[kellynla]

ping

[saganite]

Democratic consultant Chris Lehane called the plan “an effort to rig the system in order to fix the election.”

That’s funny coming from a party that’s actively trying to get states to ignore the voters in the state and cede all electoral college votes to the candidate who gets the most votes in the nationwide popular election. Personally I think both ideas are bad.

[Dead Dog]

This is how the EC was intended to work. It was meant to break up the influence of major population centers.

[Right Cal Gal]

“an effort to rig the system in order to fix the election.”

Oh, you mean like drawing the Congressional districts so that Democrats keep getting re-elected. Maybe the people that live somewhere other than L.A. and S.F. would like to see their votes count for a change.

[FormerACLUmember]

Democratic consultant Chris Lehane called the plan "an effort to rig the system in order to fix the election."

My head just exploded.

[cookcounty]

The Democrats tried this in Colorado a couple years ago and failed. The scheme is to push it only in the states where one’s own party is not likely to win the Presidential election, thereby watering down the other side’s EV total.

[taxcontrol]

I’d be for the adoption of the district system nation wide. Perhaps even in an Amendment.

[ken21]

what are the chances of it passing?

[FormerACLUmember]

It is about freeking time! The first evidence in eons of California Republicans with big brass balls (outside of Jim Robinson, of course).

[Gay State Conservative]

IIRC almost all states today have a "winner take all" policy regarding the Electoral College.I've always assumed that the move to change this was a RAT strategy not a Republican one.I think we need to look at this both on a nationwide and a state-by-state basis.

What's the potential fallout if this process is carried out to its fullest extent?

[AFreeBird]

I have a problem with politicians coming up with ideas that mess with the Electoral College. If we allow this because it is a Republican proposal, then the Dems will want to tinker with it elsewhere or get rid of it all together.

I think this is a bad idea, no matter the "good intentions" that may, or may not be, involved.

[SConservative]

The Dems are pushing this in North Carolina and it looks as if they may well succeed. If this is the way they want things to go then we need to show them how it will really hurt!

[The_Reader_David]

Nebraska and Maine both alot their electoral votes according to the system the ballot initiative proposes for California.

In fact the several states can chose to allocate their electoral votes any way they want: if the legislature of a state wanted to, it could decide to select the electors itself (though the voters would bounce out the party that voted the measure in in the next state legislative elections).

Of course in states like California with initiative and referendum, each election day, the electorate becomes the legislature, and likewise can decide to adopt any measure for selecting presidential electors they want, be it the Nebraska/Maine system, or a requirement that electors not formally committed to any candidate campaign in districts and be personally elected as electors, or any other procedure they like, including the ‘let’s partially disenfanchise ourselves’ system of picking a slate committed to the winner of the national popular vote that the ‘RATs are pushing.

I rather like the proposal. Obviously if it is adopted it tilts toward the GOP, since the demonRATs can’t count on the LA basin and the Bay area to deliver them CA’s 55 electoral votes as a block.

[Amerigomag]

Who are these idiots at the CA GOP?

It's minds like these that got a European liberal elected governor of California under the GOP banner.

[TBP]

This could get very interesting. If all states did this, it would more closely represent the people. Is that a good thing?

[Brilliant]

They aren’t challenging the electoral college. They are challenging the stranglehold that Dems have on California politics.

[no dems]

If it does qualify, Democrats probably would spend millions of dollars against it, which could drain money from other races.

A WIN-WIN SITUATION FOR THE GOP. Go for it California Pubbies; go for it!!!

[hinckley buzzard]

If it does qualify, Democrats probably would spend millions of dollars against it, which could drain money from other races.

A good politico-guerilla reason to push it, even though the odds are against it. I note that Chris the 'rat scumsucker Lahane never made his feelings known about identical propositions in smaller states.

[goldstategop]

Good. The Democrats have been claiming ALL the votes should count in a presidential election. Turns out there's a rider to their claim: they mean all the Democrat votes. Republicans can remain disenfranchised. I don't see what's horribly wrong with allowing GOP voters to have their share of the electoral vote go to their party's candidate in November. The Democrats will still receive the bulk of the statewide electoral vote under the proposition. It doesn't disenfranchise them.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Grunthor]

“If this change is made, it will virtually guarantee that a Republican wins the White House in 2008,” Mr. Lehane said in an e-mail.”

Therefore it will not be allowed.