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Is a National Popular Vote Good for California and the GOP?
CA Political Review ^ | August 10, 2011 | Jason Cabel Roe

Posted on 08/15/2011 10:45:37 AM PDT by Aunt Polgara

National Popular Vote is good for conservatives, the GOP, and public policy. Period.

Having been active in support of the initiative for over a year now, I have met and talked to hundreds of conservative leaders, activists, and elected officials. I have found most of those who reflexively oppose it do so because they think it is a process to amend the Constitution, don’t understand how it works or how it would affect outcomes, or are convinced of some grand conspiracy to turn America into a permanent Democrat hegemony.

The reality is the current system disenfranchises millions of conservatives from the process of electing the president, encourages pandering that transcends ideology (ethanol for Iowa, steel tariffs for West Virginia), and excludes 35 states from relevance in determining the Leader of the Free World.

National Popular Vote is not ideological. In fact, both sides of the divide have found reasons to support the plan. What else can explain the strange union of Tom Tancredo and (allegedly) George Soros?

But it’s complicated. Since conservatives, me included, think “hell no!” the first time they hear about it, it takes time to understand it and realize how much it helps our nation’s governance and our movement’s objectives. I have been in meetings with dozens of Republican legislators, spending hours going through how it works, constitutional history, Founders’ intent, and the impact it would have on the process.

Almost all of them begin the discussion opposed to the idea. After taking the time to learn more, I’d say 80% leave supporting it. These policymakers were not brainwashed, but rather took considerable time to consider the plan on the merits.

The fact is, however, it takes 30 seconds to oppose National Popular Vote and 30 minutes to support it. In today’s world, that’s a tough sell.

National Popular Vote has been signed into law in California, unfortunately without the Republican support it deserved. A number of elected Republicans were subjected to threats and harassment for a bill considered to be a fait accompli, and it just wasn’t worth the political capital to remain in support. Such is the hallmark of the California Republican Party: it is better to fight each other over anything than fight Democrats. It is this kind of intramural fratricide that has helped us become a party lacking any relevance whatsoever in public policy.

In 2008, California donors contributed $150 million to John McCain and Barack Obama. Of that, a mere $29,000 was spent in the state. Our irrelevance, as the largest state in the union and the 8th largest economy in the world, is terrifying. Look around our state and see what unchallenged liberal governance has gotten us.

How’s the economy doing? How about your tax bill? Making a lot of progress on protecting the unborn? Feeling a little bit safer with your concealed carry permit? Proud of Senate and Assembly Republicans impact on the FY12 budget?

What Republicans have been doing in California is not working. Forcing the RNC and our presidential nominees to commit to California and make the kind of infrastructural investment required to be competitive down ballot is critical to rebuilding our party. Absent that, I guarantee you the movement to moderate the GOP to be attractive to independents will only increase, leaving conservatives in the dust.

Our ideas are right and we should not abandon them.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: anddontcallme; anticonstitution; areyounuts; ca; constitution; demshateconstitution; elections; electoralcollege; electoralvote; electoralvotes; federaldictatorship; lithium; loosebrainssinkus; mexafornicate; misspopularity; nationalpopularvote; not187iq; notmensamaterial; notpopularin1789; nycmentality; nyu; obamashate4ec; obamathink; permanenttyranny; progressivecrapola; putdownthebongdude; reds; screwthelittlestates; sleepingwithliberals; take2naps; usefulidiot; whatareyouinjecting; whatareyousmoking; whatareyousnorting; whatareyouswallowing; willmissfreedom; yougotyourperiod
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Using this reasoning, I guess we should award the World Series to the team that gets the most runs, huh?
1 posted on 08/15/2011 10:45:41 AM PDT by Aunt Polgara
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To: Aunt Polgara

They lost me when they used “California” and “GOP” in the same sentence.

(a) There is no California GOP.

(b) California’s contribution to the presidential election is an automatic 55 electoral votes for the democrat in the race.

(c) This isn’t going to change anytime soon.


2 posted on 08/15/2011 10:50:45 AM PDT by keat
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To: Aunt Polgara

What an awful idea! Stick with the Constitution. We certainly should have left the selection of Senators to the state legislatures, as the Founders established it, rather than allowing them to be elected by the people. This would be grossly compounding our errors.


3 posted on 08/15/2011 10:52:40 AM PDT by kittymyrib
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To: Aunt Polgara

This idea will work just great with our wide-open southern border and Libs welcoming illegals with every incentive under the sun!

We are a Republic - not a Democracy!


4 posted on 08/15/2011 10:53:46 AM PDT by navydad
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To: Aunt Polgara
This clown calls himself a conservative?

I highly doubt his own grandmother believes it.

What a crock!

5 posted on 08/15/2011 10:53:46 AM PDT by Flycatcher (God speaks to us, through the supernal lightness of birds, in a special type of poetry.)
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To: Aunt Polgara

Actually if anything it needs to start going the other way.

For example ages 25-65 can vote, veterans can vote, you can only vote for a congressman after living in the district for at least two years etc.

Too many cooks in the kitchen leads to terrible food.


6 posted on 08/15/2011 10:54:14 AM PDT by Eyes Unclouded ("The word bipartisan means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out." -George Carlin)
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To: Flycatcher

I always wonder why the liberals are pushing this plan, rather than amending the constitution, since they want to get rid of the electoral college.


7 posted on 08/15/2011 10:55:42 AM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Aunt Polgara

The rationale for the NPV is BOGUS - the states with the HIGHEST populations will get the MOST attention and reliably partisan states will be bypassed [AS THEY ARE NOW].

The ONLY fair method [and the ONLY one that puts the election on an equal footing] is the Congressional District method ...

