Despite Losses, Republicans Still Favor Electoral College
Even after winning the popular vote but losing the Electoral College twice in the past sixteen years, a recent survey shows that an overwhelming majority of Republican voters still favor the antiquated system by which the United States elects its president.
“It’s certainly frustrating,” said 59-year-old unemployed Ohio pipefitter James McKinney, reflecting on an election in which Donald Trump received 2.7 million more votes than his opponent but still lost to Hillary Clinton in the Electoral College. “I felt like Donald Trump was the last, best hope for people like me – and it looks like a clear majority of folks who voted agreed. But, y’know, the Electoral College is there to protect the rights of the minority, so I guess it’s good to know it’s doing its job.”
For many Trump supporters, this election was a painful reminder of the 2000 presidential election, when Al Gore squeaked out a five-point Electoral College victory over the popular vote winner, George W. Bush. However, in spite of the plainly undemocratic nature of the system that has twice robbed their party of the presidency, Republican voters appear unwavering in their support for the Founding Fathers’ creation.
“The Framers, in their wisdom, created the Electoral College to safeguard minority rights,” said Chuck Gersh, 47, who maintains the website www.lockherup.com and has spent much of the past six years personally investigating allegations that Hillary Clinton murdered Vince Foster. “Do I like that a vile, corrupt, murdering Illuminati bitch is about to enslave our country? No. Do I wish things had gone another way? Well, obviously. But this is how the system works, and you can’t go trying to change it just because you don’t like the outcome or because there’s clear evidence that the system is broken.”
Indeed, although many Republicans are still grappling with the terms of Trump’s loss in their own ways, they appear united in their reverence for the Electoral College’s intended purpose of safeguarding against “the tyranny of the majority.”
“Look, I won’t mince words: America is doomed, and Hillary Clinton is going to turn us all into a bunch of sniveling little cucks,” said 29-year-old vending machine repairman Gabe Garrett, who is currently on probation for emailing rape threats to several female video game journalists who gave negative reviews to Battlefield 1. “But as much as I’m scared for the future of the Republic, that’s no reason to get rid of a system that does such a good job looking out for minority rights. Seriously – as a Republican, there’s nothing more important to me than ensuring that minority rights are protected. I think the Republican Party makes it clear through its rhetoric, policy and actions that minority rights are its first and foremost concern. We shouldn’t turn away from that.”
The Republican candidate himself seemed to echo these sentiments in a statement posted to Twitter at 3:17 in the morning:
“Won pop vote by 2.7 mil, lost election. Sad! But system works- minority rights very important! Congrats to Madam Pres #makeamericagreatagain”