Maybe popular vote should win

Much is being made of the fact that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote while Donald Trump “only” won the electoral vote.

What major media refers to as demonstrators or protesters are in fact rioters who remain angry that they are unable to change the results of the election.

Many are carrying signs with Trump’s likeness proclaiming, “Not My President.”

One budding comedian on the internet posted a likeness of Hillary Clinton with the notation, “Not Anybody’s President.”

News flash, whoever wins the electoral vote wins the election.

During our just-completed interminable election, I can’t recall the number of pundits, analysts, experts and other assorted self-proclaimed authorities who asserted over and over that while Trump looked like he was doing well on the campaign trail, he had no path to the White House, because he could never win the electoral vote.

As a matter of fact, the nightly news would contain images of a Trump rally with thousands of participants cheering wildly, and news anchors would pronounce sagely that these assemblies were no guarantee that everyone in attendance would vote.

Even if they did vote, it would only ensure that Trump would win the popular vote and that he, “had no path to electoral victory.”

In point of fact these poseurs believed and broadcast that Trump might have a shot at the popular vote, but Clinton would be the next president. They continued this certainty up to and including into the evening of Election Day.

This brings me to the current discussion as to whether or not we should scrap the Electoral College in favor of electing the president via the popular vote. The argument is made based on the undeniable truth that, “every vote should count.”

How can one argue against that? Consider the following:

California and Arizona have a combined population of approximately 45.5 million. The metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, San Diego, the Bay Area (San Francisco) and Phoenix contain about 24.5 million.

New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Utah, Nevada and Idaho together have about 21.5 million.

Why would a candidate choose to visit 11 thinly populated states to collect votes when four metro areas had the potential to be more productive?

A final thought on the rioters mentioned above.

Blogger Megan McArdle comments, “Yes, yes, I know he lost the popular vote, but let’s be honest: How many of those protesters would have stayed home if he’d won the popular vote too?”

Rube Render is the Curry County Republican chairman. Contact him at:

[email protected]