Electoral College
* I was very glad to see “Electoral College Still Making the Final Call” (Oct. 26). If Congress had passed one of the numerous bills calling for the abolition of the Electoral College, we would not have George W. Bush supporters now running ads for Ralph Nader in swing states. Swing states wouldn’t exist.
The House Judiciary Committee reviewed two such bills in 1997, but they didn’t have the support to pass both houses. One major reason they weren’t passed? Third parties might be given more power to influence national elections; our winner-take-all Electoral College system was expected to completely shut them out.
Well, the Greens seem to be influencing things anyway. It was mentioned at the 1997 hearing that the public might be livid when the Electoral College eventually fails and congressional inaction is found to be the cause. Maybe now we’ll see.
MICHAEL SCHULER
Seattle
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