PA republicans are at it again

[soulflower]

They want the electoral college votes to be divided proportionally:

State Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, a Republican from Chester, wants to replace the winner-take-all system, which gave President Barack Obama Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes, with one that divides them to reflect the proportion of public support for each candidate. His method would have given 12 votes to Obama and eight to Republican Mitt Romney this year.

“Anyone who voted for Governor Romney, and many Pennsylvanians did, does not have any reflection of that vote in the electoral college vote,” Pileggi said. “This is a proposal that is not party specific or partisan in any way, but just an attempt to have the popular vote reflected in the electoral college vote.”

Pileggi’s proposal, which he asked senators in a memo to cosponsor, may be the first of a spate presented to lawmakers nationwide. Daniel P. Tokaji, a law professor at Ohio State University in Columbus and associate director of its Election Law @ Moritz center said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Republicans and Democrats seeking ways to “game the system” ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-1...ral-votes.html

[BiggSeth]

yeah, it sort of sucks when your election fraud in the one major city could be neutralized by proportional E.C. distribution....

Imagine if all the Country did it that way instead of the rigged "winner takes all" way it prevelant today.....

[CajunRaven]

I think it's a good idea. It would stop this crap where the candidates only pay attention to a handful of states who get to decide what's best for the rest of us.

[soulflower]

I think it's a good idea. It would stop this crap where the candidates only pay attention to a handful of states who get to decide what's best for the rest of us.

I'm open to ditching the Electoral college altogether but this move sounds like sour grapes to me...

[Marshan Man]

Can't win the game? Change the rules!

[The Astute Reader(tm)]

Dear Dominic:

Obamam won. We lost. Get over it.

[CajunRaven]

I'm open to ditching the Electoral college altogether but this move sounds like sour grapes to me...

It probably is. But I've had enough of Iowa and New Hampshire in the primaries and Ohio and Florida in the GE. Why the hell do they get to decide for the rest of us. And what about a state like Maryland where I have no voice at all, yet I pay a sh * tload of taxes.

Taxation without representation!:

[CajunRaven]

Can't win the game? Change the rules!

And gerrymander the fix in for yourself. It's been going on for a very very long time.

[soulflower]

It probably is. But I've had enough of Iowa and New Hampshire in the primaries and Ohio and Florida in the GE. Why the hell do they get to decide for the rest of us. And what about a state like Maryland where I have no voice at all, yet I pay a sh * tload of taxes.

Taxation without representation!:

IMO, there's something wrong with our system when Presidential candidates campaign in less than 20% of the States and largely ignore the rest of the states.

A Presidential campaign should engage the whole country

[LarryN]

I like the way Maine and Nebraska do it. They break the popular vote down by congressional district. Who ever wins the district gets that district's vote. The statewide winner gets two more.

[LarryN]

And don't forget that the Maryland legislature recently decided to stop the statewide winner take all process and will go to a nationwide winner take all (if they can get a bunch of other states to go along with them). That happened after Al Gore lost the EV.

[Baltimatt]

I like the way Maine and Nebraska do it. They break the popular vote down by congressional district. Who ever wins the district gets that district's vote. The statewide winner gets two more.

I like that, too.

[RavnFreek]

I'm open to ditching the Electoral college altogether but this move sounds like sour grapes to me...

YOu mean like after GW Bush won Florida?

[bullmikey]

I guess it's up to PA.

The good point is that it is a fairer way to assign deligates and reduces the Northeast corridor's ability to throw the election by the usual methods of hook and crook.

The negative side is that it removes PA from the list of "gotta have" states in a closely contested election. That probably equates to a loss of revenue in a number of ways (especially for the local media outlets) and not as many last minute hand outs in certain parts of the state.

Anyway, as the old song goes, ain't nobody's business if we do.

Or don't.

[bullmikey]

I'm open to ditching the Electoral college altogether but this move sounds like sour grapes to me...

The idea was being debated in the state legislature well before the last election.

[bullmikey]

I think it's a good idea. It would stop this crap where the candidates only pay attention to a handful of states who get to decide what's best for the rest of us.

That's both the sweet and sour part. That attention paid to a handful of states is usually quite profitable for certain factors within that handful of states. The media in particular does well. Even “right wing” talk radio makes out selling air time to both sides. So I expect there will be economic interests lobbying against this, as well as the usual suspects.

[soulflower]

YOu mean like after GW Bush won Florida?

Yeah. These arguments about the Electoral College are usually started by the losing party.

The thing is, Dems have a huge electoral college advantage for the foreseeable future. I wouldn't be surprised if more States begin to change how their EC votes are awarded going forward

[mvymvy]

I like that, too.

Maine and Nebraska use the congressional district method.
Maine and Nebraska voters support a national popular vote.

[mvymvy]

They want the electoral college votes to be divided proportionally:

A survey of Pennsylvania voters showed 78% overall support for a national popular vote for President.

Support was 87% among Democrats, 68% among Republicans, and 76% among independents.

By age, support was 77% among 18-29 year olds, 73% among 30-45 year olds, 81% among 46-65 year olds, and 78% for those older than 65.

By gender, support was 85% among women and 71% among men.

NationalPopularVote.com

[Baltimatt]

Maine and Nebraska use the congressional district method.
Maine and Nebraska voters support a national popular vote.

It looks like you did a big cut and paste there without attribution. That's a no-no on this board. Please provide a link and use only a short quote.

As far as the national vote, I don't see why Maryland should give up its vote based on the national results. The congressional district method makes perfect sense to me. National Popular Vote doesn't.