[BenLurkin]

More nuttiness.

[P-40]

but is often not visited in general campaigning because it is safely Democratic.

That sounds like more of a problem that electoral issues could ever be. As a candidate, why would I waste time on you if you will still send me money and vote for me anyway?

[DoughtyOne]

This state (Ca) is so seriously f'd up!

[PetroniDE]

Dirty little secret is that the citizen doesn't vote for the president. The citizen votes for a slate of electors that elect the president.

In theory, the state legislatures can determine how their electors are cast any way they want. It just so happens they use statewide popular vote in every state (except for Maine and Nebraska that use a modified system of this). They could just vote for the electors themselves (Florida came close to doing this in 2000). They only thing stopping them would be the likely voter backlash.

[Balding_Eagle]

This will be challenged, and end up in front of SCOTUS.

[Alex1977]

"Candidates don't come to California," said Assemblyman Rick Keene of Chico, one of the few Republican supporters of the measure. "We are currently disenfranchised in the electoral process."

What a stupid RINO!

[longtermmemmory]

How about dividing the state up into multiple states.

East, West, and North California. Three new stars in the flag.

[Dustbunny]

Is there something in the drinking water or air that causes the people of California to come up with such retarded ideas?

[tiki]

If we lost the electoral system NY, CA and the most populous states would elect our presidents and those of us in the heartland would basically have no say in the matter. Candidates would just campaign in the big states and politicians would just pander to the states w/large populations.

The founding fathers knew what they were doing when they formed the electoral college and the Senate which represents every state pretty equally. Larger population states already have a larger say because they have more electoral votes but now they want a bigger say. If any of these measures passes I would hope someone would take it all the way to the SC, I don't think such a measure would stand.

[stocksthatgoup]

this is a GREAT idea - as California will vote Democrat anyway............ only the Republicans could benefit!

[FlatLandBeer]

This law will be appealed when the state votes for a cnadate by a wide margin but it votes go to the other guy.
By using this law Bush who won the popular vote last time would have also been given the electrol votes from calif.
If this law had been in placed in 2004 then there would have been great whailing and nashing of teeth.

The electrol college is in place to ensure that each state has some influence on the outcome. Small states can be the difference. Popular vote only would mean that the cites control the outcomes and only issuse that interest them will count... it a liberal trojan horse...

[VRWCmember]

While this is a really stupid idea (letting the popular majority vote in the country determine your state's electoral votes -- potentially to be the opposite of the will of the voters of your state), there is nothing unconstitutional about it.

If the state legislature were to pass legislation that used the results of the Super Bowl in the election year to determine the state's electoral votes, that would be fine by the Constitution. The Constitution clearly gives the states the right to determine their electors however the state legislature decides.

Still, it is a demonstrably STUPID idea to turn the decision over to the rest of the country.

[pepperdog]

Mob rule! They will live to regret doing this. The people who live in areas other than LA have been disenfranchised.

[sturmde]

Easily discarded in federal court. States aren't lines on a map, they are collections of citizens. Although the Constitution allows State legislatures to decide how to determine their electors, they only have legislative jurisdiction over their own citizens, that is the State itself. They cannot by default demand the other States provide counts of popular votes to the California legislature to determine California's assignment of electors. Recall also that States may choose other methods of determining electors, and that these need not be by popular vote. The legislatures of certain states I believe actually are not required to follow the popular vote, in a number of circumstances similar to what occurred in Florida. Do we all forget that the legislature of Florida almost managed to determine electors by vote of the legislature before the Florida (Burrito) Supreme Court stuck its nose in? California can write as much silly legislation as they like, as long as it only involves the State of California. I'm sure this angle is the simplest to use to defeat such moonbat nonsense. California must make the choice for California. It cannot require the other 49 States to do the job for them.

Furthermore, if we recall correctly, in all the other States we would still be voting for Electors, not Presidential candidates. As a result, California's bill would have the effect of denying the Electors of other States their opportunity to cast their votes: by predetermining their votes. Example: Let us suppose in Maine, that I cast my vote for Robert Pinkham, who is running as an Elector supporting Mitt Romney for President. California claims that the popular votes for Mr. Pinkham are immediately votes for Mr. Romney. However, by doing this, they can not determine what Mr. Pinkham might actually do on the date of the Electoral College. Let us say on that date, that instead Mr. Pinkham determines he will be an unfaithful elector and cast his vote for Patrick Buchanan. Now, California has improperly appointed electors... I'm sure that a further extension of this argument is apparent.

And even furthermore, lest California to have courts reject these arguments... then simply other States should correctly, and constitutionally refuse to deliver any official notification of popular vote totals to the State of California, and further consider using a non-popular vote method to determine its electors... somehow the leftists were able to get that judgment overturned... then all it takes is for one or more States to eliminate popular voting for Presidential candiates and go to a strict voting for Electors (perhaps using a multiple vote system!).

[goldstategop]

I support it. If the Democrats are so stupid as to award California's electoral votes to the Republican nationwide popular vote winner, its no skin off my nose.

(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )

[Uncle Hal]

As I understand it, States cannot get to together and make agreements among themselves. It is illegal, per the Constitution. Hopefully we will not get to the point where it ends up in the courts. What the Democrats do not seem to realize is that law this could help a GOP candidate get elected not just Democrats.

[RockinRight]

Will Arnie veto it?