Columbia Journalism School Dean Jelani Cobb traveled over to Comedy Central and The Daily Show on Wednesday to promote his new PBS documentary on the Electoral College. As Donald Trump may win the election despite losing the popular vote, Cobb and weekly host Michael Kosta probably felt it was important to delegitimize such a possible outcome.

Kosta asked, “Why do we have it? What’s one of the big reasons we have it?”

Cobb replied by giving the correct answer, “So, one of the reasons that we have it, a really fundamental reason we have it is to balance out the political power of large states and smaller states.”

 

 

However, for Cobb, “that is a generic answer,” because “the real answer is that it was a means by which slaveholders would be able to use the bodies of the people they were holding in slavery to count in the census in order to give them additional political power, because the Constitution also has the Three-Fifths Clause, which allows them to count 60 percent of the enslaved population.”

Fact-check: It was the slave states that wanted slaves to count as one full person to increase their power, so the Three-Fifths Compromise actually limited their power.

Kosta didn’t care to mention that. Instead, he just periodically chimed in with “right.”

Cobb continued, “In 1860, that meant 2.4 million people who were enslaved were counted in the census when you determined how much Congressional representation the South would have. Now, bear in mind, this is a country that owes its existence to a war fought over the idea of no taxation without representation… But the 4 million people who are enslaved in the South are counted as part of the political system that gives the authority to Southern voters.”

Kosta eventually wondered, “Is ‘contradiction’ too soft of a word?” to which Cobb replied, “I think hypocrisy is a better word.”

Beyond this freak out about the Electoral College and attempt to delegitimize it is the possibility the GOP advantage in the Electoral College is waning. Either way, perhaps Democrats should try to compete in the middle of the country instead of trying to impose California-ism on states that don’t want it.

Here is a transcript for the October 2 show:

Comedy Central The Daily Show

10/2/2024

11:26 PM ET

MICHAEL KOSTA: Why do we have it? What’s one of the big reasons we have it?

JELANI COBB: So, one of the reasons that we have it, a really fundamental reason we have it is to balance out the political power of large states and smaller states. Now, that is a generic answer.

KOSTA: Yes. Yes.

COBB: The real answer is that it was a means by which slaveholders would be able to use the bodies of the people they were holding in slavery--

KOSTA: Right.

COBB: -- to count in the census in order to give them additional political power, because the Constitution also has the Three-Fifths Clause, which allows them to count 60 percent of the enslaved population.

In 1860, that meant 2.4 million people--

KOSTA: Right.

COBB: -- Who were enslaved were counted in the census when you determined how much Congressional representation the South would have. Now, bear in mind, this is a country that owes its existence--

KOSTA: Right.

COBB: -- to a war fought over the idea of no taxation without representation.

KOSTA: Right.

COBB: Slaves cannot vote.

KOSTA: Right.

COBB: But the 4 million people who are enslaved in the South are counted as part of the political system that gives the authority to Southern voters.

KOSTA: Is "contradiction" too soft of a word?

COBB: I think hypocrisy is a better word.