Dissenters in GOP rethink Electoral College [Fred Thompson joins those trying to destroy it]

The Washington Times ^ | June 2, 2011 | Valerie Richardson

[EternalVigilance]

Popular-vote pact picks up steam

A once-sleepy movement that would upend the Electoral College, reverse two centuries of constitutional practice and elect presidents by direct popular vote has quietly picked up momentum in recent days, with Republican Party leaders scrambling to stanch a steady stream of defections by GOP state lawmakers to the plan.

*snip*

Under the idea introduced in 2006 by Stanford University consulting professor John Koza, states that join the NPV compact pledge to give all of their electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote - even if a majority of the state’s voters supported another candidate. If a group of states with an accumulated tally of 270 electoral votes - the bare majority - sign on, the practical effect would be that the popular-vote winner instantly becomes the Electoral College winner as well.

*snip*

A rash of Republican state legislators have signed on as co-sponsors and even sponsors of this year’s spate of NPV bills. At a May 12 news conference, two prominent Republicans — former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee and former Gov. Jim Edgar of Illinois — endorsed the compact.

“We’re perpetually kind of rolling the dice in presidential elections in this country and risking electing someone who didn’t get the most votes,” Mr. Thompson said at the event. “It’s an unnecessary risk.”

[Farmer Dean]

Insanity.WTF is wrong with Fred?

[Outlaw Woman]

In addition to the damage done by the marxist, this would be the final nail in the coffin.

Fred Thompson..and here I was ready to welcome him as a president. RETIRE you old geezer; preferrably to a country that does have mob rule.

[Yossarian]

Fred Thompson: Mr. “States Rights”.
(Unless it’s critical for the Republic.)

[Pollster1]

No! Direct popular vote will open the floodgates of massive voter fraud. At least the electoral college limits the incentive to continue stuffing Chicago, Baltimore, and NYC ballot boxes once the Dem has won that state. With this scheme, we can expect 100% turnout of living and dead voters in every corrupt district and long past the level of current Dem fraud. This must be stopped, and it’s a reason to go beyond the ballot box and peaceful protest in resisting the ruling class tyrants. The Constitution is not something to be worked around with a sleazy scheme.

[rockinqsranch]

I can only say that I disagree with those that wish to fix something that ain’t broken.

[cthemfly25]

Destruction of the electoral college is the institution of mass rule-——a form of “pure” democracy which destroyed ancient Greece and allows for tyranny of the masses. Here’s what will happen: a few large cities will forever govern this country. The Electoral College minimizes the effects of voter fraud now rampant in most major cities, most notoriously Chicago. Electoral voting contains the effects of regional voter fraud. Those advocating for its eradication are either ignorant or democrats.

[Jim Robinson]

Fred Thompson should take up selling Viagra or reverse mortgages or something. He sure flopped as a presidential wannabe.

[wideawake]

This is nullification and it is inherently unconstitutional.

[cripplecreek]

I was never a fan. I just wasn’t comfortable with the way he sidestepped answers during debates.

[RightGeek]

This is the world’s largest incentive for inner city vote fraud which is plenty bad already.

[Blood of Tyrants]

I would support a system where one candidate had to get 50% + 1 votes. If no candidate was able to, then there would be a runoff between the top two.

What REALLY sucks is our insane method of selecting our candidate. I would prefer a single day when ALL the candidates were voted on by ALL the states.

[JPG]

Two wolfs and a lamb vote on the dinner menu. Lamb is served.

[KoRn]

FRed, if this is what you are thinking, you’re nuts!

Time to hang it up. Go take some Viagra and bang that young wife of yours and be happy.

[wideawake]

This is precisely the nonsense known by the self-contradictory label of “states’ rights” - it is state legislatures illegally undertaking to defy the Constitution: nullification.

[rockinqsranch]

Fred needs to blow his nose, clear his head me thinks.

[Outlaw Woman]

I don’t remember him being awake during the debates.

[bboop]

NO! The same reasoning applies now that applied in Philadelphia in 1776. Large cities would carry everything, always. Small states would always be dragged along by the nose. Mob rule. It’s bad enough in California with that already — the libs load the big cities to the gills, all the people who work for a living do not have the votes to equal that.

[hinckley buzzard]

Thompson is senile. Didn't you watch him slowly roll to a stop in 2008? He's done. This is a bad idea and he has no business adding his feeble two cents' worth. Fuhgeddaboudit.

[Leaning Right]

This is really sad. Nobody pays attention to the Tenth Amendment anymore. If the federal government tells a state to, say, change a stop sign, the state had better do it fast or risk penalties.

Now this. If the Electoral College is abolished, then why not get rid of the whole “states” idea altogether? Just call them provinces of the federal government.