A little late Al, but it makes sense that he would be in favor of ending the Electoral College since he in fact won the popular vote in the 2000 election, despite losing to Bush.
According to Gore,
many Americans are disenfranchised and some states are ignored because of the Electoral College, and it’s time to abandon it.
The electoral college was put into place in opposition to common suggestions that congress should choose the president. Some delegates like James Madison preferred a popular vote, believing it would be most ideal. However, there was a problem
of a serious nature attending an immediate choice by the people. The right of suffrage was much more diffusive in the Northern than the Southern States; and the latter could have no influence in the election on the score of Negroes.
That and,
The people are uninformed, and would be misled.
Seeing as how the American public has access to easy-to-understand sites like Wikipedia and Factcheck, ignorance has largely become a choice. So, Mr. Madison, we don’t have slaves, and we can think for ourselves, what do you think of the popular vote now?
Although I recognize that the Electoral College was put in place for good reason at the time, basing elections purely on the popular vote does make a lot of sense. The popular vote ensures that each person gets their vote counted for the candidate they want to see in office, instead of having their vote transformed by their state’s overarching political preference. We would be able to vote as individuals, instead of as all consuming groups. It might even allow more than two parties to become active in American politics, heightening ideological and strategical diversity.
I’m sure the Electoral College isn’t going anywhere soon, but maybe one day each and everyone’s voice will truly make a difference in the ballots.
Sources:
National Journal: Al Gore Calls for an End to Electoral College
Library of Congress: Congressional Debtes
Wondergressive 