Could California help abolish the electoral college this week?
By redlightgrnlight Comments (8) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
The National Popular Vote project has received occasional press, mostly in support, but some significant opposition both here on Red State and in the Wall Street Journal. 271 electoral votes' worth of states would have to approve the interstate compact for it to go into effect. So far, the only state with a real threat of enacting the bill is California and its fat 55 electoral votes.
The California assembly passed the law. It's the first state to have done so. Now, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has until September 30 to decide whether or not to sign the bill. It's unclear what he'll do so, but media attention leans in favor of passage. Of course, columnists are manipulating the truth in this battle: remember, late Bush campaigning in California may have forced Gore to rally there in 2000 and perhaps ultimately cost Gore the election.
In silence, the rest of the world barely knows that California may be 1/5 of the way toward national elimination of the electoral college. Where's the outrage? Or better yet, where are the cries to the Governor to prevent this atrocity?
Quick, everyone brush up on standing...
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If you're seeing shades of gray, it's because you're not looking close enough to see the black and white dots.
they'd just target the areas of the country where they think they could pick up some more popular votes. They wouldn't ask for a national recount, but maybe pick a state that's heavily GOP or Dem and try to pick up a few from a recount in that state alone.
California is a blue state as is, why are dems pushing so hard for this?
Save the planet, Kill yourself
The Progressives want to tear apart everything that makes our Constitution great. They succeeded in messing up the Senate, and doing great damage to federalism, with the 17th amendment already, so why stop there?
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If you're seeing shades of gray, it's because you're not looking close enough to see the black and white dots.
Bigger political attention to the citizens of their state, because of heavy population concentrations? Ad revenue, media attention, paying more attention to the people of California rather than other states? California figures they'll split the difference (e.g., the chance of winning the electoral vote is comparable to the popular vote, just at the margins), so they're happy to scrap the Constitution if it means more personal benefit for them.
If they somehow accomplish this...the first person to take advantage of the change will be a republican. These folks have never moved beyond 2000. Under this system, California would have gone to GWB in 2004...
Have these folks never heard of the Law of unintended consequences?
Today's the last day the Governor has to decide whether to sign or veto the legislation that would take the first national step to abolishing the electoral college. You can contact the Governor's office at http://www.govmail.ca.gov/ if they're still paying attention today. Here's hoping the right decision is made!
What if the national popular vote is close and contested, as Florida's was in 2000. Will the losing side sit still or will there be an attempt to have the National Popular Vote states seek a national recount - even in states that haven't consented to the movement?
"No compromise with the main purpose, no peace till victory, no pact with unrepentant wrong." - Winston Churchill