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.
"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."
Got any respectable national poll results to back up that assertion, Mikey? Yeah, didn't think so.
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?
Yeah, I grabbed the wrong map ... spell check can't prevent me from making an idiot out of myself.
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.
Democrats hate the Constitution.
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!
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!
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!
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.
Obama disagrees stating “Electricians are important to our ecomony, therefore I support them going to college”.
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
post 43 ping
And thanks for the other thing.
yes those stickers showed someone laughing their butt off;
same ones used for stickers/note pads saying “You want it
WHEN???”
He DID win his “home state” - Washington DC.
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."
COMUNISM, COMMUNISM! COMMUNISM!
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.
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