Page 10 - Forbes - Asia (March 2020)
P. 10
“With all thy getting, get understanding”
FACT & COMMENT
By Steve Forbes, Editor-in-Chief
How to Save U.S. Politics
8
Critics of the much-maligned Electoral Look at the Democrats. The party has
College overlook one of its fundamental indeed lunged to the left, but behold what’s
virtues: tamping down dangerously divi- happened to its presidential wannabes who
sive politics. Advocates of replacing this most faithfully parroted the extreme views of
“18th-century anachronism” with a straight far-left activists on such matters as rigid anti-
popular vote implicitly assume the current individual identity politics or an immediate
two-party system would remain intact and government takeover of health care: They’ve
that the candidate with the most individual floundered or have tried to soften the sharp-
votes—instead of electoral votes—would ness of their views. Elizabeth Warren’s once
win the White House. That’s the way things expanding bubble deflated once she had to
work for every other elected office in the explain how she was going to pay for all the
U.S.; why wouldn’t it be so for the most im- “free stuff” she was promising. Party mem-
portant one of all? bers were also put off by her harsh negativity.
But the basic two-party arrangement we take for grant- If one of the parties does veer far from the existing cen-
ed exists only because of the Electoral College. To win the ter, it will suffer a shattering defeat, as the Democrats did in
presidency, a candidate has to appeal to people across the 1972 when they nominated a far-left candidate who ended
country. A nationwide coalition is essential to gaining a up carrying only one state and the District of Columbia.
majority in the Electoral College. A narrow sectional or Along the same lines, because candidates have to wage
special-interest base simply won’t cut it. That’s why our nationwide campaigns to win, the Electoral College forc-
parties are collections of many diverse interests and back- es these contenders to become familiar with local and re-
grounds, reflecting the character of this continental na- gional issues they might otherwise overlook, most particu-
tion whose citizens, or forebears, have come from all cor- larly in battleground states. The current arrangement does
ners of the world and reflect a wide array of cultures and more to give a voice to minorities, people whose support
beliefs. It’s why supporters of the Democratic and Repub- could be crucial in key states.
lican parties are so often uneasy with one another. GOP Today’s parties are state and local organizations. Each runs
voters in the Northeast, for instance, who tend to empha- its own show its own way. Sure, there are national committees,
size economic issues such as low taxes, are put off by social but they are essentially fundraising entities for congressional
conservatives. and gubernatorial candidates—and their party’s presidential
The system puts a premium on moderation. Yes, can- candidate. Every four years local parties come together to for-
didates can advocate bold programs, but they have to do mally nominate a presidential candidate, who then is auto-
so in ways that don’t alienate more tepid members of their matically put on the ballot in every state in the union (and the
party, not to mention independent voters. A radical idea District of Columbia). In contrast, independent candidates for
usually goes through what might be called a marinating our ultimate office have to go through an expensive, laborious
process, during which time people become accustomed to process to get on all the ballots. Few manage to do so. Each
the notion, and even then it has often become a watered- state has its own rules—some easy, others extremely difficult.
down version of the original. A direct popular vote for president would shatter this
The Electoral College’s systemic bias for softening the political ecosystem that’s uniquely suited to America.
rough, potentially dangerous edges of national politics has Individuals and special-interest organizations would
enabled us for over two centuries to debate and resolve continuously create their own parties. For example, would
even bitterly contentious issues without tearing apart the Mike Bloomberg—who at various times during his political
country and leaving wounds that can fester for genera- career has been a Democrat, a Republican and an indepen-
tions. The exception, of course, was the issue of slavery. dent—even bother to try to fetch the Democratic nomina-
Otherwise, the tendency to move toward moderation and tion for president? Of course not. With his resources, he
inclusion has held. would do it on his own.
F ORBES A SIA MAR CH 2020
