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Dukakis calls for end to Electoral College
The Boston Herald ^ | July 8, 2008 | Dave Wedge

Posted on 07/08/2008 9:42:48 AM PDT by buccaneer81

Dukakis calls for end to Electoral College Dave Wedge By Dave Wedge Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Calling it “critically important” to eliminate the Electoral College system, former Bay State Gov. Michael Dukakis called on lawmakers to join a growing number of states supporting a switch to a national popular vote to elect the president.

“I think it is high time we got rid of the Electoral College and elected our presidents the way we elect every other elected official in the country - by a vote of the people,” Dukakis wrote in a letter e-mailed to state lawmakers yesterday. “The overwhelming majority of the American people do, too.”

So far, Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois and Hawaii have supported electing the president through a national popular vote. A bill to add Massachusetts to that list is pending on Beacon Hill.

In his missive, Dukakis, who ran for president in 1988, admitted that he focused mainly on swing states during the stretch run of his race.

“Under the current system, running for president means just one thing: focus on the so-called swing states,” he wrote. “I did it. Al Gore did it. John Kerry did it, and our Republican opponents did it, too.”

“A big turnout in Massachusetts and many other states is irrelevant to winning the election. Only winning the swing states matters.”

Dukakis said a national popular vote would help a smaller state like Massachusetts have a bigger impact on presidential politics. States get one electoral vote for each member of their congressional delegation but under the new initiative would give all those votes to the winner of the popular vote nationwide.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Massachusetts
KEYWORDS: constitution; dopeydems; dukakis; electoral; electoralcollege; usconstitution
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To: buccaneer81
Hey Michael, Do Cakis?


81 posted on 07/08/2008 11:03:20 AM PDT by Paradox (Politics: The art of convincing the populace that your delusions are superior to others.)
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To: AdmSmith; Berosus; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Fred Nerks; george76; ...
"Under the current system, running for president means just one thing: focus on the so-called swing states," he wrote. "I did it. Al Gore did it. John Kerry did it, and our Republican opponents did it, too. A big turnout in Massachusetts and many other states is irrelevant to winning the election. Only winning the swing states matters."
IOW, "campaigning in Massachusetts isn't necessary for Demwit candidates, and that's as it should be."
82 posted on 07/08/2008 11:07:14 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/_________________________Profile updated Friday, May 30, 2008)
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To: Always Right

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=24769

It happened in NJ with nary a blip on the radar


83 posted on 07/08/2008 11:07:17 AM PDT by hilaryrhymeswithrich (Gathering of Eagles....its our turn.....)
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To: buccaneer81
“The overwhelming majority of the American people do [support getting rid of the electoral college], too.”

Got any respectable national poll results to back up that assertion, Mikey? Yeah, didn't think so.

84 posted on 07/08/2008 11:08:36 AM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: buccaneer81

Is Dukakis jumping the gun, or has the political indoctrination wing of the Democrat party (the NEA) made us sufficiently stupid to see merit in such an idea?


85 posted on 07/08/2008 11:21:03 AM PDT by VR-21
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To: Michael.SF.
Mike Mondale?

Yeah, I grabbed the wrong map ... spell check can't prevent me from making an idiot out of myself.

86 posted on 07/08/2008 11:41:50 AM PDT by tx_eggman (Privatizing profits and socializing losses is no way to run an economy)
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To: buccaneer81

Imagine the chaos of an election when the popular vote difference is razor thin. Think of endless recounts, hanging chads, lawsuits etc. while the country is without a President. The Founding Fathers wanted to make the election of a President certain and created the Electoral College for that reason.


87 posted on 07/08/2008 11:46:17 AM PDT by The Great RJ ("Mir we bleiwen wat mir sin" or "We want to remain what we are." ..Luxembourg motto)
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To: buccaneer81

Democrats hate the Constitution.


88 posted on 07/08/2008 11:47:08 AM PDT by CSM (Hey if a small tax increase didn't work, a bigger tax increase should not work even BETTER!)
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To: buccaneer81

Right now, I only have to worry about my vote being cancelled by some dead guy in Newark or Camden. In a national popular vote, my vote could be cancelled by some dead guy in Chicago, as well!


