Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) called for an end to the Electoral College at a Wednesday night debate hosted by News Center Maine, citing his kindergarten education in support of his position.
Rob Caldwell, the debate moderator, brought up the phenomenon of candidates winning the presidency with electoral votes despite losing the popular vote.
He asked if the Electoral College should be abolished in response.
“Yes. It’s a gun pointed at the head of democracy,” said Sen. King.
King elaborated on the position, claiming that the current state of the electoral college does not align with the version proposed by Alexander Hamilton in his Federalist Papers.
“It’s never worked the way it was designed, it was supposed to be a kind of council of elders that would then pick the best person as president,” said King.
King was particularly distressed that the political process for selecting the country’s chief executive has become a political process.
“It immediately turned into a much more political kind of process,” King added.
Although the current system of the Electoral College has strayed from the one laid out in Federalist 68, Hamilton nevertheless acknowledged the dangers of allowing a direct democracy.
“The choice of several, to form an intermediate body of electors, will be much less apt to convulse the community with any extraordinary or violent movements, than the choice of one who was himself to be the final object of the public wishes,” said Hamilton.
King expressed support for the kind of direct democracy feared by Hamilton, even while citing the Electoral College’s deviation from Hamilton’s ideal as a reason for its end.
After mentioning Hamilton’s influential work, King appealed to the authority of kindergarten teachers.
“We potentially could have a third time in this century where the person who didn’t get the most votes ends up president. That doesn’t correspond with what any of us learned in kindergarten, the most votes wins,” said King.
King went on to express support for term limits for Supreme Court justices, another drastic change to the nation’s system of governance.
Jason Savage, executive director of the Maine GOP, put out a statement criticizing King for his position on the electoral college.
“King likes to brand himself as a moderate, but this is a far cry from moderation. Mainers deserve a leader who respects our constitutional framework and the voices of every state in this country,” said Savage.
He urged Mainers to support King’s Republican challenger, Demi Kouzounas instead.
Kozounas opposed a switch to a national popular vote, warning that more populous states such as New York would then have all the power, and Maine would lose its impact on presidential elections.
King has worked to portray himself as a moderate independent, but his position on the Electoral College aligns him with far-left Democrats, such as Vice Presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.).
Earlier this month, Gov. Walz called for the Electoral College to be replaced by a national popular vote.
“I think all of us know, the Electoral College needs to go. We need a national popular vote,” said Walz.
King has voted with the Biden-Harris Administration 98.5 percent of the time.
Maine signed on to the Interstate National Popular Vote Compact earlier this year, following support from Democrats in the state legislature.
The compact promises that when enough states sign on to account for the 270 electoral votes required for a presidential victory, Maine, along with other states in the compact, will cast its electoral votes for the victor of the national popular vote.
The compact currently has 209 of the 270 electoral votes needed for it to go into effect.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="32232 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=32232">27 Comments
Why not, only someone who longs for maine to be like California would say something like that. Really, you can’t be more anti constitution than that. He needs to be removed from office.
King is very dangerous for Maine and the USA. Apparently is IQ gain stopped at kindergarten.
In a word, IDIOT. This foolish, ignorant old man is supposed to represent Maine and uphold the US Constitution this tells you everything you need to know, he is a Communist just like the DemocRATS.
Leftists want mob rule so they can usher in socialism/communism.
Ending the Electoral College would put small states at the mercy of large liberal cities and he knows that.
Or maybe he’s not smaht enough to understand the Electoral College and how it protects small states?
Just as I suspected, this moron and extortionist can’t think beyond a kindergarten education. Like his fellow democrat communists King has no clue why the electoral college was set up or the two bodies of the legislature. It was set up to give even small states or states with smaller populations an even or more even hand in the process. Without it the president would be picked by two or three states, two of the primary in this example would be California and New York. Two of the biggest armpits and cesspools in the nation that have been under democrat rule for a very long time. His and his fellow authoritarians would make one party rule. There’d be absolutely no point in voting at all. There would be more to worry about than WW3 brought to the world by dementia Joe and his brain dead VP. We’d be truly headed toward a second civil war.
The electoral collage protects small states like Maine against larg states like NY.
as an independent you are not schooled well.
but then again why do you vote 99% Democratic.
What will crony capitalist King and the crooked Dems do if Trump wins both the popular vote and gets 270+ electoral votes? Ban elections?
That explains your kindergarten mentality King. This is a Republic of United States. Each state has skin in the game and that is why the electoral college was devised. It was brilliant and is there to prevent 8 of the most popular US cities from deciding the leader of the Executive Branch of government. If the electoral college is eliminated for the popular vote, then Maine will never have a say in deciding the President.
Another brilliant idea from our hero Mr. angus king .
He’s a democrat who just doesn’t have the stones to admit it . Admit it angus .
Change the rules into whatever advantages the democrats ,
Change the flag . Change the vote process . Give away our voting rights . Pack the court.
Time for angus to go retire to a condo in Puerto Rico .
Stop trying to screw the little people .
ANGUS HAS TO GO,!!!!!
King is too much of a coward to declare he is a Democrat. If the most votes wins why does King support ranked choice voting. The next move for democrats will be Senators based on population. Its being talked about.
We know from Twitter files he hates free speech, so follows suit he doesn t care for Electoral college
He is trying to live up to his name by assuming the role of tyrant
This guy’s a total fuckin retard.
But I thought Trump wanted to get rid of the Constitution. Shame on King, I guess when he took his oath to uphold the Constitution he was lying.
Not only do we need to vote king into retirement, we need to vote out all the democrats in Augusta that are sending us into an end-run around the Constitution with that interstate compact,…..
Well that explains a lot. The start of Kings education was done by an IDIOT, and he followed right along. BUT, not as dumb as the fools that keep voting him into office!
Let’s end Angus Kings term in Congress… vote for anyone but him.I swear Maine voters vote on name recognition vs policies
How T F do the people of Maine keep electing this jerk ?
Google “ Lockland Ohio “,
This is what awaits YOUR hometown .
Angus King wants to be the mayor .
An independent moderate representing Maine in the US Senate – my posterior! Either King has lost his crackers, thinks we are too dumb to understand the value of using the independence of each state through the electoral college process or simply has succumbed to the radical progressive belief system.
“Yes. It’s a gun pointed at the head of democracy,” and democracy is a gun pointed at the head of every man.
A dangerous man. Sick power crazed , thinks he’s superior to all before him . A totalitarian aristocrat .
It makes sense they would want the popular vote choice – especially since election integrity has been suspect in the last few elections.
King,the consummate left wing dem BS artist. King,the self serving unctuous wind mill supporter,as long as he makes millions on the scam.King the despicable Virginia carpetbagger who has pulled the wool over most Mainers for decades now.
Anus King is a disaster for Maine! Besides being a pathological liar, he’s a grifter and all around scumbag. Not to mention a coward! If he had an ounce of integrity he would admit he’s a Socialist Democrat!
But King has no integrity whatsoever.
Never has, never will!
King is 98.5% Democrat.
Whenever Democrats power in DC is threatened we hear this argument trotted out. Two things occur when this subject arises: Dem leaders show their ignorance regarding the subject matter and secondly they purport to suggest that they are smarter than the Founding Fathers.
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic