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RiverLover

(7,830 posts)
Sun Dec 7, 2014, 10:15 AM Dec 2014

Now they’re trying to steal 2016: The demented GOP schemes to rewire the Electoral College and elect

Now they’re trying to steal 2016: The demented GOP schemes to rewire the Electoral College and elect a Tea Party president
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 one–1976, 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 first—and it’s helpful in many downticket races—but it’s not going to be enough to secure the White House. So they’ve been working on another idea as well—make 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 possible—many 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 Romney’s 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 needn’t 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 2012’s results,” the story concluded, “it might be worth thinking about whether it’s 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.
23 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Now they’re trying to steal 2016: The demented GOP schemes to rewire the Electoral College and elect (Original Post) RiverLover Dec 2014 OP
they have no accomplishments so rigging and gaming the system is NOT all they have, belzabubba333 Dec 2014 #1
Agreed.....all they are good at is marketing bad ideas... VanillaRhapsody Dec 2014 #8
It's time to ditch the electoral college entirely. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Dec 2014 #2
National popular vote is something our founders Dr Hobbitstein Dec 2014 #14
Of course they were. The 'hoi polloi' might vote 'wrongly'. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Dec 2014 #16
I agree with the founders. Dr Hobbitstein Dec 2014 #21
Which is why we have a judiciary. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Dec 2014 #23
But....it's not illegal davidn3600 Dec 2014 #3
How would they defend overturning a popular vote? Generic Other Dec 2014 #4
They'd point to the laws govering the election (the ones they've chnaged)... JHB Dec 2014 #15
We need to counter with insistance that popular vote matters! Generic Other Dec 2014 #18
Here is what it boils down to DonCoquixote Dec 2014 #5
OMG, that is so true. RiverLover Dec 2014 #6
Yes. This. cordelia Dec 2014 #13
Like Rev Al says: Faux pas Dec 2014 #7
and when WE vote...WE win! VanillaRhapsody Dec 2014 #9
I've voted in every election since 1970, Faux pas Dec 2014 #19
Exactly....."this I cannot vote if YOUR candidate wins the Primary" VanillaRhapsody Dec 2014 #20
Even the Bolsheviks fought for small "d" democratic rights...... socialist_n_TN Dec 2014 #10
And what are our Democratic Party "serious people" doing to stop it? 99Forever Dec 2014 #11
Well they do everywhere but in dominant red states. HereSince1628 Dec 2014 #12
We didn't stop it or even complain when yeoman6987 Dec 2014 #17
thanks for a very important thread Faryn Balyncd Dec 2014 #22
 

belzabubba333

(1,237 posts)
1. they have no accomplishments so rigging and gaming the system is NOT all they have,
Sun Dec 7, 2014, 10:23 AM
Dec 2014

, they can count on dems to not vote

 

VanillaRhapsody

(21,115 posts)
8. Agreed.....all they are good at is marketing bad ideas...
Sun Dec 7, 2014, 11:52 AM
Dec 2014

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!

 

Dr Hobbitstein

(6,568 posts)
14. National popular vote is something our founders
Sun Dec 7, 2014, 12:04 PM
Dec 2014

were very much against. Which is why we have the electoral college.

Erich Bloodaxe BSN

(14,733 posts)
16. Of course they were. The 'hoi polloi' might vote 'wrongly'.
Sun Dec 7, 2014, 12:21 PM
Dec 2014

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)
21. I agree with the founders.
Mon Dec 8, 2014, 09:21 AM
Dec 2014

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)
23. Which is why we have a judiciary.
Mon Dec 8, 2014, 09:26 AM
Dec 2014

To point out when the majority has done something that tramples on the rights of the rest.

 

davidn3600

(6,342 posts)
3. But....it's not illegal
Sun Dec 7, 2014, 10:27 AM
Dec 2014

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)
4. How would they defend overturning a popular vote?
Sun Dec 7, 2014, 10:33 AM
Dec 2014

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)
15. They'd point to the laws govering the election (the ones they've chnaged)...
Sun Dec 7, 2014, 12:07 PM
Dec 2014

...and say they'd won fair and square (punctuated with "so shut up you crybaby sore losers!&quot .

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)
18. We need to counter with insistance that popular vote matters!
Sun Dec 7, 2014, 12:48 PM
Dec 2014

I do not want another Bush election hanging on Florida!

DonCoquixote

(13,616 posts)
5. Here is what it boils down to
Sun Dec 7, 2014, 10:35 AM
Dec 2014

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.

 

VanillaRhapsody

(21,115 posts)
9. and when WE vote...WE win!
Sun Dec 7, 2014, 11:53 AM
Dec 2014

its as simple as that.....

That is the reason I take no prisoners and hold no quarter....

Faux pas

(14,681 posts)
19. I've voted in every election since 1970,
Sun Dec 7, 2014, 01:02 PM
Dec 2014

even when I was disgusted with the choices. It's my responsibility.

 

VanillaRhapsody

(21,115 posts)
20. Exactly....."this I cannot vote if YOUR candidate wins the Primary"
Sun Dec 7, 2014, 01:40 PM
Dec 2014

is bogus and UNDemocratic!

and those same folks want to "educate us" on the Democratic Party....

socialist_n_TN

(11,481 posts)
10. Even the Bolsheviks fought for small "d" democratic rights......
Sun Dec 7, 2014, 11:55 AM
Dec 2014

Will the big "D" Democrats do the same? Or will they allow this to happen?

 

yeoman6987

(14,449 posts)
17. We didn't stop it or even complain when
Sun Dec 7, 2014, 12:27 PM
Dec 2014

Nebraska and Maine did it. That was problem number one. Now there is precedent. Ugh!

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