Florida Sen. Nelson Proposes Scrapping Electoral College in Reform Package

FOXNews.com ^ | March 27, 2008 | Trish Turner

[kingattax]

In a state that has seen its share of electoral problems this decade, Florida’s senior Sen. Bill Nelson made a rare appearance before the state Senate Thursday to unveil sweeping federal election reform legislation that would eliminate the Electoral College.

As the state now wrestles with the national Democratic Party to find a solution to seat its 210 delegates at this year’s presidential nominating convention, Nelson noted that “the solution is very elusive,” but that, “If nothing else, this election has provided further evidence that our system is broken.”

The Democratic senator, who sued the Democratic National Committee and Chairman Howard Dean last year for stripping Florida of all its delegates, in his reform bill proposes eliminating the Electoral College and giving American citizens direct election of their presidents by popular vote.

Florida is perhaps ground zero for controversy over the Electoral College. The outcome of the 2000 presidential election meltdown left many Democrats stinging even to this day, since Al Gore won the popular vote but lost to George W. Bush because he was awarded the majority of the votes in the Electoral College, a decision reached by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Not only does Nelson’s bill abolish the Electoral College through a constitutional amendment, but it also establishes “six rotating, interregional (presidential) primaries” beginning in March and ending in June of each election year. It pairs states, large and small, into six different regions; the regions would then take turns going first — something that will surely not sit well with the nation’s first primary and caucus states, New Hampshire and Iowa, respectively.

[kingattax]

The outcome of the 2000 presidential election meltdown left many Democrats stinging even to this day, since Al Gore won the popular vote but lost to George W. Bush because he was awarded the majority of the votes in the Electoral College, a decision reached by the U.S. Supreme Court.

hey trish...that is not what happened. the SCOTUS ruled that florida could NOT change the rules of counting votes in an election that had already happened and that the florida legislature and not the florida supreme court makes those rules. george bush won the electoral votes in florida according to the rules and was not "awarded" anything. nice try, trish.

the electoral college works fine and was designed brilliantly by the founding fathers. leave it alone, bill

[Mark]

Such CHAOS!

[ncalburt]

Hello , what is nasty Sen Nelson smoking !
Fl house and senate and Gov are all repub !

[FlingWingFlyer]

Nelson needs to retire. It's pretty obvious that he's either losing it or never really understood the reason why we have the electoral college.

Time to "spend more time with the family" Billy Boy!

[mimaw]

I say scrap Sen Nelson.

[denydenydeny]

"...further evidence that our system is broken.”

No, this whole article is evidence that the Democratic Party is broken.

[Republic of Texas]

I suppose Sen. Nelson couldn’t stand the thought that we might not know for sure.

[writer33]

I agree. The electoral college works well. Leave it alone.

[csense]

The Democrats won't be satisfied by running their own party into the ground...they have to run the country into the ground also.

F'ing traitors for leaders, and idiots who comprise the constituency.

[agincourt1415]

Scrapping the Electorial College, makes the Northeast and the West Coast the deciders of the next President.

Not on my watch!

The Democrats, so much fun to watch, Black against White, Male against Female, all at the Democrat Convention! Pop the Popcorn!

[Red Steel]

Using the Dem primary chaos as an excuse to dispose of the Electoral College is nuts.

[clintonh8r]

My senator, the cornpone hick hayseed,,,Mr. Squint...the legacy of the He-Coon, Lawton Chiles...what an embarrassment.

[kingattax]

its easy to see why nelson is so interested in space. he acts like he is always there.

[I got the rope]

Then we should also scrap Senators. What’s the use.

[paudio]

I notice that in both election problems (2000 and 2008), it is the Dims that are in control. The 2000 problem happened in the Dims districts, run by the Dims. Somehow, the MSM shifts the blame to the Republicans. Even this year, when all things happen among the Dims, they still try to blame Republicans, although to no avail.

[Lucas McCain]

There is no such thing as the “electorial” college.

[Jaguarmike]

It’s yet another case of the Democrats trying to change the rules if they don’t like the outcome.

[DanielRedfoot]

Nelson is an arrogant clueless idiot that is obviously a tool for the Clinton’s, now starting to plant the “strategy seed” for the Florida “disenfranchised Voter” , lets go with the Popular Vote angle.

How more sadly obvious can it be....

[SmithL]

Which 37 States will vote for this?

[BatGuano]

Nelson is truly an embarrassment to our great State. How he ever came to be elected to the US Senate is a puzzle! He is not bright. He is not clever. He simply does not have the “right stuff” to be elected dog catcher let alone to even be considered a real candidate. This is another great example of the depths that our political parties have descended to in their chase for power. Why are the DEMs the “usual suspects”?