In this method, EACH electoral vote [representing a Congressional district] in EACH state is given equal weight
by awarding the vote to the winner of the Congressional district ...

The remaining two votes within a state [representing the Senate seats] are awarded to the winner of the majority vote within the state as a “bonus” ...

In this manner, candidates [without a SNOWBALL’S CHANCE IN HELL of winning a particular state] WOULD be VERY ENCOURAGED to campaign within that state to garner individual district electoral votes ...


8 posted on 08/15/2011 10:57:10 AM PDT by Lmo56 (If ya wanna run with the big dawgs - ya gotta learn to piss in the tall grass ...)
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To: Aunt Polgara
It won't have any effect on mid- to large-sized wins. Close wins will be determined by who can stuff the ballot box in Chicago, Seattle and a few other cities more effectively (i.e. the Democrats win anything within the national margin of fraud).
9 posted on 08/15/2011 10:59:43 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (The Repubs and Dems are arguing whether to pour 9 or 10 buckets of gasoline on a burning house.)
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To: Aunt Polgara
Our irrelevance, as the largest state in the union and the 8th largest economy in the world, is terrifying. Look around our state and see what unchallenged liberal governance has gotten us.

The true irrelevance is the millions of conservatives who live in California and are entirely powerless to stop any of the radical leftist agenda that is festering there.

CA conservatives need to do us all a favor and move to a battleground state where they will make a real difference. Leave Commiefornia to the illegals and leftists.

10 posted on 08/15/2011 11:05:04 AM PDT by EricT. (Is a country that would re-elect Baroke Hussein Owebama really worth saving?)
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To: Aunt Polgara
The way I see it working out is that candidates will spend more time in the big cities where most of the votes will be.

This will be a boon for urbanites, who are mostly liberal Democrats.

There could be some conservative candidates who choose to spend no money in the more expensive big markets and funnel all of their advertising to less expensive rural areas, but then that will just exacerbate the Red State / Blue State rift.

And how the heck do you handle a recount if the vote is close?

11 posted on 08/15/2011 11:05:27 AM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear
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To: Dilbert San Diego
I always wonder why the liberals are pushing this plan, rather than amending the constitution, since they want to get rid of the electoral college.

Yes, they certainly do want to get rid of that "pesky" electoral college, but they'll never be able to amend the Constitution because at least two-thirds of the states want nothing to do with it.

Hence, this stealth campaign to reinstitute "fairness" into our elections.

These people truly hate our country and our Constitution.

If they were all lined up and prepped to be shot for sedition, I would go buy popcorn.

12 posted on 08/15/2011 11:05:40 AM PDT by Flycatcher (God speaks to us, through the supernal lightness of birds, in a special type of poetry.)
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To: Aunt Polgara
The problem with this is that it is another erosion of federalism and the sovereignty of States. The electoral college was established to ensure that the federal government of “these united states” did not become the all powerful “The United States” we have today.
13 posted on 08/15/2011 11:06:34 AM PDT by Natural Law (For God so loved the world He did not send a book.)
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To: EricT.
"CA conservatives need to do us all a favor and move to a battleground state where they will make a real difference."

We already tried that. It's called Colorado. You know, that once reliably conservative state (even the Democrats were conservative on most issues) that is now leaning liberal Democrat.

Be careful what you ask for ...

14 posted on 08/15/2011 11:10:48 AM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear
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To: Aunt Polgara

If this actually helped the GOP it would never be pushed by the dims. Granted the dims are stupid and it could backfire on them but if so they would do a 180 on this issue in a New York minute.


15 posted on 08/15/2011 11:12:50 AM PDT by xp38
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46 Days And FR Is Still Short Of Its Goal

We Are In A Fight For Our Republic

Are You In Or Are You Out?

Support Free Republic

16 posted on 08/15/2011 11:13:37 AM PDT by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are here! What will you do?)
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To: Aunt Polgara

There are also constitutional concerns, should this ever go into effect. But, SCOTUS will not ever rule on this UNLESS electoral votes are ever awarded to the winner of the NPV - due to its “ripeness” doctrine ...

In general, SCOTUS has previously ruled that each state has a “plenary” right in the method of selection of its electors ...

BUT, SCOTUS has ALSO ruled that [once a state has granted its citizens the right to vote for electors] 14th Amendment Equal Protection applies AND that those rights CANNOT be infringed [such as countermanding the majority vote within the state] ...

Headed to Court - IF it ever happens ...


17 posted on 08/15/2011 11:13:47 AM PDT by Lmo56 (If ya wanna run with the big dawgs - ya gotta learn to piss in the tall grass ...)
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To: Aunt Polgara

Since I live in Commiefornia, I don’t even need to think about who I would vote for President in 2012.

The decision has already been made for me...


18 posted on 08/15/2011 11:14:57 AM PDT by Beaten Valve
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To: Aunt Polgara; P-Marlowe; wmfights

I know this is radical in our day, but I believe the Founders set up a system where each congressional district voted for an elector who went to Washington and chose a president.

In essence, your congressional district chose the guy in their district they thought would best serve the nation as president.

Those electors gathered and chose the president from their number of outstandingly qualified electors or from other outstandingly qualified Americans.

I like that republican system better.

It brought us George Washington.


19 posted on 08/15/2011 11:19:53 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! True Supporters of our Troops PRAY for their VICTORY!)
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To: Aunt Polgara

And when the popular vote goes Republican and he gets the Cali votes,California will want to know what that conservative administration can do for California.There will still be no GOP presences outside of the inland areas,no offense meant to anyone from San Diego.

Basically President Obama disappointed them by not giving them everything so now they’re throwing the towel.


20 posted on 08/15/2011 11:21:19 AM PDT by Del Rapier
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