89 posted on 07/08/2008 12:00:28 PM PDT by gridlock (Al Gore wants YOU to live like the Flintstones while HE lives like the Jetsons.)
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To: buccaneer81

Right now, I only have to worry about my vote being cancelled by some dead guy in Newark or Camden. In a national popular vote, my vote could be cancelled by some dead guy in Chicago, as well!


90 posted on 07/08/2008 12:00:33 PM PDT by gridlock (Al Gore wants YOU to live like the Flintstones while HE lives like the Jetsons.)
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To: savedbygrace
So, when there is a close election with a Republican winning the popular vote, we can count on the legislature and political powerbrokers in a die-hard liberal state, like Massachusetts, to go against the overwhelming will of their electorate and cast their votes for the Democrat.

Suuuuure you will.

Think about it for a minute. It would be a sure fire winner for them to abrogate any agreement between Election Day and the day of voting in the Electoral College. They would earn the everlasting gratitude of their voters, and there would be no political down-side at all. It's a no-brainer!

91 posted on 07/08/2008 12:05:32 PM PDT by gridlock (Al Gore wants YOU to live like the Flintstones while HE lives like the Jetsons.)
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To: buccaneer81
Said Dukakis: "IF ONLY we had a popular vote in 1988, I'd....I'd.....well, i'd still have lost by about 10 million votes, give or take. never mind....."

Thank God our founders had the good sense to make it so difficult to change the Constitution. A Constitutional Amendment to ditch the Electoral college, ain't likely to happen.

92 posted on 07/08/2008 12:13:47 PM PDT by wbill
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To: buccaneer81

Obama disagrees stating “Electricians are important to our ecomony, therefore I support them going to college”.


93 posted on 07/08/2008 12:29:21 PM PDT by Hacklehead (Crush the liberals, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of the hippies.)
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To: buccaneer81
“Under the current system, running for president means just one thing: focus on the so-called swing states,” he wrote. “I did it. Al Gore did it. John Kerry did it, and our Republican opponents did it, too.”

Well that was Gore's problem right there, he ought to have spent some time focusing on HIS OWN HOME STATE, winning Tennessee would have made that whole Florida fiasco non-existent:

Electoral votes needed to win: 270

Bush votes: 271 - 11 = 260
Gore votes: 267 + 11 = 278

94 posted on 07/08/2008 12:30:28 PM PDT by MozarkDawg
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To: fieldmarshaldj

post 43 ping

And thanks for the other thing.


95 posted on 07/08/2008 12:41:38 PM PDT by definitelynotaliberal
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To: buccaneer81

yes those stickers showed someone laughing their butt off;
same ones used for stickers/note pads saying “You want it
WHEN???”


96 posted on 07/08/2008 12:45:13 PM PDT by raccoonradio
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To: MozarkDawg

He DID win his “home state” - Washington DC.


97 posted on 07/08/2008 12:48:00 PM PDT by MrB (You can't reason people out of a position that they didn't use reason to get into in the first place)
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To: raccoonradio
yes those stickers showed someone laughing their butt off; same ones used for stickers/note pads saying “You want it WHEN???”

Mine was right next to the other one fron Ed King's era. It was a thumbs down with the slogan, "BARELY Making It In Massachusetts."

98 posted on 07/08/2008 1:19:51 PM PDT by buccaneer81 (Bob Taft has soiled the family name for the next century.)
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To: buccaneer81

COMUNISM, COMMUNISM! COMMUNISM!


99 posted on 07/08/2008 5:21:15 PM PDT by vpintheak (Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked. Prov. 25:26)
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To: buccaneer81
"Dukakis calls for end to Electoral College"

I am still continually amazed that there are no more honorable Democrats anymore.

They will do anything to win electoral office. Even tear up underlying principles of our nation. If they could get away with it, and it would get them into the White House and hold onto the Congress, I can envision them advocating one-child policies in red states and permits to have children if you're a Christian.

Sheesh.

100 posted on 07/10/2008 9:06:01 AM PDT by tom h
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