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California devises end-run around electoral college (Passed!)
CoCoTimes ^ | 5/28/06 | Jim Sanders

Posted on 05/31/2006 3:09:09 PM PDT by BurbankKarl

Six years after Democrat Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the presidency to Republican George W. Bush, there's a new move afoot in the California Legislature and other states to ensure that such things never happen again.

The linchpin is a proposed "interstate compact," designed to guarantee that presidents will be selected by popular vote, without amending the U.S. Constitution or eliminating the electoral college.

Assemblyman Tom Umberg, a Santa Ana Democrat who chairs the Assembly Election and Redistricting Committee, said the basic premise is understandable even to children.

"When you're in first grade, if the person who got the second-most votes became class leader, the kids would recognize that this is not a fair system," he said.

Umberg's Assembly Bill 2948, proposing such a compact, passed the Assembly's elections and appropriations committees on party-line votes, with Republicans opposed.

"We have a system that's worked effectively for more than 200 years," said Sal Russo, a GOP political consultant. "We probably should be very hesitant to change that."

John Koza, an official of National Popular Vote, which is pushing the proposal, said sentiment has not split along party lines in other states.

"I don't think anyone can convincingly put their finger on any partisan advantage," said Koza, a consulting professor at Stanford University.

Though Republicans disproportionately benefited from the electoral college in 2000, when Bush edged Gore despite getting 544,000 fewer votes, Democrats nearly turned the tables four years later.

(Excerpt) Read more at contracostatimes.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: ab2948; callegislation; electionpresident; electoralcollege; popularvote
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To: tomzz

"Kerry lost the popular vote very badly"


Yes he did - by over FOUR MILLION votes.

Plus it was calculated that Bush received 10-12 million more votes in 2004 than he did in 2000. It would appear that a lot more repubs (and some closet dems) made sure we didn't have a repeat of 2000.


141 posted on 05/31/2006 5:02:44 PM PDT by CyberAnt (Drive-by Media: Fake news, fake documents, fake polls)
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To: BeHoldAPaleHorse

Explain how you figure that. I didn't think we could change the Electoral College voting system without an amendment to the Consitution .. so why do you think this would end up benefitting the repubs more than the dems ..??


142 posted on 05/31/2006 5:04:57 PM PDT by CyberAnt (Drive-by Media: Fake news, fake documents, fake polls)
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To: kabar

Ah, as usual, the SCOTUS twisted a fairly simple clause into a complex mess.

What I find interesting is that most of those cases are about minor issues - bridges, water issues, etc. I think the Court, especially Justice Kennedy, might very well distinguish those from an issue such as voting where the Court has enunciated some important principles.

Oh, and if that analysis of the court's decisions is correct, and I am hestitant to say it is, because that paper is obviously biased, then the Court has gutted that clause as much as it has the interstate commerce clause. Shame, once again, on the Supreme Court.


143 posted on 05/31/2006 5:05:57 PM PDT by NinoFan
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To: BurbankKarl

The man on the street name for this idea is: How to Start a Civil War With One Law


144 posted on 05/31/2006 5:06:15 PM PDT by ExpatGator (Bite me California.)
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To: BeHoldAPaleHorse
"This move would actually benefit the GOP far more than the Democrats. It effectively puts California into play with a high probability of going red, whereas right now it's a sure-bet blue state."

That's exactly what I was thinking. All a republican candidate would have to do is win the popular vote, and they get all of California's electoral votes. If they were doing this in 2004, Bush wouldn't have even needed Ohio. He could have also lost a couple of other smaller states and still won.

145 posted on 05/31/2006 5:07:22 PM PDT by KoRn
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To: Arizona Carolyn
"We have a system that's worked effectively for more than 200 years," said Sal Russo, a GOP political consultant. "We probably should be very hesitant to change that."

Exactly! Can't imagine why the Kings of Voter Fraud would want to change the rules, again.

146 posted on 05/31/2006 5:09:55 PM PDT by nicmarlo
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To: Jezebelle

Yup, we live in a constitutional Republic, not a pure Democracy. The red/blue-state divide should make it as clear as ever why we don't have the popular vote.


147 posted on 05/31/2006 5:11:56 PM PDT by NinoFan
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To: BurbankKarl

With antics such as the bill in the article is the reason why we bcan't stay home and let the RATS win.


