Most people who defend the Electoral College do so on the basis that it puts states with a smaller population on an equal footing with states with a larger population. That sounds like a very sound and equitable proposition on the surface, but there are some obvious flaws in the argument that never seem to get much of a hearing.
First, does it really do anything for small states that are not also "swing states"? I mean, are presidential candidates ever likely to make stopovers in Wyoming or Rhode Island or Utah or Alabama in the course of the general campaign? Not bloody likely. So the Electoral College works for only some small states, certainly not all.
The bigger problem, as I see it, is that the states with the largest populations get virtually ignored by the candidates simply because they are already solidly in the Blue (California, New York, Illinois) or Red (Texas) camps. That means that the issues that affect a large portion of this country are never addressed at all. That includes most of the problems (i.e. overcrowding, substandard housing and schools, joblessness, street crime, gangs) endemic to urban areas like New York, Los Angeles (where I live), Chicago and Houston. Indeed, very few of the "swing states" boast large urban areas (Detroit, St. Louis and Miami being the obvious exceptions). As a result of the Electoral College, issues of relevance to rural and so-called "middle" America get a disproportionate hearing from the candidates. In other words, small states have actually far more say in these elections than large states do. Is that fair?
I was reminded of that fact yesterday when a group of African-American protestors showed up at one of Senator Obama’s rallies in Florida to call him to task him for failing to address problems related to life in the inner cities:
http://www.youtube.com/...
I think it is less a fault of Obama than of a system that allows this oversight to take place election cycle after election cycle. With both candidates aiming their messages straight at the nation‘s "heartland," it’s understandable that they don’t feel it incumbent upon them to address these issues. So, once again, the citizens of New York, Chicago and Los Angeles are sidelined in this election, wondering when we too will get a chance to have our voices heard.