I've never quite bought into the argument that the purpose of the EC was to prevent the passions of the mob -- the Constitution gave state legislatures the power to determine how electors would be selected -- they were the prevention against the mob. And if state legislatures choose to exercise that power granted to them by the Constitution by binding electors to the popular vote within their state, that is perfectly consistent with the Constitution.
Exactly. The original intent of the Electoral College was for the states to select electors, who would be charged with one role, to select the best person to be President for the next four years. There was no provision written for popular election of the President, or even for popular election of electors (although states could decide to use a popular vote to select their electors, it was entirely up to the state legislatures). It was intentionally divorced from popular selection. Frankly, I think it would be interesting to pass an amendment prohibiting states from using popular elections to select their presidential electors, forcing them to use other criteria to do so, and invalidating all state laws restricting electors' choices to only approved candidates. Make the Electoral College into what it was originally intended to be. If you think you're hearing leftist shrieking now, that would
really raise the decibel level!