148 posted on 05/31/2006 5:16:24 PM PDT by Kuksool
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To: BurbankKarl

It figures. Subverting the constitution is all the liberals want to do.


149 posted on 05/31/2006 5:18:03 PM PDT by ladyinred
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To: mrsmith

They will need 60 votes in the Senate and a majority in the House to put together a Compact. Case law is pretty clear that bridges are okie dokie but an increase in the states political power at the expense of the federales brings Article 1, Section 10 into play and Congress has to give the okie dokie.


150 posted on 05/31/2006 5:20:05 PM PDT by jwalsh07
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To: mrsmith; Torie

Of course that post is totally dependent on the 'political' makeup of the SCOTUS when it gets litigated. :-}


151 posted on 05/31/2006 5:22:39 PM PDT by jwalsh07
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To: tx_eggman
When you're trying to make a point, Freedom, the devil is in the details ...

Ooops. /blushing/ Sorry.

The point still stands though.

152 posted on 05/31/2006 5:24:17 PM PDT by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: scpg2

Did you see this?


153 posted on 05/31/2006 5:30:13 PM PDT by Seadog Bytes (OPM - The Liberal 'solution' to every societal problem. (Other People's Money))
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To: dfwgator
And you cannot assume that if the electorate knew that the election was based on the popular vote, that Gore would have won it anyway. How many people didn't bother to vote precisely because they knew which way their state was going to go even before the election. How many Texans stayed home because they knew Bush would take the state, that otherwise would have voted for him, had it been a popular vote?

Bingo. I did something similar in 1996 -- I would have done anything to keep Clinton from getting re-elected, but I was unhappy with Dole for a number of reasons. Still, I would have held my nose and voted for Dole if it might have helped defeat Clinton.

However, I knew that Dole was already a shoe-in in my state, with or without my vote, and thus he'd get all the electoral votes from my state anyway. So I voted Libertarian just to send a (tiny) message that Dole-style Republicans weren't the kind I like to see on the ballot.

154 posted on 05/31/2006 5:30:40 PM PDT by Ichneumon (Ignorance is curable, but the afflicted has to want to be cured.)
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To: nicmarlo; Arizona Carolyn
Seems to me there's a Constitutional question that could be challenged, by the state GOP. The electoral college is the present system, and must be undone by Constitutional Amendment?

Bear in mind, given the leftist fickleness of the present California legislature, I believe if legalizing "bestiality" were put before them, it would pass hands by the Democrats.

 

155 posted on 05/31/2006 5:34:29 PM PDT by Smartass (Vaya con Dios - And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets)
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To: CyberAnt; tomzz
Originally posted by CyberAnt:
"Yes he did - by over FOUR MILLION votes."

No, Bush had 3,012,171 more 'popular' nation-wide votes than did Kerry - not four "million"...

Source: Presidential Election - 2004

dvwjr

156 posted on 05/31/2006 5:35:35 PM PDT by dvwjr
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To: Smartass; Arizona Carolyn

Well, if they tried something like that, PITA would come to the defense of animals. But it's okay that human babies are murdered by the millions.


157 posted on 05/31/2006 5:36:36 PM PDT by nicmarlo
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To: dvwjr

Well .. the media quotes it as 4 million.


158 posted on 05/31/2006 5:36:43 PM PDT by CyberAnt (Drive-by Media: Fake news, fake documents, fake polls)
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To: Rakkasan1
The bast**ds only have to stuff the ballots in the swing districts to take the entire state....

Another screwing by the LEFT.

The looney judges and lefty ACLU will give this country to the DARK AGES for sure.

159 posted on 05/31/2006 5:37:23 PM PDT by pointsal (Q)
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To: BurbankKarl
Typical of certain areas in Leftafornia to elect an anti-Republic fool with limited education regarding a Constitutional Republic: "When you're in first grade, if the person who got the second-most votes became class leader, the kids would recognize that this is not a fair system," he said. The leftafornians never learn ... they must hate being a part of the United States of America.
160 posted on 05/31/2006 5:39:40 PM PDT by MHGinTN (If you can read this, you've had life support from someone. Promote life support for others.)
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