Paul O’Neal: Popular vote meaningless in presidential election
Re “Just like a Trumpster, to demean those who supported election’s actual winner” (Online, Dec. 20): The writer states in the opening paragraph that Trump lost the popular vote and therefore won the election on a “technicality.” This a false statement. It is rhetoric and it shows the level of widespread ignorance regarding our political system.
The “popular vote” has never decided a presidential election, EVER! It’s meaningless; it’s essentially a participation trophy. Not only is the popular vote meaningless, but the electoral college has decided the election since the signing of the Constitution. Trump is the fourth president to win by electoral vote while losing the popular. Deal with it.
The Electoral College is a check against large swaths of the (culturally different) country from being ruled by a geographically tiny population center. It’s there for a reason. It’s been that way since 1789. Anyone complaining owes it to themselves to brush up on American civics. It takes less time to look up and learn this information than it does to write a letter to the editor putting forth a non argument. In the age of information, ignorance is a choice.
“He lost the popular vote!” That is not an argument. Go home and polish your trophy.
Paul O’Neal, Modesto
This story was originally published December 29, 2016 at 9:25 AM with the headline "Paul O’Neal: Popular vote meaningless in presidential election."