The hardest part of complicated issues is boiling them down to a short, easy-to-understand explanation that the average voter can grasp without spending hours scrolling around on a think tank’s website.
Take the Electoral College – which many Democrats now want to eliminate – for example. The system and process can be confusing, especially since opponents constantly misrepresent its origins, purpose and effect.
So here are two easy ways to explain the Electoral College to voters who raise the issue with you on the campaign trail…
1.) In the 2019 National League Divisional Series between the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Dodgers scored a total of 22 runs over the five games played. The Nationals scored 21 runs – one less overall.
Under a popular vote-like system, the Dodgers would have won the series. But that’s not how it works. You see, despite scoring fewer runs overall, the Nationals won three of the five games – and thus the series.
2.) If you want to use a political example, consider the Virginia legislative races this week, where Democrats picked up two seats in the state Senate and now have a one-seat majority.
However, as blogger David Franke noted on Wednesday, there were 860,993 Republican votes cast statewide and 823,694 Democrat votes. So under a popular vote-like scheme, Republicans would still be in control of the Senate, not the Democrats.
Hope this helps. Have a great weekend.
Cheers!
Dr. Chuck Muth, PsD
THE CAMPAIGN DOCTOR
Professor of Psephology*
(homeschooled)
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* Psephology (see-follow-gee): The study of campaigns and elections