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California Is Not as Big or Blue As You Think
Townhall.com ^ | July 28, 2018 | Ray Haynes

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.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: california; elections; electoralcollege; npvicdangerous; popularvote
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To: metmom

CA is the biggest bastion of liberalism. But the key # is the “flip factor”—how many Ds have to flip from their 3m edge and that’s 1.5. Steep, not impossible.


41 posted on 07/28/2018 9:04:02 AM PDT by LS ("Castles made of sand, fall in the sea . . . eventually" (Hendrix))
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To: Kaslin

The author is an idiot.

“at least I can join up with Republicans in Arizona, Utah, Oklahoma, and 46 other states, to cancel out the Democrats here in California”

Republicans in California teaming up with Republicans in ALL the other states is NOT about hoping to “cancel out the Democrats in California”. It must cancel out the votes of Democrats NATIONALLY. And as the 2016 popular vote shows, IT DIDN’T.

But because, thank G-d, we have the electoral college system, you can look at a map and see the GOP won massively, because what it won was a mjority vote in more COUNTIES in the nation and by doing so acquired the most electoral college votes. If you look at the landmass of the U.S. in GOP read it is huge, and than of the Dim’s is but ribbons of blue in seas of red.

That is A CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC with government by REPRESENTATIVES, and an electoral college system that reflects that in the choice of a national president, and NOT A DEMOCRACY.

A national popular vote is a terribly bad idea, offered by those who know it will continue to destroy this republic and by the ignorant who not of what they speak.


42 posted on 07/28/2018 9:04:57 AM PDT by Wuli
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To: AndyJackson

If you look at the site, you will find their rationale for using compacts among the states as the constitutional basis for the arrangement. There is no doubt that they are trying to circumvent the need for a constitutional amendment to eliminate the electoral college and allow direct election of a President and VP. It needs to be stopped now.


43 posted on 07/28/2018 9:08:38 AM PDT by kabar
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To: Kaslin

The left coast, the immigrants, and the “common man” fully predominate in CA.


44 posted on 07/28/2018 9:15:50 AM PDT by Theodore R.
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To: Kaslin

Then why Jerry Brown still governor?


45 posted on 07/28/2018 9:20:34 AM PDT by Amish with an attitude
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To: Kaslin

bump


46 posted on 07/28/2018 9:31:58 AM PDT by foreverfree
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To: kabar
their rationale for using compacts among the states as the constitutional basis for the arrangement... to circumvent the need for a constitutional amendment

Wow, even more nonsense. That dog doesn't hunt. The Constitution is the compact between the states that all have agreed to, including the supremacy clause. Some states amongst themselves cannot make a side deal to subvert that bargain that all made in direct violation of that same supremacy clause as well as the clause governing the process of amendment. It is a fundamental tenant of legal construction that where the law provides a way to do something it thereby precludes all unmentioned ways to do the same thing.

The constitutional requirement for amending the constitution is an inevitable (not to be evaded) procedural right possessed by we the people. It isn't in the power of some of the states among themselves to agree to waive that process.

47 posted on 07/28/2018 9:43:56 AM PDT by AndyJackson
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To: kabar
There is no doubt that they are trying to circumvent the need for a constitutional amendment to eliminate the electoral college and allow direct election of a President and VP.

Exactly correct. A stinking end-run around the requirement for a constitutional amendment. This is really fetid and flies in the face of our sacred constitution...but, as we all know, the Progs have for 100 years detested the Constitution, so it is no surprise. What IS surprising is the strong Republican support in various state houses and state house committees that the author cites. That is extremely alarming. It clearly demonstrates how degraded our civics education has been the past 50 years.

48 posted on 07/28/2018 10:56:54 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Kaslin

That’s just ole’ Satan sayin’ hey come on in here old fella heavens right through this gate ...but you can’t bring your dog....


49 posted on 07/28/2018 11:00:54 AM PDT by gdc61
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To: AndyJackson

What you say re the Supremacy Clause is no doubt correct. So, in the end, this would go to the Supreme Court where it would be voided. IF it goes to a strict constructionist court which is always hanging by a thread. If RBG kicks off or retires, then we MIGHT have a hope that a conservative court would reject this over the next 10 or 15 years. But, if the progs get another sympathetic liberal court that legislates from the bench, they could make this work. I would not count on Constitution or fundamental tenets of legal construction stopping this in a liberal la-la land. That is wishful thinking.


50 posted on 07/28/2018 11:00:57 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: ProtectOurFreedom
What IS surprising is the strong Republican support

Not the least surprising. Disappointing, but we would not be in the dire straits we are in if the Republicans were anything other than the right wing of the uniparty.

51 posted on 07/28/2018 11:32:45 AM PDT by AndyJackson
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To: Kaslin; All
Thank you for referencing that article Kaslin. As usual, please note that the following critique is directed at the article and not at you.

