Watching C-Span: Do you favor proportional allocation of Electoral Votes?

[baldguy]

I'm listening to the difference of opinion between GOP/Dems: all those who support Bush want to retain the Electoral College; all those who support Kerry favor modifying or eliminating it.

It struck me: Republicans don't want people to vote. The reason they do this is because if more people vote, more people will vote for Democrats - they will lose more elections.

They have a history of extremely negative campaigns; negative ads don't convince people to support the candidate - they only sew doubt about his opponent.

They have historically characterized all government as at best ineffectual or at worst criminal. Yet, they pour hundreds of millions of dollars into election campaigns to elect their candidates.

They opposed the original Voting Rights Act, and they oppose it every time it comes up for renewal.

They opposed the Motor-Voter law making easier for people to register to vote.

They oppose laws allowing college students to vote in the area where they attend college, thereby decreasing the turnout of 18-24 yr olds.

They harass minority voters - in Florida 2000 they set up road blocks, told people to stay home, closed polling places early. They also purged hundreds of thousand of African Americans illegally and didn't allow them to vote. Gov Bush is doing it again this year.

What it comes down to is: Republicans don't believe in democracy. They'd be perfectly happy if nobody voted - they like the idea of being able to purchase elective office, up to and including the Presidency.

[sam sarrha]

1. when you said they had a history of negative campaigns, they have a history

or economic recessions too. I saw where since the civil war over 87% of republican presidents had economic recessions during their administration. bad track record

[TexasProgresive]

4. Every Rethuglican administration in my lifetime

has resulted in layoffs, force retirement and unemployment for myself or members of my family. They don't creat jobs because they are pro-business. they want a hungry job pool desperate to do any kind of work at any wage.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. Big Business Also Makes Lower Profits, AFTER TAXES

That's one of the great mysteries to me. How do people think Repubs are better for business when since 1920, business always make more money when a dem is in the White House.

The top 5 for profitability during their term are, since 1948, are:

Clinton
Kennedy
Johnson
Truman
Reagan
Eisenhower
Carter
Nixon
41
Ford
43

Those are the facts. Business make more money, after taxes when a dem is in the White Hosue. Only one dem in the lower half, and he inherited a horrible recession from Nixon and Ford.

I cannot understand how business don't support dems. They do better with them in charge.
The Professor

[liberalmuse]

2. I favor it.

I lived in Nevada in 2000. If we'd divied up our electoral votes proportionately, Gore's victory would've given no room for the black-robed ones to overturn. I imagine it would have been the same story in many states. It's fair, and every state should do it. Even where I live now, Utah, would have some electoral votes to give to the Democrats (Salt Lake City and Park City).

[TexasProgresive]

3. These thugs have consistently tried to suppress popular vote-

In all their various disguises: Federalist, Whigs, Rethuglicans, Dixiecrats, Blue dogs, Raygun Democrats. If they can't completely suppress the popular vote they would like to restrict it to rich, white male property owners. We can't easily get rid of the electoral college since it is in the constitution so I am firmly in favor of proportional allocation of the EC vote.

BTW, in Texas they don't oppose all college students voting in their college town. They opposed it at Prairie View which is mostly black but they would die before giving it up in College Station because Texas A & M students are notoriously Conservative. I'd bet money that the thugs in chief came down on the thug DA of Walker county and forced him to resign because his action in Walker county threatened the Texas A & M students in Brazos county.

[DarkPhenyx]

5. 94,000

That's the largest number I've heard, from anything resembling a reliable source, for people illegally purged from the voter rolls in FL 2000.

[ObaMania]

6. Absolutely

I live in VA and in 2000 the state was practically 50/50. It kills me to be considered a red state when demographically, it is not true.

That to me, is the best argument for a vote not counting.

[9119495]

7. I support it

I think if it gets us closer to one-man one vote it should be done.

However, this is not necesarily a pro-Dem thing. I think Kerry has a good chance to win the EV without the PV this year. The idea still de-emphasizes BIG RED states like ID, WY, KS, etc. It means Reps can't just bank those and compete in the South and a few other places. It also will make the elections look closer so it is harder for Bush or some other person to claim a mandate for an extremeist agenda (that is something most Dems don't have).