Apropos the aforelinked push to a national popular vote, Lawrence Lessig responds to a change.org call to elect Hillary Clinton at the Electoral College vote in December:

I apologize for the technical, law-geek reply but: Hell yes!

The Framers created the electoral college as a safety valve. They were not certain how the states would establish the process for selecting a president. Most assumed they’d have popular elections. But to avoid the chance that some insane passion would sweep the nation, and drive it to elect a nut, or a demagogue, they embedded an electoral college as a kind of circuit breaker. If the people go crazy, the college would be there to check it.

It’s a nice fantasy, but not going to happen. We’re going to have to live with this one.