22 NOVEMBER 2008, Page 30

Some rump

Sir: James Forsyth (‘Tory lessons for the Republicans’, 15 November) refers to Barack Obama’s 365 electoral college votes compared with John McCain’s 173. In terms of the popular vote, though, the Democrats won 52 per cent and the Republicans 48 per cent. This does not support Forsyth’s view that the Republicans are now a rump party. It does, however, support the conclusion that the electoral college votes do not represent the popular will, but then that was the Founding Fathers’ original intention.

Garth R.A. Wiseman

London SE11