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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNow they’re trying to steal 2016: The demented GOP schemes to rewire the Electoral College and elect
12/6/2014
Republicans know they can't win the popular vote. You won't believe sick schemes they've launched to get around it
Republicans have only won the popular vote for president once in the last 25 years, a steep decline in their fortunes from the period from 1972 to 1988, when they won the popular vote every time but one1976, the aftermath of Watergate. Add to that massive policy failures and demographic trends against them, and the motivations to cheat are overwhelming.
Voter suppression seemed promising at firstand its helpful in many downticket racesbut its not going to be enough to secure the White House. So theyve been working on another idea as wellmake the popular vote totally irrelevant by leaving red states just as they are, with statewide winners getting all the electoral votes, while making electoral votes more or less proportional in as many blue states as possiblemany of which the GOP controls at the state level. If they can rewrite the rules fast enough, they could even win in 2016, with no more votes than Mitt Romney received.
Republicans have been fiddling with various Electoral College schemes since at least 2011 (in Michigan and Pennsylvania), with an upsurge of interest in early 2013, following Romneys disappointing loss. How Romney Could Have Won: A changed system would mean changed results was the title of a January 2013 National Review story, capturing the mood at the time. Romney neednt have won a single additional popular vote, you see. Just divvy up Electoral College votes by congressional district, and voilà! President, President Romney, Mr. 47 Percent! [F]or those frustrated over 2012s results, the story concluded, it might be worth thinking about whether its time to overhaul the system itself....
http://www.salon.com/2014/12/06/now_theyre_trying_to_steal_2016_the_demented_gop_schemes_to_rewire_the_electoral_college_and_elect_a_tea_party_president/
Sickening.
belzabubba333
(1,237 posts), they can count on dems to not vote
VanillaRhapsody
(21,115 posts)and they would be soooo easy to defeat....if on Democrats were not our own worst enemies....
They know this about us....and use it against us too. Conquer and divide!
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)National popular vote.
Dr Hobbitstein
(6,568 posts)were very much against. Which is why we have the electoral college.
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)They were a bunch of rich white landholders, so of course they designed a system to allow them to overrule the masses if they felt the need.
Dr Hobbitstein
(6,568 posts)This country shouldn't be mob-ruled. There's a lot more idiots in this country than there are intelligent people.
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)To point out when the majority has done something that tramples on the rights of the rest.
davidn3600
(6,342 posts)If a state decides to divide up their electoral votes by congressional district, it's perfectly in line with the Constitution (Article II, Section I). In fact, Nebraska and Maine have been doing this for years. Obama even won one of Nebraska's districts in 2008.
Getting rid of the electoral college requires a constitutional amendment.
Generic Other
(28,979 posts)That would be the sort of thing that would blow up in their stupid faces. Or maybe they think constantly undermining democracy will win them the hearts and minds of Americans?
JHB
(37,161 posts)...and say they'd won fair and square (punctuated with "so shut up you crybaby sore losers!" .
They'll also circulate more "voter fraud" stories as the hooks on which their True Believers can hang their beliefs that the majority isn't a "real one".
Generic Other
(28,979 posts)I do not want another Bush election hanging on Florida!
DonCoquixote
(13,616 posts)Much has been made of a Red state/Blue State divide, but the real division is Rural/City. Even in places like Texas, Georgia, and Louisiana, you will find the cities are bright blue spots, while even in places like New Jersey, New York and California, the rural areas are RED. This isan attempt to make the rural areas count more, especially in the South, where state governments make a point of ignoring their cities in favor of those solid Republican, Conservative rural areas.
As the 2000 elections showed, they will love the idea of a big federal Government if it skews their way, and if this is allowed, we will asicly have a rural mass that says "fuck you" to the cities. It sure as hell this is not an accident now that even Texas is getting some purple tint. If the GOP fogures out a way to divide New York and California, they will be saved from the demogrpahic meltdown that awaits them. After all, even if more Latinos move into California and Texas, state governments that are made of mostly white non ubranites (who were mostly bought by the Koch Brothers) will easily find way to steal elections and ignore the blue hordes.
RiverLover
(7,830 posts)I've never looked at it that way. Rural vs Urban. Urbans are losing...
cordelia
(2,174 posts)Faux pas
(14,681 posts)"If you can't beat 'em cheat 'em!"
VanillaRhapsody
(21,115 posts)its as simple as that.....
That is the reason I take no prisoners and hold no quarter....
Faux pas
(14,681 posts)even when I was disgusted with the choices. It's my responsibility.
VanillaRhapsody
(21,115 posts)is bogus and UNDemocratic!
and those same folks want to "educate us" on the Democratic Party....
socialist_n_TN
(11,481 posts)Will the big "D" Democrats do the same? Or will they allow this to happen?
99Forever
(14,524 posts)HereSince1628
(36,063 posts)yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)Nebraska and Maine did it. That was problem number one. Now there is precedent. Ugh!