Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

George F. Will column: The president who knew too little about the Electoral College
The Richmond Times-Dispatch ^ | May 2, 2018 | George F. Will

Posted on 05/04/2018 6:41:25 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Among the recent garbled effusions from today’s temporary president — cheer up; they are all temporary — was one that concerned something about which he might not have thought as deeply as the subject merits. During an episode of government of, by, and for “Fox & Friends,” he said: He won the 2016 election “easily” but wishes the electoral vote system were replaced by direct election of presidents by popular vote. He favors this “because” — if you were expecting him to offer reasons drawn from political philosophy or constitutional theory, grow up — “to me, it’s much easier to win the popular vote.”

He added, accidentally stubbing his toe on a truth, that running for president without the Electoral College would involve “a totally different campaign.” Which, he does not realize, is one reason for retaining the Electoral College.

The president’s interest in all this comes from his festering grievance about losing the popular vote by five times more votes than George W. Bush lost it to Al Gore in 2000. His thinking is as murky as his syntax, but evidently he supposes that under a pure popular-vote system he would have campaigned in, say, indigo California, thereby reducing his opponent’s huge margin of victory there (30 points). Perhaps. But his California campaigning might have increased her turnout, which was probably reduced by the lack of campaigning there. Who knows?

This we do know: Presidential majorities are built by the Electoral College as it has evolved, adapting to the two-party system. The Electoral College gives the parties a distribution incentive for achieving geographical and ideological breadth while assembling a coalition of states . . .

(Excerpt) Read more at richmond.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 10thamendment; 17thamendment; 2018election; 2020election; democracy; election2018; election2020; elections; electoralcollege; faithlesselectors; federalism; nationalpopularvote; npv; popularvote; states; trump
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-69 next last
Yes, Will has become a sneering little bugger, but he does point out the efficacy of the Electoral College.
1 posted on 05/04/2018 6:41:25 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

George is 77 today. Time he retires.


2 posted on 05/04/2018 6:42:27 AM PDT by SMGFan (Sarah Michelle Gellar is on twitter @SarahMGellar)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Ah George Will - if he had been any smarter he could’ve actually created an industry or been president or invented the iPhone... as it is he can pat himself on the back for being so smart he can speak truth to power and hold philosophical positions he’s neither created nor consistently defended.


3 posted on 05/04/2018 6:46:01 AM PDT by Skywise
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SMGFan

Another Never-Trumper whose soul has turned dark with hate.


4 posted on 05/04/2018 6:46:23 AM PDT by Russ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

The electoral college was one of the genius inventions of the founders.

George Will is still a putz.


5 posted on 05/04/2018 6:46:27 AM PDT by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizen Means Born Here of Citizen Parents__Know Islam, No Peace - No Islam, Know Peace)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

George Will is a pompous fop. The guy tells me nothing. He’s writing for the Richmond Times Dispatch.

Temporary president? What does that mean? All presidents are limited by term.

George Will along with Megyn Kelly, Charles Krauthammer and a slew of others are no longer prominent in the media with anything to say.


6 posted on 05/04/2018 6:46:41 AM PDT by nikos1121
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Of course Trump understands. He successfully reframed the argument by his comment that he would find getting popular vote easier. In one comment he gets never trumpers defending electoral college and puts liberals on defense. If not anything else, Trump knows how to brand and reframe issues.


7 posted on 05/04/2018 6:47:00 AM PDT by Raycpa
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
George "The Stopped Clock" Will is correct about the reasons The Founding Fathers created the EC.

However, I don't think Will can truly know what President Trump knows about the EC.

He may have simply been trolling.

Or he may have known he wouldn't have time to educate the talking mannequins on F&F and its audience.

8 posted on 05/04/2018 6:47:41 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SMGFan

Trump was playing the press with his remark. Will swallowed the entire lure.


9 posted on 05/04/2018 6:47:49 AM PDT by Loud Mime (Liberalism: Intolerance masquerading as tolerance)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Raycpa

So many never get Trump. Surface thinkers.


10 posted on 05/04/2018 6:49:08 AM PDT by dynoman (Objectivity is the essence of intelligence. - Marilyn vos Savant)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

According to George Will, everybody knows less than George Will.


11 posted on 05/04/2018 6:49:20 AM PDT by MUDDOG
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MUDDOG
George F. Will column: The president who knew too little about the Electoral College

Said the Atheist who knew too little about God.

12 posted on 05/04/2018 6:50:14 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
George Will, who never did anything in his entire life but scribble and run his mouth, teaches the President how to understand the election he just won.

I love the arrogance of these chatterers.

13 posted on 05/04/2018 6:51:42 AM PDT by hinckley buzzard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

And so Will fumes....


14 posted on 05/04/2018 6:52:25 AM PDT by onedoug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nikos1121

It won’t be long before his columns will only be in the local coupon flyers.


15 posted on 05/04/2018 6:53:23 AM PDT by Redleg Duke (The Democrats in California want another civil war over cheap labor!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

His classic remark to me was when he updated “Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion” to attack Pat Buchanan as “the brawling bartender of the Bowery.”

Never liked Will after that.

But I loved George F. Will’s Sports Machine!


16 posted on 05/04/2018 6:54:16 AM PDT by MUDDOG
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

When McCain dies throw Will in with him.


17 posted on 05/04/2018 6:55:02 AM PDT by bmwcyle (People who do not study history are destine to believe really ignorant statements.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
George will NEVER
be thought of as a 'thinker' ever again.
Why waste our time?
18 posted on 05/04/2018 6:58:00 AM PDT by V K Lee (Anyone who thinks my story is anywhere near over is sadly mistaken. - Donald J. Trump)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

George Will, one of the original Harfer’s..


19 posted on 05/04/2018 7:00:59 AM PDT by Clutch Martin (Hot sauce aside, every culture has its pancakes, just as every culture has its noodle.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Clutch Martin

Needs to be hanged by his bowtie.


20 posted on 05/04/2018 7:04:00 AM PDT by elcid1970 ("The Second Amendment is more important than Islam. Buy ammo.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-69 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson