Fixing the GOP Pt 1- Get rid of the Electoral College.

[JoeB131]

In this series, I will examine what the GOP needs to do to avoid political irrelevence in the coming years and make a comeback in a changing America.

1) The Electoral College is not your friend. – And here’s the problem. In states Democrats have won in the last 6 elections, Democrats get 242 Electoral votes. The Republican make noise every year about how they are going to contest them, and they are usually called before 9 PM. In three other states they’ve won 5 of the last six times, they get another 15. So in short, the Democrat pretty much starts at 257. That just allows them to pick and choose which state they put their chips on while Republicans have to cover all the bases.

More to the point, it lets party apparatuses atrophy in “Blue” states where there are still a lot of voters who would be happy to vote for you. That could make you more competitive in Senate and House races.

The GOP should make this a signature issue, for no other reason than making the Dems ironically defend the mechanism that put George W. Bush in office. And there are two levels they can fight this fight. One is pushing to have more states do it the way Nebraska and Maine do it (by congressional district). The other is to push for a constitutional amendment.

The reasons why the GOP will resist. Part of it is their recalcitrance to admiting old Dubya was a huge mistake. The other is that there are a lot of what I like to call "constitutional fetishists" out there who think that the Constitution was written on Stone Tablets, and if their 18th century minds didn't think of it, it must not be valid.

 

[mudwhistle]

There's nothing wrong with the GOP.

There's something wrong with this country, the media, and many of the ingrates that call themselves citizens of this nation.

 

[JoeB131]

There's nothing wrong with the GOP.

There's something wrong with this country, the media, and many of the ingrates that call themselves citizens of this nation.

If the GOP can't win an election with 7.9% unemployment, after spending a billion dollars, then there is nothing wrong with the people or the media.

The GOP has been digging itself into this hole for a long time...

 

[Zarius]

In this series, I will examine what the GOP needs to do to avoid political irrelevence in the coming years and make a comeback in a changing America.

1) The Electoral College is not your friend. – And here’s the problem. In states Democrats have won in the last 6 elections, Democrats get 242 Electoral votes. The Republican make noise every year about how they are going to contest them, and they are usually called before 9 PM. In three other states they’ve won 5 of the last six times, they get another 15. So in short, the Democrat pretty much starts at 257. That just allows them to pick and choose which state they put their chips on while Republicans have to cover all the bases.

More to the point, it lets party apparatuses atrophy in “Blue” states where there are still a lot of voters who would be happy to vote for you. That could make you more competitive in Senate and House races.

The GOP should make this a signature issue, for no other reason than making the Dems ironically defend the mechanism that put George W. Bush in office. And there are two levels they can fight this fight. One is pushing to have more states do it the way Nebraska and Maine do it (by congressional district). The other is to push for a constitutional amendment.

The reasons why the GOP will resist. Part of it is their recalcitrance to admiting old Dubya was a huge mistake. The other is that there are a lot of what I like to call "constitutional fetishists" out there who think that the Constitution was written on Stone Tablets, and if their 18th century minds didn't think of it, it must not be valid.

Thread/http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-re-elected-likely-won-the-popular-vote-2012

 

[JoeB131]

snip.

Thread/http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-re-elected-likely-won-the-popular-vote-2012

My issue was not that Obama won the popular vote. he did.

My issue is that the Electoral College distorts the process.

If this was a pure "get out the vote" thing, then Obama would have spent a lot more money in CA and Romney would have spent more money in TX, and their votes would have counted more. Maybe there would have been a different outcome.

Keep in mind, 10 million less people voted in 2012 than 2008, because they realized their votes counted for less.

As it stands now, this election only happened in about 7-10 states (Depending on which ones you think were really in play.) That gives the GOP a serious disadvantage, as they have to cover all of them while the Dems can pick just a few.

 

[TakeAStepBack]

OK, so you want NYC, Chicago and a handful of other cities to decide the election?
Good plan.

 

[JoeB131]

OK, so you want NYC, Chicago and a handful of other cities to decide the election?
Good plan.

I was wondering how long it would take a conservatard to mke this argument.

Assuming that everyone in these big evil cities voted the same way (they don't), how many of them would have to vote before we get to half the 120 million or so who vote.


List of United States cities by population - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And frankly, I'd rather have these elections decided in the "big cities" where people live rather than rural wastelands like IA and NH that already have an outsized role in this process in the stupid primaries.

 

[tyroneweaver]

the news outlets love the electorial college because its power is in the east where the majority of the news outlets are
the west, intermountain west means nothing in the election process. No one visits id, mt, ut, anymore.

 

[mudwhistle]

the news outlets love the electorial college because its power is in the east where the majority of the news outlets are
the west, intermountain west means nothing in the election process. No one visits id, mt, ut, anymore.

I noticed the West Coast was essentially an afterthought. Liberals have turned into a deadzone.

 

[there4eyeM]

How could we possibly trust direct election of representatives (the president represents all the people of the entire country, after all)?

Oh, yeah, that's right, the House and Senate are chosen by direct vote. Hmm....

 

[JoeB131]

the news outlets love the electorial college because its power is in the east where the majority of the news outlets are
the west, intermountain west means nothing in the election process. No one visits id, mt, ut, anymore.

Why would anyone visit them to start with? I'm still trying to justify why any of them are even states.

 

[peach174]

OK, so you want NYC, Chicago and a handful of other cities to decide the election?
Good plan.

