Electoral College?

Dear Editor:

In the past week, we’ve seen several Hillary Clinton supporters calling for an end to the Electoral College. Bill Maher suggested to Eric Holder that the Electoral College is unfair and needs to be changed with a constitutional amendment. Michael Moore delivered a note to Donald Trump that read “You lost (based on the popular vote, I assume). Step aside.”

In addition, thousands of protestors are upset with an election outcome that, they argue, ignored the will of the American voters. The hypocrisy among Democratic elites is stunning!

Yes, Clinton won the popular vote, but we all know that’s not how we elect the president and everyone knew that before November 8. And Clinton supporters should know this better than anyone, because the Democratic Party used the same process to eventually nominate her during the primaries. 

Bernie Sanders was up against 700-plus superdelegates who pledged their support to Clinton before a single vote was cast in Iowa. Yes, Clinton did eventually win the popular vote during the primaries, but there is plenty of research that shows people like to vote for a winner. And Clinton was the anointed winner in February because of superdelegates who, at every turn, ignored the will of the Democratic voters.

Sanders won the popular vote in New Hampshire by almost 23 points (60 percent to 37 percent), yet Clinton was awarded 15 delegates to Sanders’ 16—a blowout in the popular vote but a virtual tie in delegates.

Sanders won the popular vote in Wisconsin by over 13 points (135,000 votes), yet he received just two more delegates than Clinton (49 to 47).

More shockingly, Sanders won the popular vote in Michigan by over 17,000 votes, yet Clinton was awarded 13 more delegates than Sanders (80 to 67). Apparently, it’s okay to ignore the will of Michigan voters. How is this better than the Electoral College?

Trump won Michigan and Wisconsin by just 13,000 and 27,000 votes, respectively. Any reasonable person could argue, based on primary results, that Sanders would have been more competitive in the Rust Belt states—the exact states Democrats needed to win the presidency.

Clinton and the Democrats didn’t lose the election because of the Electoral College. They lost the election because they stacked the deck during the primaries and ignored the will of hundreds of thousands of their own voters. If they want to change the rules of the game, they need to start with their own party.

Matthew Magilke, PhD

Associate professor of accounting

Robert Day School of

Economics and Finance

Claremont McKenna College

The Day After

Dear Editor:

Many of us are grieving, and will be so for some time to come, after absorbing the results of Tuesday’s election. It is fitting to mourn the potential loss of so much for which we have all worked so hard. So let’s acknowledge our profound sorrow for Tuesday’s loss.

In the midst of our grief I do believe a word about hubris is in order here. Over the past 30 to 40 years we have forgotten a whole bunch of people, many of whom live in what is often called “fly over” country. Last Tuesday, they forgot us. And I would say, rightly so. These are people who have been marginalized and discarded. These used to be the people who were the bedrock of the Democratic Party. 

But I also want us to hear what Michael Moore had to say on election night: “I don’t know how things will turn out but, however they turn out tonight, that’s where we start tomorrow morning.”

The Good Book enjoins us to weep with those who weep and to rejoice with those who rejoice. And we have some wonderful victories that are cause for much rejoicing. Anthony Portantino won by a landslide. As Merrill Ring pointed out, Democrats had significant victories by many promising women in both the house and senate. Many of the ballot propositions we endorsed or opposed turned out as we had hoped they would.

We can rejoice that we have bold leadership ready to step forward to prepare us Democrats for battle; it will indeed be a fight to preserve what we can of President Obama’s legacy. We can celebrate Elizabeth Warren’s and Bernie Sanders’ leadership. We should be thankful for Keith Ellison and Howard Dean. We are not bereft of allies to encourage and fortify us for the days and weeks ahead.

I would only lift up the statement of Elizabeth Warren she issued yesterday, for in it is much cause for hope:

“We will stand up to bigotry. No compromises ever on this one. Bigotry in all its forms. We will fight back against attacks on Latinos, on African Americans, on women, on Muslims, on immigrants, on disabled Americans, on anyone.”

So let us go forth with the words of Cesar Chavez ringing boldly in our hearts and minds, “Don’t mourn. Organize.”

Yours in solidarity for the struggle ahead,  

John C. Forney

President, Democratic Club of Claremont

America is Now Great Again

Dear Editor:

With the election of Donald J. Trump, America is now going to become great again, truly great. Like all of you, I was on the edge of my seat during the election results, awaiting the truly great America to take shape.  

When it became apparent that Trump was going to win, I pulled out the big guns—yes, real guns. I was on the edge of my seat thinking, “Here comes the America I know and love.” I shot my pistols up into the air. It woke up my babies, and my neighbors were probably frightened. But, hey, they simply don’t love America like I do.

As a Muslim, I personally couldn’t be happier. Finally, I get to do the real work of telling on my terrorist friends and family. I’ve been trying to tell Obama for years that my kids scream incessantly when I don’t buy them candy at Vons. Don’t even get me started on those terrorists who work there. They have bouquets of candy bars as you enter—bouquets!

I would also hope that the people of Claremont will join me in asking Donald to allow me to stay in America. I, too, want to keep my freedom like all of you. I will do whatever it takes to blend into this great country with its true American values. I will even take off my hijab, so that Trump and whoever else feels like it can exercise their freedom to grab me by the pu**y.

America, we were truly imprisoned by blacks, Latinos, Muslims, immigrants, women and the LGBT community for far too long. But don’t worry. Just praise the Lord, we are free at last!

Dunia Ramadan

Claremont