Wealthy right-wingers from out of state are flooding California with cash to try to change the way the state's electoral votes are allocated. In time for the 2008 election (and thereafter) the Republicans want to snatch up at least 20 of California's 55 electoral votes in a new system that would replace the traditional winner-take-all method. As with past Republican shenanigans they intend to accomplish this feat by tricking the voters with a well financed, deceptively-worded ballot initiative.
Now let's just wait a minute here. I seem to remember Democrats SCREAMING for a change in the Electoral College process for picking the President when they lost with Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004.
So Republicans are trying to teach Democrats a lesson. If you really want to have those changes that you so desire, you won't have a problem doing it in California right?
Why are Democrats so reluctant to give up California? Because it's been a typical Democratic stronghold for decades now and they don't want to give up anything that might cost them votes.
But let's say that Palermo is right and that Democrats would be giving up "at least 20 electoral votes". Do you know what that means?
That means that John Kerry lost the 2004 Presidential election 306 to 232. That means that Al Gore lost the election 291 to 246.
But had the Electoral College rules been nationwide and in effect in 2000, Al Gore would be President.
But those rules weren't in play at the time. Why? Because Democrats didn't think about it because they were too concerned about winning rather than "fairness".
The rules of the Electoral College have been in place for hundreds of years. However, if Democrats truly were wanting the voice of the people to be heard and "every vote counted", they would have called for these changes years ago.
But now, when they are losing, they want to change the rules of the game.
However, at least one reader can see through the bullshit:
HollywoodBill
This is pretty much the same initiative that the Dems tried to push on the voters in Colorado that was resoundingly defeated. So the Dems are for it in Colorado and against it here in California?
Despite the theatrical hysterics from the author, this thing isn't on the ballot yet and may not even make it. Once voters are told that this would favor one political party over the other, support for it plummets. Californians take their initiatives seriously and, by and large get it right.
Republicans recalled Gray Davis??? Spare me the totally inaccurate rewriting of California electoral history. There have been 32 attempts to recall the Governor of California. Only one recall ever made it to the ballot--Gray Davis.
The Dems hold a seven point advantage in voter registration in California. There aren't enough Republicans to do anything on their own. And the result? 55.4% of CALIFORNIANS voted to recall Gray Davis. For the Recall, 62.1% of CALIFORNIANS voted for the two leading Republican candidates.
Gray Davis was a worthless bumbling bureaucrat who didn't listen to the wishes of the voters. He made a mess of the energy crisis, increased vehicle registration fees by 200% less than 30 days before the Recall, signed a bill that gave drivers licenses to illegals and had interfered with the Republican primary in 2002. Gray Davis was the only sitting Governor in California history to be recalled and he deserved to be put out on his ass.
See, told you so. Hypocrisy at it's best.
Travis
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