Posted on 07/28/2018 6:35:27 AM PDT by Kaslin
It's not what you don't know that can hurt you; it's what you think you know that just ain’t so that will kill you. Time has taught me that this piece of “country” wisdom is as important as any in the pursuit of public policy. Ignorance based on false facts is deadly in public policy.
Take the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact as an example. The National Popular Vote plan is an interstate compact in which the compacting states agree to award their electoral votes to the person who gets the most votes in all 50 states. It is based on Art. I, Sec. 2 of the Constitution which grants state legislatures the plenary (and exclusive) power to award electors, and the founders’ expectation that states would use that power to maximize their influence in the selection of the president.
The first thing I hear, when the proposal is presented, is that “California is so big, it will run the country” (mainly because I am from California) if the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact takes effect. My conservative friends use California as an example of “what not to do” when it comes to public policy, and so, if California is going to run the country under the state statutes implementing the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, then, they say, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is dangerous.
It is true, California is large but even as big as it is, it is still only about 12% of the entire US population. In elections, 88% beats 12% every time. CARTOONS | Michael Ramirez View Cartoon
As important, there are 5 million Republicans in California. That is a arger number of Republicans than 47 other states. In 2016, Donald Trump received 4,685,047 votes in Texas. He received 4,605,515 votes in Florida. He received 4,483,810 votes in California. What does this mean? Given the winner take all rule in effect in each of these states, the Republican votes in Texas and California didn’t mean a thing. Only the Republican votes in Florida mattered.
I get it. I am a Californian. We think we are the most significant state in the Union. If things don't go the way the leftists in California believe they ought to go, these leftists throw a temper tantrum. But the truth is, as a California conservative, I am the most irrelevant voter in the country. Presidential candidates come to California, collect $130 million from the wealthiest Californians, and disappear. My neighbors and I, who cannot afford to donate to campaigns, never see or hear from those candidates again. The candidates don't care what we think.
If we move to a National Popular Vote system, at least I can join up with Republicans in Arizona, Utah, Oklahoma, and 46 other states, to cancel out the Democrats here in California. In the days when California was a battleground state, Republicans would get at least 25% more votes than Republican registrations. In 2016, Trump’s vote was 20% below Republican registration in California. That is a swing of almost 2 million votes. Ask Californians for their vote, and they vote Republican. Ignore them, and the Democrats win big.
Under the National Popular Vote plan, California’s left would not take over the country. There are a lot of conservatives in California. We are the birthplace of Reaganism. We would fight for every vote. With help, we can beat the left.
I want my vote to count. I want Donald Trump to come to California and inspire the conservative movement in California, just like he has in the battleground states across the country. Conservatives here in California need reinforcements. Instead of having our votes restricted to our borders, we need to join with our brothers in arms in other states to defeat the left throughout the country, including here in California. That is why I support the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, and that is why America needs the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
This website and it’s founder are based in the state.
Couldn’t Congress stop this interstate compact garbage, per the Constitution?
But, I think another thing is that it could be argued that this is also an unconstitutional dodge around the process to amend the constitution. The present arrangement was to avoid the dominance of the most popular states, and explicitly so. If the states want to amend the constitution, call a convention of the states and amend it.
Our founding fathers were quite explicit about their intent here that every state have a say in the national government. This was the heart of the Madisonian compromise that made the constitution acceptable to the states in the first place.
California has at least 2.5 million illegals. Throw in legal aliens, the dead, and fictional voters, and the democrats have permanent control over California politics. Until a real American president throws out the illegals, decent people cannot win statewide in the People’s Republic of California.
If it ever happens, it will face a legal challenge that will go to the SCOTUS.
The neglected, bonafide challenge you offer, that legislators cannot delegate their responsibilities (the basis for the Speaker's power to lock the U.S. House Chamber doors and to dispatch the Sergeant-at-Arms to arrest unexcused Members to compel their participation in a Roll Call) there is also the Constitution's ban on Interstate Pacts that reduce the strength of States not included, without congressional approval.
It's the setting up of a trainwreck and another feast for the lawyers that could make the Florida Recount crisis look like a speed bump.
To which I might add a great number of further cautions, but...Basta!
“Given the winner take all rule in effect in each of these states, the Republican votes in Texas and California didn’t mean a thing.”
This doesn’t make any sense to me. If you voted Republican in Texas your vote DID count.
Sounds like another liberal trying to feed us a crap sandwich and tell us it tasts good.
I like the optimism. The way things are going in the left and lefter coasts, things are going to have to get worse before they get better.
“The author should consider this proposal county by county.”
Illinois without Chicago votes like Arkansas.
The National Popular Vote Compact will give way too much power to the last fraud standing, which will ALWAYS be in heavily Dem welfare pit cities, like Philly, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and many locales in California. Recounts would last YEARs, because a national margin of one vote--heavily weighted to urban areas--would tip the election.
Right on every count....
The Rats have a super majority and gave the witch her popular margin. They are a sanctuary state how much bluer can get?
This doesn't make any sense to me.
First you have to force the Red States to join this stupid pact.
The writer doesn't seem to know that Trump won Texas.
And some may think that states can concoct a scheme that gives electoral votes to a candidate the state's voters did give the most votes, but I think the voters in those states might have something to say about that.
I’m in a long time Pub district that went Dem six years ago. All three of those elections have been close. We’ll see what happens. I’ve heard the polling is good.
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