Letter to the editor: The Electoral College is archaic

Posted

Did you watch the presidential debate? 

What I heard was this: a bully picking a fight with a gentleman and neither of them expressing adequate answers to the commentator's questions and ignoring the uninterrupted time allotted for each. 

Frankly, it was shameful to me!  

I already knew what to expect from Trump as he reminds me of a 2-year-old who doesn't like hearing the word “no” so he throws a tantrum. I had hoped he would have surprised me with actually admitting any bad decision he's made as a president or at least spelled out his plan to improve our country. Instead he chose to be downright nasty! 

The Oregon sheriff he referred to as his "good friend" that had called him for help actually came out in The Columbian as refuting that idea. I doubt that Trump could count on any West Coast "friend" for any favor! He has stated that all of the wildfires on the West Coast are because we have exploding trees, that we don't manage the federal forests in our states well enough, and then come begging for federal help which he won't sanction or fund! (But Trump is willing to send in federal troops when nobody wants them here.)



But regardless of the behaviors, I am so frustrated that our election process is not worthy of electing a president. Our votes do not count for the election of a presidential candidate; they only count toward electing a slate of delegates who are not named on the ballot and only chosen by elite and private political party election. So when we vote, we are voting for that elite and an unknown slate of delegates (who are selected by the political party and names withheld from us — the plain old dumb citizen voters!). I have to wonder why the Electoral College has that right to choose for me. This is why the popular vote doesn't count! (I assume that this injustice may be the reason why so many citizens don't bother to vote!). Can you name or even find out who these so-called electors are for your state? They are supposed to vote according to the popular votes of ordinary citizens. How do I trust that they will? That's right, I can't!  

Yes, I am frustrated that we live by this type of unfair, archaic voting practice set up by our founding fathers centuries ago. So, if I were to vote tomorrow for our so-called president, I won't be surprised that Trump has found a way to manipulate each state's delegates needed to vote for him. When will we have a President who truly represents each citizen? When will we ever have justice?

Will there even be a planet worth trying to live on when global warming and non-caring human custodians have ruined it for all generations to come?