I am a Filipino-American professional who lives and works in New York City and an avid follower of your opinion columns. The column of Randy David on testing America’s political stability is very educational in discussing the intricacies of the Electoral College, but a bit premature with the consequences of the outcome of the election. He tried to be “balanced” but reading between the lines and his use of words like “puts one of the most racist and misogynistic of America’s politician,” he tends to “favor” Kamala Harris over Donald Trump.
Professor David’s dissection of the Electoral College established by the founding fathers through the Constitution was quite thorough and very educational. I am sure that if you ask an American on the street about this Electoral College, probably only half will know what it is and half will not or don’t care at all. It may depend on the location of the state. In one of the recent surveys regarding the Electoral College, about 70 percent wants it to be dissolved.
However, to do it, a constitutional amendment is required. Political scientists, though, believe that the Electoral College protects the interests of the smaller states. I consider the Electoral College of the United States quite similar to the College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church when it votes for a new Pope in an enclave. All these cardinals were chosen by the Pope, but the Electoral College is usually elected by their own party in their states. Few are appointed.
He was right when he mentioned the things that polarized Americans—immigration policy, abortion and women’s rights, racial equality, wealth distribution, etc.—are based mostly on the party affiliations. Most people think that Filipinos as a minority group will vote Democrat like most minorities. Most Filipinos, however, vote on their conscience, so that there is no Filipino bloc. That is one of the advantages of the two-party system where you know offhand what the party believes and practices. I wish that the Philippines will go back to the old two-party system instead of what they have now: multiple parties.
Let us wait until we get the results of the election. It is so unpredictable as of today that even after midnight on Nov. 6, we still would not know who the new president will be and just hope for the best. I am sure that most Americans are aware of the aftermath of Jan. 6, but democracy prevailed. America will survive with its warts and all.
Ida M. Tiongco,
New York, NY