The notion that because Vice President Al Gore won the popular vote he should be elected to the presidency is an ignorant view. If Texas Gov. George W. Bush eventually wins the Electoral College, he will not be a “winner-by-default,” as Jessi Phillips’ column suggests (“U.S. Electoral College is not popular way to elect,” SN 11/13). Our system relies on the Electoral College, not the popular vote to elect the president. This fact is widely known to all Americans, including the two major candidates for the presidency.

Each man knew the way to win the game was to win the college, and they played the game aggressively. They campaigned vigorously in battleground states such as Michigan and Florida, and comparatively ignored the states where there was an obvious predetermined outcome. If our system was dependent on the popular vote, the respective campaigns would have been drastically different, as would the votes received by each candidate.

Who is to say that Gore is the people’s choice? Isn’t it possible that if the election was based on the popular vote that Bush’s campaigning style could have swayed the majority of votes? This is a moot point however. Whichever candidate wins the required Electoral College votes has the legitimate right to the presidency, and there should be no question otherwise.

Devon Allard
political science junior