By Philip Hodges and Jeff Dunetz

A poll shows that less than half of participants believe that the Electoral College should be scrapped to allow presidential elections to be decided purely by popular votes. In fact support for booting the electoral college is at its lowest rating ever.

The Gallup poll was conducted November 28-29 and surveyed 1,021 random adults. Forty-nine percent said they wanted to amend the Constitution and get rid of the Electoral College, compared to 47 percent who said they wanted to keep it.

Forty-nine percent might sound high, but compared to other previous polls going all the way back to 1967, it’s the lowest it’s ever been in the 49 years they’ve asked about it. Historically, support for scrapping the constitutional method of picking the POTUS has been high. It peaked in 1968 following Nixon’s victory, according to Gallup:

 

 

Support for an amendment peaked at 80% in 1968, after Richard Nixon almost lost the popular vote while winning the Electoral College. Ultimately, he wound up winning both by a narrow margin, but this issue demonstrated the possibility of a candidate becoming president without winning the popular vote. In the 1976 election, Jimmy Carter faced a similar situation, though he also won the popular vote and Electoral College. In a poll taken weeks after the election, 73% were in favor of an amendment doing away with the Electoral College.

With all the talk about abolishing the electoral college following Trump’s win, one would think the vast majority of people would want it gone. Just look at Nixon who almost lost the popular vote. And look how people reacted. Eighty percent of them were frightened of the prospect that a candidate like Nixon could lose the popular vote and still win the presidency. They wanted the Electoral College gone.  Even after Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College, people wanted it scrapped also.

Perhaps its a testament to the American population’s dislike of Hillary Clinton that (other than her establishment Democratic Party supporters) there was a yuuuge drop in a desire to throw the Electoral College. Perhaps its a reflection of the great job President-Elect Trump is doing picking his cabinet.

Funny how the mainstream media and the Democratic political establishment, make it sound like everybody wants electoral baby thrown out with the bath water. Actually the difference between pros and cons are not significant. In other words it’s a statistical tie.

Sorry Dems. When it comes to abolishing the Electoral College….as we say in the vernacular of my ancestral homeland, Brooklyn, NY:

2016-03-07

Parts of this post were originally seen at Eagle Rising

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