Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is launching a new campaign to abolish the Electoral College—the fundamental instrument of the American Republic to elect its leaders.
Ocasio-Cortez suggested in a series of tweets that the hallmark of the electorate was outdated and only served the interest of the minority.
The congresswoman said its proponents (she specifically cited Fox News) is “big mad about abolishing the electoral college.”
“Let’s talk about it,” she said beginning a series of tweets about why the Electoral College ought to be cast aside for a more fully democratic, popular vote system.
Firstly, she contended: “If the GOP were the ‘silent majority’ they claim, they wouldn’t be so scared of a popular vote.”
She failed to mention at all why the Founding Fathers elected for a republic form of government over a democracy. “They *know* they aren’t the majority. They rely on establishing minority rule for power,” she added.
I see Fox News is big mad about abolishing the electoral college.
So let’s talk about it.
1) If the GOP were the “silent majority” they claim, they wouldn’t be so scared of a popular vote.
They *know* they aren’t the majority. They rely on establishing minority rule for power.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 23, 2019
Secondly, Ocasio-Cortez said: “This common claim about ‘if we don’t have the Electoral College then a handful of states will determine the presidency’ is BS.”
She argued, “It’s the *EC itself* that breaks down power by state, pop vote decentralizes it. The EC makes it so a handful of states DO determine elections.” (No, it doesn’t)
“LASTLY, this concept that the Electoral College provides ‘fairness’ to rural Americans over coastal states doesn’t hold any water whatsoever,” she continued. “First of all, virtually every state has rural communities. NY. California. Much of our states are rural.”
3) LASTLY, this concept that the Electoral College is provides “fairness” to rural Americans over coastal states doesn’t hold any water whatsoever. First of all, virtually every state has rural communities. NY. California. Much of our states are rural.
But very importantly…
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 23, 2019
“We do not give electoral affirmative action to any other group in America. Do Black Americans have their votes count more bc they have been disenfranchised for 100s of years? Do Reservations get an electoral vote? Does Puerto Rico and US territories get them? No. They don’t,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.
Adding, “The Electoral College isn’t about fairness at all; it’s about empowering some voters over others. Every vote should be = in America, no matter who you are or where you come from.”
“The right thing to do is establish a Popular Vote,” she definitively claimed, “[And] GOP will do everything they can to fight it.”
5) The Electoral College isn’t about fairness at all; it’s about empowering some voters over others.
Every vote should be = in America, no matter who you are or where you come from. The right thing to do is establish a Popular Vote. & GOP will do everything they can to fight it.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 23, 2019
Fox News reports Ocasio-Cortez couldn’t be further from the truth:
Eliminating the current system in favor of electing the president via the national popular vote would shift power to more heavily populated states, such as Ocasio-Cortez’s home of New York. Midwestern states like Michigan and Wisconsin, now heavily sought-after swing states, and smaller ones like Iowa would have less of an impact should this happen, as Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst pointed out.
“Actually @AOC, eliminating the Electoral College would silence our voices here in Iowa and in many other states across the country,” the Republican senator tweeted, adding, “This is just more evidence of how out of touch the Democrats have become.”
Actually @AOC, eliminating the Electoral College would silence our voices here in Iowa and in many other states across the country.
This is just more evidence of how out of touch the Democrats have become. https://t.co/yfm4oDCpkm
— Joni Ernst (@joniernst) August 21, 2019
And:
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said that Ocasio-Cortez’s statements were evidence that she never took a civics class, asserting the “Electoral College is good for Dems and GOP.”
The great sage, AOC, apparently didn't take Civics so she wants to get rid of the Electoral College. The college we need to close is the one who gave her a degree! She won't watch this, but hope you will. Electoral College is good for Dems and GOP. https://t.co/1wRD6fM9mx
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) August 22, 2019
Here’s even more:
Republican National Committee spokesperson Elizabeth Harrington also took Ocasio-Cortez to task for believing that “it’s a ‘scam’ to allow anyone but coastal elites” to determine how elections are decided.
The cause of eliminating the Electoral College has picked up support among some 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, in the wake of President Trump beating Hillary Clinton in 2016 despite losing the popular vote.