# Hank Williams Jr. Doesn't Like the Electoral College. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 7, 2009, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134 "2009-09-07T02:44:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/1 "2009-09-07T02:44:32Z")
[http://www.wvgazette.com/Entertainment/200909021040?page=2&build=cache](http://www.wvgazette.com/Entertainment/200909021040?page=2&build=cache) > [@](#): > > “If it wasn’t for the Electoral College, Obama wouldn’t be president,” he said. “Let’s face it. That’s the problem right there.” I say we join him in a movement to eliminate the pansy liberal communist fascist electoral college! Who’s with me? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/2 "2009-09-07T02:51:49Z")
The hilarious bit comes right after what you quoted. > [@](#): > > Except, President Obama won the popular vote by a margin of nearly 10.5 million votes. By comparison, in the 2000 presidential election, President Bush won the Electoral College, but Vice President Gore actually had 500,000 more votes. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/3 "2009-09-07T02:52:45Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > The hilarious bit comes right after what you quoted. Shhh… ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/4 "2009-09-07T02:53:48Z")
Oh! Uh, right. Down with the Electoral College! ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/5 "2009-09-07T02:58:25Z")
Well, maybe in a very strict sense, he means. If the Electoral College hadn’t voted for Obama, Obama wouldn’t be president. In the same way, if the pens they used to write down their votes were never made, they couldn’t have cast them. If my keyboard was never made, I’d never be typing this. ---
**Author:** ![Alienhand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Alienhand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alienhand)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/6 "2009-09-07T02:58:34Z")
[wrong thread] ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/7 "2009-09-07T03:04:18Z")
“This is L. H. Puttgrass signing off and heading for the tub!” That’s what I think of every time the media reports on uninteresting opinions from uninteresting people. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/8 "2009-09-07T03:23:01Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > The hilarious bit comes right after what you quoted. The massive amount of hypocrisy on display recently (since the election) is truly remarkable. Perhaps the high level of anger on the right is best explained as a result of the acute discomfort from the cognitive dissonance. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/9 "2009-09-07T03:28:51Z")
Who? ---
**Author:** ![St.Anger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@St.Anger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Anger)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/10 "2009-09-07T03:40:04Z")
Hey, if a political guru like Hank Williams Jr. says get rid of the electoral college, then who are we to argue? Clearly, his political vision is greater than that of, say, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and our other founding fathers. As a matter of fact, I nominate Hank Williams Jr. to be added as the fifth face on Mount Rushmore. This rocket scientist DOES realize that under his plan, his other Hero, George W. Bush would not be elected in 2000? Stick with being a washed up country singer and alcoholic, Hank, its what you are best at. ---
**Author:** ![hansel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6bbea6/32.png) [@hansel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hansel)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/11 "2009-09-07T03:55:10Z")
Does anyone else think that if the rest of the mainstream media put basic reality checking into their articles the way Mr. Lynch does, that we’d be much better served and have a much less misled electorate? ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/12 "2009-09-07T04:01:50Z")
> [@St.Anger](#): > > This rocket scientist DOES realize that under his plan, his other Hero, George W. Bush would not be elected in 2000? Of course Bush would have been elected. It’s a family tradition. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/13 "2009-09-07T04:57:19Z")
> [@hansel](#): > > Does anyone else think that if the rest of the mainstream media put basic reality checking into their articles the way Mr. Lynch does, that we’d be much better served and have a much less misled electorate? No. People are, and always will be, fucking idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/14 "2009-09-07T05:03:57Z")
Wasn’t there all sorts of complaining about the electoral college on this board back in 2001? Why criticize Williams for advocating it now? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/15 "2009-09-07T05:16:09Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Wasn’t there all sorts of complaining about the electoral college on this board back in 2001? Why criticize Williams for advocating it now? The criticism is because he doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about. Obama won both the popular vote _and_ the Electoral College, so he would be President even without the Electoral College. He’s taking a stance that is usually taken by some on the left, and he’s doing so out of ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/16 "2009-09-07T05:24:41Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > Of course Bush would have been elected. It’s a family tradition. “Why do you drink, George, and why do you smoke? Why do you live out the songs that Hank wrote? Why’d you let our country get into this condition?” He just smiles and says, 'It’s a…" ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/17 "2009-09-07T05:29:32Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Wasn’t there all sorts of complaining about the electoral college on this board back in 2001? Why criticize Williams for advocating it now? Was there complaining about the electoral college in 2001? I don’t remember the electoral college being a bone of contention. HW2 is being mocked because he’s _factually_ wong in his assertion that Obama would not have won without the elctoral college. He also won the popular vote by a wide margin. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/18 "2009-09-07T05:39:29Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Was there complaining about the electoral college in 2001? I don’t remember the electoral college being a bone of contention. > > HW2 is being mocked because he’s _factually_ wong in his assertion that Obama would not have won without the elctoral college. He also won the popular vote by a wide margin. Yes, there was, mostly on the left. _Bush v. Gore_ was the primary issue, but the EC caught some flak too. There’s some quantity of sour grapes here. I mean, I think I mostly agree with Williams that the Electoral College is undemocratic and should probably be changed. I just don’t think it’s a pressing, urgent need. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/19 "2009-09-07T05:53:35Z")
I don’t remember much more than a litte grousing about the EC in 2001. In any case, Williams is not being criticized for being opposed to the EC, but for demonstrating factual ignorance about the 2008 election. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134/20 "2009-09-07T07:18:50Z")
Note, too, the difference between “The guy who won the Electoral College vote got fewer popular votes than his main opponent. This is wrong!” and “The guy who won the Electoral College vote isn’t the guy I wanted to win. This is wrong!” The first one may be naive or self-serving, but at least there’s a hint of principle in there. The second betrays a certain lack of understanding of the whole point of having elections :dubious: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hank-williams-jr-doesnt-like-the-electoral-college/509134.md?page=2)