[Morrigoon]

A nationwide popular vote seems like a good idea, but it puts a strong bias on metropolitan politics and leaves the rural folks in the dust. The city centers have the population to swing things their way, and their priorities often differ from those of the rural people (who, for one thing, grow our food).

Twisted though it seems... a regionally-assigned electoral vote gives those people a voice who might otherwise be completely ignored. Yes, it technically gives them more power per person, but our system was designed to make sure that the minority at least has a chance to be heard.

(To be fair though... I'm playing devil's advocate here, because it does seem like we don't need the electoral college with today's technology. And I don't think it's fair for some states to "round up" and give ALL their votes to the one candidate that won the most over the whole state rather than giving each vote according to how many votes it got within its own jurisdiction. Or at least assign by percentage share of total votes and then round up or down based on majority for the one elector who represents the split between the two.