I am glad that the mainstream media appears to be paying attention to the latest Republican Party power grab proposals in some states which would award electoral college votes to the winner of the Congressional District rather than the State The Washington Post Editorial Board has condemned these efforts in very strong language. The editors stated that these
latest proposals, to fiddle with presidential vote-tallying, are particularly egregious. Following through on them not only would damage the GOP’s reputation but also could drain all legitimacy from the electoral college system
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
The Washington Post Editorial Board also made it clear to its readers that these proposed reforms to the electoral college system are clearly intended to rig the system in favor of the Republican Party.
What’s more alarming is the unequal effect of only some states moving to a district-based or similar system. Republicans might switch the system in Democratic-leaning swing states but keep the winner-take-all standard in reliably red states — a result conceivable because of widespread GOP control of state legislatures and governorships. It is not accidental that these proposals have traction among Republican politicians in states Mr. Obama won in the last two elections.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Furthermore, The Washington Post pointed out the destabilizing effect these changes would have on the entire system:
Election results would probably become less reflective of national sentiment. And, as RealClearPolitics’s Sean Trende points out, the country would be in store for recount after recount, since victory margins in close congressional districts would hinge on even fewer votes because of the smaller vote totals.
All of that would destabilize the already imperfect electoral college.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
I don't always agree with the positions taken by The Washington Post Editorial Board, but I was very pleased to see that they have clearly indicated that the Republicans are the ones who are wrong on this issue. After seeing so many media reports that conclude that both sides are at fault, it is nice to see such a prominent newspaper pointing the finger at the Republicans as the party responsible for trying to stack the deck in their favor.