolishment of the electoral college to the DNC Resolutions Committee. Due to my inexperience, the resolution never made it out of the committee.

I served for 32 years on the DNC, and lived through two presidential elections (2000 and 2016) where the Democratic candidate won the popular vote but lost in the electoral college.

Mary Ellen Early, Sherman Oaks

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To the editor: The electoral college is a weird way to elect a president, and on more than one occasion I’ve questioned the method. But, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

As I see it, this is the United States of America, with the word “States” being the most important. I like the idea of each state having a say in our elections and not populous “bullies” such as California or New York having outsized power over the rest of the country.

George W. Bush lost the popular vote to Al Gore and, according to many, was a dud as president. The second Iraq war and the onset of the “great recession” can be placed directly at his feet.

In 2020, the elites’ strategy of “anyone but Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders” resulted in the election of Joe Biden. He won the popular vote and the electoral college. His economic decisions and his border policy are seen by many as failures.

So whether or not a president wins the popular vote doesn’t mean Americans will think their years in the Oval Office were successful.

Skelton may see the electoral college as antiquated, but there was a method to the madness of our founding fathers, who saw the value of restricting the power of the “bully” states to control the country.

Mark Walker, Yorba Linda

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To the editor: It’s important to remember that negotiating a change to the Constitution could mean additional changes, such as removing term limits for presidents.

I do wish the methods Nebraska and Maine use for calculating electoral votes (by congressional district versus statewide) would be adopted across the country.

The Democrats’ failure in this election lies squarely at the feet of President Biden. To her credit, Kamala Harris ran a competent campaign, and will be oh-so-welcome back home in California (possibly as a gubernatorial candidate).

But if the Democratic Party continues on its current course, it will lose again in a national election.

Larry Furman, Woodland Hills

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To the editor: The only way we’ll get rid of the electoral college is if a Democrat wins the presidency while losing the popular vote. The newly elected president could push for its elimination and only then will the Republicans agree that the electoral college is a bad idea.

Art Lacher, La Cañada Flintridge