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Tim Walz calls for scrapping of electoral college to decide US presidential race (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 3 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Kamala Harris’s running mate urges popular vote system but campaign says issue is not part of Democrats’ agenda

Tim Walz, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, has called for the electoral college system of electing US presidents to be abolished and replaced with a popular vote principle, as operates in most democracies.

His comments – to an audience of party fundraisers – chime with the sentiments of a majority of American voters but risk destabilising the campaign of Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, who has not adopted a position on the matter, despite having previously voiced similar views.

"I think all of us know, the electoral college needs to go," Walz told donors at a gathering at the home of the California governor, Gavin Newsom. "We need a national popular vote. We need to be able to go into York, Pennsylvania, and win. We need to be in western Wisconsin and win. We need to be in Reno, Nevada, and win."

🗳️ Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

I agree with all of this and I think many people on Lemmy do as well. My concern is: Will the population that is excited to vote for candidates that are willing to push these changes through have the staying power?

These are huge changes to a system that has been manipulated to benefit a small group of well connected, very powerful, very wealthy people. It's not something that can change in one or even two presidential terms. These are changes that will take many election cycles to complete. These, and other big changes, need sustained focus.

Not saying it can't be done - it can. The republican party has proven that. Over the course of 40+ years they have reshaped America to fit their ideals. But it took 40 years. One part of how they did it was/is by keeping the pressure on their voting base even during non-election years through FOX news, rush limbaugh, alex jones, and other pieces of shit. So when it was time to vote their base was already "educated" on why they had to vote for the republican candidate. It made/makes it easy for the republican candidate to step in and just say the right words and phrases to the voting population and they were guaranteed a certain % of the vote.

So if the left wants to re-shape how America looks and how it treats it's population then they have to be willing to play the long game.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago

I agree with everything here except the concept that there's such a thing as a non-election year, which is a big part of the reason the engagement discrepancy you're talking about exists in the first place.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

The candidates have to work hard to get and keep voters excited, no backpedaling on platforms.