Posted on 11/17/2014 6:46:56 AM PST by cotton1706
According to the Lansing State Journal, a GOP legislator, State Rep. Pete Lund, is introducing a bill to move Michigan's 16 Electoral College votes to a proportional basis instead of the current winner take all.
This has, rightly from their point of view, set off alarm bells at the likes of "progressive" site Daily Kos which sees the possibility of a Democratic 2016 presidential victory slipping away -- although "rigged" is how they describe it. On the other hand, it was that site which advised that the Black Democratic crossover vote in Mississippi's GOP runoff to defeat the conservative Republican Chris McDaniel (who came first in the primary) was "democracy." They now selectively rail re the Constitutional Article 2 Section 1 Michigan move to proportional EC vote as "undemocratic". The United States Constitution allows each state to determine how electoral votes are proportioned -- Maine and Nebraska do it by congressional district won, for example.
The Democratic Party has won Michigan by an average of 53% over the last five elections. Under the proposed change, instead of giving the Dems all 16 Electoral College votes, the split would be 11 to the Democrats and 5 to the Republicans under the new law.
If the law passes, and Michigan's vote in 2016 remains within historic bounds, it will give the GOP the equivalent of another Nebraska which has 5 EC votes which could be vital in a close race. As set out in an Electoral College analysis based on the GOP's midterm's Senate victories, the Republicans are very much in the hunt for 2016.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
This would mean northern Michigan would actually have some kind of say when elections come around. Instead of just paying taxes for a government that just takes them for granted.
I think that all Democrat majority states should apportion their electoral votes.
I also hope that no Republican majority states are stupid enough to do this.
Michigan, California and New York should all be apportioned. Texas should not.
You do realize that Michigan is a GOP supermajority state right?
I disagree with those who want to change the electoral college voting. It was set up to represent a Federal Republic, not a democratic republic.
Most of our national problems relate back to the 17th Amendment, which made Senators popularly elected rather than chosen by the legislatures of each state as the Founding Fathers intended.
When the States lost control over the Senate, they lost any control over the federal government.
On the state legislature level it is now, which is the only reason this may pass. Michigan voted for Obama in 2012 and 2008, Kerry in 2004, and Algore in 2000.
At the last state convention the delegates favored it by a wide margin in a symbolic vote. If I recall correctly it was a more than 70/30 split.
And the majority of our US house members are republicans.
Meanwhile the last republican Michigan voted for was the most conservative one of the past century (Reagan)
I think a big part of it was that the local media were very upset. If the electoral votes are definitely going to go "Philly and Pittsburg for the Dem, most of the rest of the state for the Repub", then there would be much less political ad money going into their pockets at presidential election time.
Why do you think Republicans are able to win in a majority of state and congressional races in Michigan, but not in the Senate races or for President? It is just good gerrymandering by the Republicans or are the voting demographics changing in Michigan?
I’m all for it. This would keep the major DemocRAT strongholds like Philadelphia, Detroit, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Miami, Charleston, Richmond and other major cities from giving the Democrat nominee their States total number of EVs.
Do the Pubbies have the majority in the Michigan Legislature? If they do...... ram-rod this thing through.
“I’ve been saying this same thing for years, though I tend to like the EV allocation by congressional district model more, myself.”
********************************************************************************************************
Yes, that’s the allocation method I think best also and was the method under consideration for Pennsylvania before it was snuffed in the cradle (i.e., in legislative committee apparently). It’s also the easiest to understand, one electoral vote for each house seat one and then two electoral votes (for the two Senators) for whichever party won the statewide vote.
I believe EC votes should be broken down to congressional districts with the two senatorial assigned votes going to the candidate who carries the majority vote in that particular state. Your candidate carries a congressional district he gets the EC vote for that district.
It is, easily, the best representation of the will of the voters.
I don’t remember what happened about this vote.
I do know that the local GOPe freaked out when we elected the delegates for that convention. They changed the rules for officer election here because they had their butts handed to them. They even had to move the date of selection to tonight to get organized to save their seats. Stupid GOPe can do all they want they will lose this area eventually after all their tricks are countered.
This is a very conservative area and the GOPe will only hold it as long as the voters are unorganized. That time is rapidly passing.
I know they’re desperate to get rid of Dave Agema.
He doesn’t know how to keep his mouth shut and keeps telling the truth.
Desperate is a good word for it. They were openly hostile at the state delegate selection here locally. It was very humorous.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.