"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."

FR: Never Accept the Premise of Your Opponent’s Argument

Patriots, please consider that “winner takes all rule” of states for electing a president are unconstitutional under the 12th Amendment imo.

Excerpted from the 12th Amendment:
"The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice- President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate [emphasis added]; …"

Patriots are reminded that the unconstitutional, politically correct changes that misguided states have made to the constitutionally enumerated procedure for electing president are a result of the following imo.

Uniparty crook politicians are not only continuously fighting for control of state powers that the feds have stolen from the states, and continue to do so, but also for control of likewise stolen state revenues uniquely associated with those powers, such revenues stolen by means of unconstitutional federal taxes.

In fact, consider that the congressional record shows that constitutional lawmaker Rep. John Bingham had clarified that the Founding States had left the care of the people with the states and not the federal government.

”... the care of the property, the liberty, and the life of the citizen, under the solemn sanction of an oath imposed by your Federal Constitution, is in the States, and not in the Federal Government [emphases added].” —Rep. John Bingham, Congressional Globe, 1866. (See about middle of 3rd column.)


But how can the states afford to care for the people when the feds are stealing state revenues, evidenced by the corrupt, uniparty Dems and RINOs blatantly ignoring the 12th Amendment?

The states need to eliminate the unconstitutional middleman, the unconstitutionally big federal government, from “helping” to manage state revenues.

The remedy for this mess …

Patriots need to support Pres. Trump in leading the states to repeal the 16th and ill-conceived 17th Amendments (16&17A).

Once those amendments are repealed and Trump politically “forces” Congress to surrender state powers that the feds have been stealing from the states back to the states then consider the following.

The states will ultimately find a tsunami of new revenues that they won’t know what to do with imo.

For starters, the states can establish their own individual healthcare and retirement plans, improve public schooling, increase funding for police and fire departments, and repair infrastructure.

In the meanwhile, patriots now need to be making sure that there are plenty of state sovereignty-respecting, Trump-supporting patriot candidates on the 2018 primary ballots, candidates who will support Trump in leading then states to repeal 16&17A, and pink-slip career lawmakers by sending patriot candidate lawmakers to DC on election day.

52 posted on 07/28/2018 11:38:33 AM PDT by Amendment10
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To: 9YearLurker

And it is as least a blue as it looks. The author is foolish.


53 posted on 07/28/2018 12:13:54 PM PDT by sparklite2 (See more at Sparklite Times)
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To: Kaslin

That’s because it’s Commie RED.


54 posted on 07/28/2018 12:37:50 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj ("It's Slappin' Time !")
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To: Fai Mao

consider this :

if all you need is to get 51 percent of each district’s votes (or whateverpercentage wins in the vote splitup) in 51 percent of the districts to get ALL of the state’s Electoral College ‘votes’, then a mere 25% of the population can (theoretically) determine the outcome in a national election (with a block like California’s (55 large) then being a major factor overriding/nullifying numerous smaller states)

Its why Gerrymandering districts is such a significant issue, and why illegal aliens voting and election frauds gains can be greatly magnified.

I am not for getting rid of the electoral college system, but perhaps making the votes NOT have to be cast together as all or none into the federal counts.


55 posted on 07/28/2018 2:22:56 PM PDT by elbook
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To: elbook
I am not for getting rid of the electoral college system, but perhaps making the votes NOT have to be cast together as all or none into the federal counts.

Maine and Nebraska have such a system and it should go national: 2 electoral votes to the statewide winner; 1 to the winner of each congressional district.

This system should go national not only as an alternative for NPV arguments, but because it demonstrably works. Trump won a district in Maine in 2016 and ObaMao won one in Nebraska in 2008.

56 posted on 07/28/2018 3:26:32 PM PDT by Vigilanteman (ObaMao: Fake America, Fake Messiah, Fake Black man. How many fakes can you fit into one Zer0?)
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To: Vigilanteman

The constitution leave it up to the states to decide how to allocate their electors.


57 posted on 07/28/2018 3:41:26 PM PDT by bankwalker (Immigration without assimilation is an invasion.)
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To: Kaslin

Great Idea!

In the last 26 years, Republicans have won the presidential Popular Vote one time - LOL!


58 posted on 07/28/2018 4:11:26 PM PDT by zeestephen
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To: Kaslin

“I want my vote to count.”

Best solution for your problem, move to a red state.


59 posted on 07/28/2018 4:23:52 PM PDT by Heart of Georgia
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To: Kaslin

One day, both sides will claim that their candidate won. The issue will be irreconcilable. That’s the day that the shooting civil war will commence.

It’s a good thing for us that the liberal nazi scum can’t determine which bathroom to use, let alone figure out which end a bullet exits from a rifle.


60 posted on 07/28/2018 4:40:36 PM PDT by sergeantdave (Teach a man to fish and he'll steal your gear and sell it)
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