Democrats seek to undo core principles of the republic
The framers of the Constitution understood democracy’s peril better than anyone. They were painfully aware of the potential for the tyranny of the majority, a toxic brew where the loudest and most populous voices drown out the quieter but no less valid concerns of more rural regions. The Electoral College was not a mistake or a relic but a carefully crafted check and balance intended to ensure that no single region could dominate the others and impose its will unilaterally.
Sens. Schatz, Durbin, and Welch argue that the person who gets the most votes should always win. They claim that the Electoral College “disenfranchises millions of Americans.” This rhetoric is disingenuous at best and dangerously naïve at worst. The reality is that the Electoral College ensures that every vote, regardless of where it’s cast, counts equally towards a candidate’s victory. It prevents the urban-dominant votes from overpowering the needs and desires of the rural communities that form the backbone of our nation.
The framers designed the Electoral College to prevent mob rule, recognizing that majority rule can often lead to tyranny. In their wisdom, they implemented checks and balances, including the Electoral College, to prevent unchecked democratic power from overwhelming the minority and undermining the very fabric of our republic.
The proposed amendment would do more than just alter the way we elect our presidents; it would fundamentally shift the balance of power, tipping it heavily in favor of the most populous states. The result would likely be presidential candidates campaigning almost exclusively in dense urban areas, ignoring the vast rural regions that are equally important to the functioning of our society.
Moreover, the assumption that the candidate who wins the popular vote will also win the Electoral College is a dangerous oversimplification. While this outcome has occurred most of the time, the exceptions – often involving split decision electorates and swing-state campaigns – highlight the Electoral College’s essential role in ensuring that every region’s wishes are considered.
Democrats miss the point of equal representation and tamping down mob rule
Sen. Welch’s statement, “Our democracy is at its strongest when everyone’s voice is heard,” sounds lovely in theory but misses the point entirely. The Electoral College does more than just ensure every voice is heard; it ensures that voices are heard equally. A national popular vote system would make it easy for candidates to campaign only in the most populated areas, essentially ignoring the needs of the country’s less densely populated regions.
This amendment has little to no chance of passing, given the current political climate. But the fact that it’s even being proposed underscores a disturbing trend in modern American politics: the erosion of our constitutional principles in favor of short-term political gains and the illusion of a pure democracy.
As elected officials, Sens. Schatz, Durbin, and Welch have a responsibility to uphold and protect our constitutional framework, not dismantle it based on a misguided notion of what “democracy” should look like. Their proposal is a blunt attack on the very principles that have kept our nation strong and stable for over two centuries. We should all be alarmed by this attack on the foundations of our republic and demand that our representatives think more carefully about the long-term consequences of their actions.
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