This is exactly why the Dems are pushing to get rid of the electoral College.
They can always win if they do it. The huge populated, always Democratic cites like N.Y. City, L.A. and Chicago will win.
The less populated States like Montana and Alaska will never be able to have a equal representation of counted votes.
The Dems keep pushing more and more towards democracy, rather the the Republic that we are suppose to be.
Being the Republic (guaranteed in our Constitution) that represents the minority over the majority, is why we have the Electoral College.

 

[JoeB131]

OK, so you want NYC, Chicago and a handful of other cities to decide the election?
Good plan.

This is exactly why the Dems are pushing to get rid of the electoral College.
They can always win if they do it. The huge populated, always Democratic cites like N.Y. City, L.A. and Chicago will win.
The less populated States like Montana and Alaska will never be able to have a equal representation of counted votes.
The Dems keep pushing more and more towards democracy, rather the the Republic that we are suppose to be.
Being the Republic (guaranteed in our Constitution) that represents the minority over the majority, is why we have the Electoral College.

That has to be the most retarded thing I've ever heard in my life.

Seriously, do they let you outside the house without adult supervision.

If places like Montana and Alaska have little influence, it's because NO ONE ACTUALLY LIVES IN THEM!

 

[Wry Catcher]

There's nothing wrong with the GOP.

There's something wrong with this country, the media, and many of the ingrates that call themselves citizens of this nation.

In all due respect mudman, your argument sounds a bit like a schizophrenic - I know you're not so put the sour grapes away and consider why the GOP took a beating.

 

[peach174]

OK, so you want NYC, Chicago and a handful of other cities to decide the election?
Good plan.

This is exactly why the Dems are pushing to get rid of the electoral College.
They can always win if they do it. The huge populated, always Democratic cites like N.Y. City, L.A. and Chicago will win.
The less populated States like Montana and Alaska will never be able to have a equal representation of counted votes.
The Dems keep pushing more and more towards democracy, rather the the Republic that we are suppose to be.
Being the Republic (guaranteed in our Constitution) that represents the minority over the majority, is why we have the Electoral College.

That has to be the most retarded thing I've ever heard in my life.

Seriously, do they let you outside the house without adult supervision.

If places like Montana and Alaska have little influence, it's because NO ONE ACTUALLY LIVES IN THEM!

You need to learn some U.S. History son. Especially about what our Republic is.

 

[JoeB131]

This is exactly why the Dems are pushing to get rid of the electoral College.
They can always win if they do it. The huge populated, always Democratic cites like N.Y. City, L.A. and Chicago will win.
The less populated States like Montana and Alaska will never be able to have a equal representation of counted votes.
The Dems keep pushing more and more towards democracy, rather the the Republic that we are suppose to be.
Being the Republic (guaranteed in our Constitution) that represents the minority over the majority, is why we have the Electoral College.

That has to be the most retarded thing I've ever heard in my life.

Seriously, do they let you outside the house without adult supervision.

If places like Montana and Alaska have little influence, it's because NO ONE ACTUALLY LIVES IN THEM!

You need to learn some U.S. History son. Especially about what our Republic is.

History isn't a good reason to keep a bad system.

Our history also includes slavery and witch trials, and those weren't good ideas, either.

It's ridiculous that Ohio by itself decided this election. Ohio was called, don't even bother counting any more votes. We're done.

 

[peach174]

The electoral college is not a bad system.
Complete Democracy is a bad system.
Slavery and witch trials had nothing to do with the USA being a Republic. Those were social issues and by rights of our Republic Constitutionality was eventually righted.
Stop believing the lefty rhetoric that Ohio won the election. They lost 2 electoral collage votes from the last census.

 

[Katzndogz]

When things start going wrong, go back to the founding document. Consult the Constitution. The EC was there for a reason.

One of those reasons was a president who won by EV but not the popular vote was supposed to be mindful that he did not the will of the people behind him. obama isn't a president, he is a dictator, the Founders knew that we would someday elect our own despot. Benjamin Franklin warned of that. Our job was to put that day off as long as possible using the tools they gave us. That day is here.

 

[TakeAStepBack]

Jeebus people are fucking dumb. It makes one want to just drop out and let them free for all it up, mob rule style with their "democracy".

Hive minded drones.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

In this series, I will examine what the GOP needs to do to avoid political irrelevence in the coming years and make a comeback in a changing America.

1) The Electoral College is not your friend. – And here’s the problem. In states Democrats have won in the last 6 elections, Democrats get 242 Electoral votes. The Republican make noise every year about how they are going to contest them, and they are usually called before 9 PM. In three other states they’ve won 5 of the last six times, they get another 15. So in short, the Democrat pretty much starts at 257. That just allows them to pick and choose which state they put their chips on while Republicans have to cover all the bases.

More to the point, it lets party apparatuses atrophy in “Blue” states where there are still a lot of voters who would be happy to vote for you. That could make you more competitive in Senate and House races.

The GOP should make this a signature issue, for no other reason than making the Dems ironically defend the mechanism that put George W. Bush in office. And there are two levels they can fight this fight. One is pushing to have more states do it the way Nebraska and Maine do it (by congressional district). The other is to push for a constitutional amendment.

The reasons why the GOP will resist. Part of it is their recalcitrance to admiting old Dubya was a huge mistake. The other is that there are a lot of what I like to call "constitutional fetishists" out there who think that the Constitution was written on Stone Tablets, and if their 18th century minds didn't think of it, it must not be valid.

You are stupid beyond stupid. Even if everything you said is true, which is a really stupid assumption, it is in no way an argument to get rid of the electoral college. Let us ignore that though, and assume that it was actually a valid argument, why would the Democrats give up a clear advantage like you just described?