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Jean-Jacques Roussea

(475 posts)
Mon Dec 12, 2016, 02:41 AM Dec 2016

When (R)s use the "don't let liberal-leaning population centers decide an election" argument

for the electoral college, is this (on some subconscious or conscious level) a way to say that minority voters shouldn't matter? After all, cities have (perceived) higher concentrations of minority populations; the whole "geography should have more rights than living, breathing people" talking point is such a delusional one that I can't help but wonder if they would feel differently if the shoe were on the other racial foot.

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When (R)s use the "don't let liberal-leaning population centers decide an election" argument (Original Post) Jean-Jacques Roussea Dec 2016 OP
Yes, absolutely. No doubt. mrs_p Dec 2016 #1
repubs do not believe in the one person, one vote principle nt msongs Dec 2016 #2
My middle finger goes up when they say that and when I get the typical angry liberal shit Feeling the Bern Dec 2016 #3
There are many reasons this point doesn't work LittleGirl Dec 2016 #4
Of course. And women are also in lower numbers in rural areas. n/t pnwmom Dec 2016 #5
That Argument Doesn't Even Make Sense To Begin With. TrollBuster9090 Dec 2016 #6
It is only apportioned partly by population NewJeffCT Dec 2016 #9
It makes all the sense it has to for its intended audience. n/t Orsino Dec 2016 #10
I just tell them better the people in coastal cities decide than rpannier Dec 2016 #7
Yeah but being informed, intelligent, and qualified Jean-Jacques Roussea Dec 2016 #8
I don't think it has specific racial tones... TCJ70 Dec 2016 #11
Sounds like "three fifths of a man" all over again. nt Tanuki Dec 2016 #12
They should love that then Jean-Jacques Roussea Dec 2016 #13
Acres don't vote. People do. DavidDvorkin Dec 2016 #14
 

Feeling the Bern

(3,839 posts)
3. My middle finger goes up when they say that and when I get the typical angry liberal shit
Mon Dec 12, 2016, 04:29 AM
Dec 2016

I just say "i don't see liberals wearing klanhood, spouting hate speech and advocating nazi policies. Off is the direction I want you to fuck."

LittleGirl

(8,292 posts)
4. There are many reasons this point doesn't work
Mon Dec 12, 2016, 05:08 AM
Dec 2016

1. voter suppression/ID
2. election fraud - gerrymandering anyone?
3. living in a red state and thinking why the fuck bother to vote, it won't matter.
4. living in a blue state and see #3.
5. removing voter sites and/or early voting
6. cross checking (names)

do I need to go on?

TrollBuster9090

(5,955 posts)
6. That Argument Doesn't Even Make Sense To Begin With.
Mon Dec 12, 2016, 05:35 AM
Dec 2016

That argument is BS to begin with. At present the GOP is only against getting rid of the Electoral College because they've lost the popular vote in the last seven Presidential elections. If the situation were reversed, they'd be screaming to get rid of it.

But the Electoral College has NOTHING to do with giving more power to low-population states. The SENATE does that. So, I could see them kicking up a fuss is somebody was suggesting getting rid of the Senate.

But the Electoral College votes are apportioned to the States according to population. So, how does it favor small states? It doesn't. It only favors States where the vote is CLOSE. It forces the parties to spend all their resources in about 10 swing states, while ignoring 40 other states where the vote is NOT close. And is has NOTHING to do with being a big state or a small one.

NewJeffCT

(56,829 posts)
9. It is only apportioned partly by population
Mon Dec 12, 2016, 10:19 AM
Dec 2016

Each state gets 2 electoral votes that have nothing to do with population - each state gets those two because they have two senators.

Then, each state gets 1 electoral vote per each congressional representative. Which, while more in line with a state's population, it is also not quite fair, as each state has a minimum of one.

California has 55 electoral votes because it has 2 senators and 53 members of the House. Their population is 39.1 million. So, each electoral vote is for about 711,000 Californians. However, Wyoming gets 3 electoral votes (2 senators and 1 representative) and has 586,000 people in total. So, each electoral vote is worth 195,333 Wyoming residents. So, each vote in Wyoming is worth equivalent to 3.6 votes in California.

Of the 3 vote states, only Vermont, Delaware and Washington DC are "blue" - besides Wyoming, the other "red" states are Montana, Alaska, North and South Dakota. So, Republicans have a built in 15-9 advantage in states that get over-represented in the electoral collage.

rpannier

(24,342 posts)
7. I just tell them better the people in coastal cities decide than
Mon Dec 12, 2016, 05:40 AM
Dec 2016

cattle, sheep and cactus, cuz that's pretty much all there is in the less populated western states that no sane person would want to live in

 
8. Yeah but being informed, intelligent, and qualified
Mon Dec 12, 2016, 09:48 AM
Dec 2016

makes you an "intellectual elite", and thus bad

Gee, sounds really familiar to the mindset to a certain German party in the 1930s...

TCJ70

(4,387 posts)
11. I don't think it has specific racial tones...
Mon Dec 12, 2016, 01:31 PM
Dec 2016

...cities are full of all kinds of people. It's an all-inclusive anti-left sentiment at worst.

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