Hollywood's Ridiculous War on the Electoral College

In the wake of president-elect Donald Trump's dramatic victory, many of the more outspoken left-leaning journalists, mainstream media pundits, and entrenched politicians have now placed in their sights the Electoral College.

Having the distinct feel of a coordinated campaign, mainstream outlets have flooded the media landscape with attacks on the time-honored process embodied in the U.S. Constitution.

— The New York Times recently published a piece titled "The Electoral College Is Hated by Many. So Why Does It Endure?"

— The Baltimore Sun featured an editorial titled "Ditch the Electoral College? Yes we can."

— Forbes floated an analysis titled "Don't Blame Pollsters. Blame The Electoral College."

— The Nation published a piece titled "The Electoral College Has To Go."

— And following the all too frequently used template of liberal provocateurs, Slate put out an incendiary race-based article titled "The Electoral College Is an Instrument of White Supremacy."

Now, in what appears to be perpetual political warfare on the part of radical liberals, some of the Left Coast's most celebrated foot soldiers are attempting to manipulate the public by raising the issues of the Electoral College's validity and relevance, and the potential to circumvent the constitutionally defined process.

Bill Maher, host of HBO's "Real Time," dedicated a portion of his cable television show to the subject of the Electoral College. He trumpeted the popular vote count while ridiculing the electoral win. He also brought former Attorney General Eric Holder into the discussion to help bolster the attack on the constitutionally outlined procedure.

"We have to just abolish the Electoral College," Holder flatly stated.

Some of the more rabid supporters of 2016's Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton have come up with a proposal of their own and are attempting to put pressure on participating Electors to disregard the will of the voters in their respective states.

A petition posted by Change.org calls on Electors to "ignore their states' votes and cast their ballots for Secretary Clinton."

"The only reason Trump 'won' is because of the Electoral College. But the Electoral College can actually give the White House to either candidate," the petition reads, "So why not use this most undemocratic of our institutions to ensure a democratic result?"

The Change.org petition has been promoted and distributed by a number of celebrities including singers Lady Gaga, Pink, and Sia, and actors Amanda Seyfried, Jeffrey Wright, and Laverne Cox.

The fact of the matter is in order to abolish the Electoral College the Constitution would have to be amended. This is something that is almost an impossibility because of the approval required on the part of two-thirds of the House and the Senate as well as the affirmation of the proposed amendment by three-fourths of the states.

This having been said, the Electoral College discussions that are occurring are not meant to communicate substance but rather to undermine in the minds of the public the legitimacy of the Trump presidency.

Electoral College members officially cast their ballots on December 19, 2016. This has apparently given false hope to some in Hollywood that the Electors might somehow be persuaded by an internet petition to oppose the voters in their individual states.

The Electoral College was created by the framers in order to constrain the power of the majority. It is the same reason that we possess two legislative houses instead of one. The House of Representatives allows states with a greater population to enjoy more political influence. The Senate protects states with a lower population so that the same amount of political power is afforded to each state, regardless of the population tally.

The Electoral College employs a similar balance. Each state receives one electoral vote for each of its congressional representatives in the House and Senate combined.

The 240 year-old institution takes into account the geographic realities of the nation. If the Electoral College did not exist, candidates for president would only be concerned with two states, New York and California, because these are the states in which most of the people in the United States reside.

With the Electoral College in place, every state becomes important to the presidential candidates because every state has at least three electoral votes, two for its senators and at least one for its member of the House. Presidential candidates must therefore pay attention to the entire nation as opposed to directing attention and resources only at the most populated regions.

Hollywood and the media elites would be wise to follow the lead of the president whom they profess to love and accept the election results with respect for the peaceful transfer of power our nation is famous for.

James Hirsen, J.D., M.A., in media psychology, is a New York Times best-selling author, media analyst, and law professor. Visit Newsmax TV Hollywood. Read more reports from James Hirsen — Click Here Now.