Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) openly mocked the Electoral College, and as a consequence, Middle America’s voice, in an Instagram video posted Monday.
The freshman lawmaker posted a sarcastic video to social media, offering commentary as she drove by empty fields in an effort to delegitimize the importance of the Electoral College and, as a consequence, the Americans it gives a voice to.
“Alright everyone it’s been a minute. We’re coming to you live from the Electoral College,” she said, with the video panning to empty plainlands.
“Many votes here, as you can see. Very efficient way to choose leadership of the country. I mean, I can’t think of any other way. Can you?” she sarcastically asked.
Ocasio-Cortez followed up, writing, “To all the Republicans getting big mad bc the electoral college is, in fact, a scam:” followed by an article from the Intelligencer titled “Here’s Every Defense of the Electoral College – and Why They’re All Wrong.” She took shots at the Founding Fathers and argued that the U.S. “still” denies millions of Americans the right to vote, citing Puerto Ricans and “many folks released from prisons.”
She also claimed that the Electoral College has a “racial injustice breakdown”:
The Electoral College has a racial injustice breakdown. Due to severe racial disparities in certain states, the electoral college effectively weighs white voters over voters of color, as opposed to a “one person, one vote” system where all our votes are counted equally.
“#FactsAreFacts, America. The Electoral College has got to go,” she closed.
This is far from the first time Ocasio-Cortez has questioned the Electoral College. She tweeted last year – prior to her victory – “It is well past time we eliminate the Electoral College, a shadow of slavery’s power on America today that undermines our nation as a democratic republic”:
As Breitbart News has previously explained, the Founding Fathers designed the Electoral College as a safeguard against mob rule, essentially preventing high population areas – such as the modern day Northeast Coast and California West Coast – from determining the outcome of presidential elections. It gives flyover America a proportional voice in choosing the leader of the nation– something critics, such as Ocasio-Cortez, seem to overlook.
Notable 2020 Democrats – including Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) – have also called for the abolishment of the age-old system.
President Trump ultimately beat Hillary Clinton with 304 Electoral College votes to her 232, thanks in part to his victories in the Rust Belt states. However, some on the left were quick to attempt to delegitimize his presidency by pointing to Clinton’s popular vote victory, despite the fact that Trump was not the first candidate to win a presidential election while losing the popular vote.