Imagine the possible benefits such technology could allow to those suffering from Locked-in syndrome or similar conditions making regular speech impossible.
It's worth noting that the same thing happened to the Democrats in 2000, and hadn't happened in the US at that point for over 100 years.
Looked at from the perspective of the Democratic party: they have won the popular vote 4 out of the last 5 elections, but only won the presidency twice. It's not surprising the party's frustration with the Electoral College would continue to grow.
"the world is a dangerous place and becoming more so."
Are you basing this statement on a general feeling or on a specific data-based metric?
The military industrial complex greatly benefits from this common sentiment, but by most all quantitative measurements the world continues growing slowly safer, average lifespans increase, etc. While years-long aberrations exist (e.g. civil wars), the overall trend is very clearly antithetical to your statement.