Bernie Sanders calls for the electoral college to be abolished

[Douglas Kawasaki]

Bernie Sanders just tweeted:

"Clinton received almost 3 million more votes, but Trump will be the next president. It's clear the electoral college needs to be changed."

https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/811233271036125185

[no_hypocrisy]

1. I love the idea and I love Bernie, but

without enough democrats, ending the Electoral College has as much a chance as ending Citizens United until 2019. And you'd likely need more than 51 Senators to do that.

[JudyM]

4. The first step is stating clear, concise goals that help voters with framing the problems.

We absolutely need to climb back in the seat of power, but having clear goals for voters is job 1 to get there, IMO.

[Ghost OF Trotsky]

12. We have better things to do than fulminating about something that isn't going to happen

Bernie and many others should know better and stop wasting their time.

The Electoral College can *ONLY* be abolished by changing the constitution.

38 states would have to approve.

Of those 38, about 25 would actually see their influence DIMINISH.

Not. Going. To Happen.

Geeze, I liked Bernie, but only a complete ignorant MORON could think that the EC is going ANYWHERE.

What is it with rational adults here on the left chasing after unicorns? I thought we were progressives because we engaged with reality.

Outside of a genuine, overthrow the government revolution *OR* solidly winning 38+ statehouses, the EC is here for the rest of our lives.

[socialist_n_TN]

22. Interesting post for an interesting posting name..........

I'm an actual Trotskyist and I can state unequivocally that Trotsky would have no problem calling for the abolition of the Electoral College as an undemocratic holdover from the slave system. Just like he had no problem calling for the abolition of the monarchy in Russia prior to 1917 when it WAS abolished. Just because a principled demand isn't currently doable, doesn't mean you don't call for it.

Worrying about what's "realistic" isn't what revolution (or Trotsky) is all about.

Finally as to whether it's "realistic" or not, Lenin once said something to the effect that, "Sometimes years go by with nothing much happening and sometimes years go by in months". From 2016 on, anybody who uses "what's realistic" as a guidepost is the one not being "realistic". This past election should have proven that no one really has any idea what will be "realistic" over the next few years.

[Ghost OF Trotsky]

24. You are completely right

I just wish the people calling for it actually understood what they were calling for!

However, "realistic", in the sense of actually achievable, is a completely valid criteria, I'll argue, as long as the person calling for something like this acknowledges the extremity of what they are asking for.

The basic fact is that the EC is not going away without a genuine revolution. Anyone who doesn't acknowledge that situation is just wasting their time and ours. It is one thing to talk realistically about revolution, both the implementation and the implications, it is something else to parade one's ignorance as so many who seem to want this particular (and disgusting) vestige of slave owning colonial America done away with but do not realize what they are actually calling for.

For all the horror and hype, we still had an election, under the same rules, and within similar parameters to many others; and whilst having no love for Drumpf, I don't see this as the End Of Days as so many seem to; at this point focusing on what we *CAN* be doing- which is raising up progressive candidates and infrastructure and attacking at the state and local level is, in my opinion, more important than people calling for something that simply is not going to happen without many other and far more extensive changes.

Yours in labor.

[eniwetok]

18. no way to abolish the EC under current constitutional rules

This is why I suggest a more drastic shock to the system here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=8380818

[gordianot]

2. Trump will make the case to abolish the electoral college.

By the disasters he creates. It seems lessons learned are the hard way. People who dig themselves out of the rubble seem to be more motivated.

[DK504]

9. He loves it now.

He's stomping around the country, not doing his job, talking about how he never appreciated the Electoral College until now.

Has this POS ever voted?

[eniwetok]

19. you underestimate...

You underestimate the slavish adherence to the Civic Religion that no matter how dysfunctional the system is, no matter how many times it imposes Bush and Trump Juntas on the nation... we mere mortals dare not touch the Framer's design. We just move on to make more excuses to justify a dysfunctional system.

[DetlefK]

3. Something-something states-rights.

[surrealAmerican]

5. No, he did not say "abolished".

He said "changed". Even that is a pretty bold thing to say when you represent a small state. Kudos to him.

[MurrayDelph]

11. I agree with "change"

It should be made more proportional in two areas:

1. The allotment of EC votes TO each state should better represent the population of the country.

2. The allotment of EC votes FROM each state should represent the proportion of votes each candidate received. If the Democrat received 61, 48, or 12% of the total vote, they should get that same percentage of EC votes.

We saw evidence of questionable vote tallying in several trump states. By going this route, Russia would have to hack all 50 states (and territories).

[surrealAmerican]

15. Almost every state has questionable vote tallying.

We really need national standards. Far too many voters are disenfranchised, both before being able to cast votes and after. We should not be ignoring sloppy and unfair procedures even in states we won this time.

[Abq_Sarah]

21. That would require a constitutional amendment

The Constitution grants states the power to hold federal elections and to determine, in the case of Presidential elections, how the electors are chosen. There are two articles of the constitution that would need to be amended for the feds to take control of elections.

[eniwetok]

20. if one can change the EC allocation formula...

If one can change the EC allocation formula... and this would require an amendment... one can just as well abolish the EC.

In the end if all the EC can do is ratify the popular vote, it's not needed.

If the EC can overturn the popular vote, it should not be tolerated by any self-respecting free people.

[ZoomBubba]

6. Won't happen ...

... better plan is to have states divvy electors proportionately. There is no way you can get enough Republicans or Democrats on board for such a change. But Bernie, like Trump, loves being validated by adulation and takes any opportunity to get it, which was the real point of him opening his mouth.

[SoCalDem]

7. Seeing as how the "glitches" have usually benefitted republicans

and they are in charge, nothing will happen..

State by state is the only way to counterbalance, but since we lost MI, .OH, PA, WI, and IA, are there even enough "reliably democratic" states for that to work?

[liberalmike27]

8. Bill Maher

Suggested we might Break California into 15 States--and asked why we need two Dakota's.

[Jose Garcia]

10. Barbara Boxer has proposed a constitutional amendment to do that

For some reason, Senator Sanders has not yet signed on as a cosponsor to this.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/41/cosponsors?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22electoral+college%22%5D%7D&r=3

[SunSeeker]

14. Interesting. nt

[SunSeeker]

13. K & R

[seaglass]

16. Bernie "calls" for lots of things. Which one(s) is he actually going to put work into? n/t

[brooklynite]

17. Did Sanders call for the abolition of the EC in 2009 when Democrats controlled Congress?

[TheFrenchRazor]

23. good, then he better start working his colleagues. nt