Three Members of Electoral College from NorCo

Northampton County, which turned from blue to red this election cycle, was regarded as a bellwether by the Trump campaign.  Local party boss Lee Snover had sign parties, weekly flash mobs and had 200 volunteers at the polls on election day. In the meantime, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party sent letters directing voters to the wrong polls.  

On December 19, the 20-member delegation of Pennsylvania's Electoral College will meet in Harrisburg to cast their votes for President Trump. Three of them  - Mary Barket, Lee Snover and Peg Ferraro - will be from Northampton County.

Some have suggested that the Electoral College can be persuaded to vote for Hillary.

Dream on.

I've also heard that the Electoral College is a relic of our racist past and should be discarded. Without question, it gives added weight to many smaller states, just like the Senate. But its primary goal is to prevent a tyranny of the majority. We are a democratic republic, not a mobocracy.  

House GOP To Meet Guv' Today Over Electoral Plan

With the exception of Maine and Nebraska, every other state follows a "winner-takes-all" system of computing electoral college votes in the Presidential race. A presidential contender with 50% plus one popular vote will get all of the electoral college votes.

Pa. Senate Majority leader Dominic Pileggi wants to scrap that in favor of awarding electoral college votes, congressional district by congressional district. He claims it "would more precisely conform the electoral college to the popular vote." True, and by the way, it would also make it more likely for the Republican candidate, who traditionally has fared poorly in the Keystone State, to walk away with at least some electoral college votes.

But there's an equally likely possibility that the whole plan will backfire on Republicans. Specifically, in suburban Pennsylvania, there is a real concern among GOP Congressman that the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Democratic machine will concentrate resources there.

House GOP members will meet with Governor Tom Corbett today to make these concerns known.

"What were you thinking?" is one question they might be tempted to ask.

"It's a mixed bag," explained one politico, who said the plan would make much more sense if several states simultaneously decided to change current practice.