Final answer:
The Electoral College was created to balance the interests of large and small states and act as a buffer against direct democracy, influencing presidential campaign strategies given the focus on swing states over predictably partisan large states like California, Texas, and New York.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Electoral College was established by the framers of the Constitution in 1787 as a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and election by a popular vote of qualified citizens. The framers chose the Electoral College system to ensure a balance between the power of larger states and smaller states, to prevent a tyranny of the majority, and to establish a buffer against the potential for direct democracy to produce a demagogue. Presidential candidates often employ strategic campaign tactics in key states, such as tailoring messages to local interests and increasing ad spending, to win the support of crucial electors. States with large numbers of electoral votes like California, Texas, and New York, though significant, might receive less campaign attention if their voting patterns are seen as predictable, leading candidates to focus on swing states that could determine the election outcome.
The absence of California, Texas, and New York in a cartoon about the presidential election might signify that these states, despite their large populations, are not seen as battlegrounds where candidates invest most of their resources. This lack of prominence in campaign strategy illustrations is due to their historically consistent voting for a particular political party, which makes their electoral outcome more predictable compared to swing states.