College Try

Another scheme to get rid of the Electoral College bites the dust:

Heading into 2024, there were growing whispers that Trump might once again win the presidency without the popular vote, and it’s easy to imagine how that would have reignited the left’s push to ditch the Electoral College altogether. But thankfully, we’ll never have to find out—because Trump crushed Kamala Harris in both the Electoral College and the national popular vote. But Maine's experience perfectly illustrates why the compact was always a bad idea. The state joined when Democrats figured Trump could never win the popular vote again. But Trump's decisive popular vote victory in 2024 changed everything. Had the compact been in effect with current members, Trump would have carried a whopping 520 electoral votes, instead of the 312 he actually won. ICYMI: Kamala Really Lost It When CNN Finally Asked Real Questions The irony is delicious. Democrats pushed this compact because they thought it would permanently benefit their party’s candidates. "We were the first state in the nation to split our Electoral College votes by congressional district—a system that reflects our political diversity and values, every voice, whether rural or urban," said Maine state Rep. Barbara Bagshaw, who sponsored the withdrawal bill. "By joining the National Popular Vote Compact, we have undermined that." Bagshaw's got a point. Maine and Nebraska are the only two states that split their electoral votes by congressional district rather than winner-take-all. This system actually gives rural and urban voters meaningful representation—something the popular vote compact would completely destroy. Talk about buyer's remorse.

They bought it, they own it...