In response to Locamama's Is it time for the Electoral College to go?

2. There will be times when the winner of the popular vote will lose the electoral college such as our last election.

Your strongest point and I agree that it is a major flaw. The electoral vote messed up a few times. But recounts from a close race would require the recount of every vote in every state, rather than the one in 2000, so you trade one big problem with 50 individual smaller ones.

3. The electoral college puts many states "out of play". The candidates are going to concede certain states and not campaign there.

Entire regions are out of play for the simple reason most people vote one way. That won't change under a popular vote. A dem won't go to the middle of Orange County to get votes he'll go where there are lots of swing voters. Battleground "regions" instead of states.

If there was no electoral votes, the presidential candidates would concentrate on urban centers since there are more people there. Those red states with 1 guy per mile population density? They won't get any extra visits from presidential hopefuls.

1. The electoral college was put in effect to have a buffer against "voter ignorance". I know there are still voters who have no clue about the issues etc. but in general I think we have an educated populace. There are times I wish we could have a little test before voting because I don't want my vote cancelled out by someone without a clue or worse a one issue voter (they really irritate me).

So you think people who are not interested in stuff you are interested in shouldn't get to vote? If a guy owns a gun store that supports his family and would otherwise never vote. Shouldn't his only issue be voting against politicians calling for anti-gun laws?

4. This reinforces our two party system. It is hard for a third party to break through this system.

Not really related to electoral vote, but the two party system helps stem the one-issue voter, which you have a problem with. Someone radically for the environment would normally avoid GOP and Dems. The reason I like the two party system is that a crazy guy can't slip into office with 20% of the vote, like when Hitler did it. The other parties in Germany split the "Hitler sucks ass" vote. What people see as a problem (the two candidates are so close to the center they sound alike!), I see as a benefit. You might lose someone who can revolutionize our country, but you decrease the chance of a Hitler II.

The third party in America is useful: if it gets enough support then the other two partes will cannibalize it, sucking out the ideas that made it popular. Look at how budget deficit reduction was a major issue after Perot made it one by getting so much support dusing his presidential run. But the party itself suffers because now the two major parties are more likely to get those ideas implemented.