tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719252574677567989.post4023666050774082452..comments2024-03-26T05:22:08.256-04:00Comments on Frontloading HQ: The Electoral College Map (6/15/08)Josh Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301836432446874997noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719252574677567989.post-68667022880683081312008-06-16T20:03:00.000-04:002008-06-16T20:03:00.000-04:00I'm sorry to hear that Rob. Our thoughts will be ...I'm sorry to hear that Rob. Our thoughts will be with y'all. You'll be missed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719252574677567989.post-82821139237585219222008-06-16T19:23:00.000-04:002008-06-16T19:23:00.000-04:00Well, at least I am getting better with my respons...Well, at least I am getting better with my responses.<BR/><BR/>I would really like to be there tomorrow, but my mother broke her leg this weekend, and I need to relieve my sister at the hospital.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03379192575044761972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719252574677567989.post-8038510281767103422008-06-16T17:50:00.000-04:002008-06-16T17:50:00.000-04:00Well, that's going to make it that much harder for...Well, that's going to make it that much harder for me to lead the group. Darn. We'll have to see who shows up now.<BR/><BR/>I think your response this time was better than your first one. That one was on the original electoral college map post, I'm pretty sure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719252574677567989.post-77697862902844689772008-06-16T16:04:00.000-04:002008-06-16T16:04:00.000-04:00OK, Josh. Anonymous hit one of my buttons. I will ...OK, Josh. Anonymous hit one of my buttons. I will try to refrain from responding to this message in the future (unless I forget).<BR/><BR/>I will not be able to go the the discussion group tomorrow afternoon. I will need to go out of town.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03379192575044761972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719252574677567989.post-49042492579850488622008-06-16T13:49:00.000-04:002008-06-16T13:49:00.000-04:00Rob, This is a discussion we could have here and I...Rob, <BR/>This is a discussion we could have here and I'm glad to have it. However, this is now at least the third time that "Anonymous" has left this exact same comment here. And I think the readers of FHQ have already hashed this one out.<BR/><BR/>Excellent points, though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719252574677567989.post-59163989208144678602008-06-16T12:57:00.000-04:002008-06-16T12:57:00.000-04:00Anonymous,I disagree. I think the electoral colleg...Anonymous,<BR/><BR/>I disagree. I think the electoral college is the way to go, even though I did vote for Gore in 2000, and he lost.<BR/><BR/>A popular vote would skew the vote further away from small states and make large states even more important. If I were campaign manager for a Presidential candidate, I would focus all of my candidate's resources on the top 10-20 media markets in the country. By doing that I could get the best bang for my buck. I would put all my advertising and my vote canvassing in places where I could reach the most people. An effective campaign there could sway more votes in a close race than in small, less-populated states. <BR/><BR/>If you really want candidates to pay attention to all 50 states or at least to more states than the current battleground states, institute a proportional distribution of electoral votes, somewhat similar to the Democratic primary race OR award electoral votes on the basis of Congressional districts. That way, many more districts would be in play.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03379192575044761972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719252574677567989.post-63335148379644787312008-06-16T12:40:00.000-04:002008-06-16T12:40:00.000-04:00The real issue is not how well Obama or McCain mig...The real issue is not how well Obama or McCain might do in the closely divided battleground states, but that we shouldn't have battleground states and spectator states in the first place. Every vote in every state should be politically relevant in a presidential election. And, every vote should be equal. We should have a national popular vote for President in which the White House goes to the candidate who gets the most popular votes in all 50 states. <BR/><BR/>The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC). The bill would take effect only when enacted, in identical form, by states possessing a majority of the electoral vote -- that is, enough electoral votes to elect a President (270 of 538). When the bill comes into effect, all the electoral votes from those states would be awarded to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC). <BR/><BR/>The major shortcoming of the current system of electing the President is that presidential candidates have no reason to poll, visit, advertise, organize, campaign, or worry about the voter concerns in states where they are safely ahead or hopelessly behind. The reason for this is the winner-take-all rule which awards all of a state's electoral votes to the candidate who gets the most votes in each separate state. Because of this rule, candidates concentrate their attention on a handful of closely divided "battleground" states. Two-thirds of the visits and money are focused in just six states; 88% on 9 states, and 99% of the money goes to just 16 states. Two-thirds of the states and people are merely spectators to the presidential election.<BR/><BR/>Another shortcoming of the current system is that a candidate can win the Presidency without winning the most popular votes nationwide.<BR/><BR/>The National Popular Vote bill has been approved by 18 legislative chambers (one house in Colorado, Arkansas, Maine, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Washington, and two houses in Maryland, Illinois, Hawaii, California, and Vermont). It has been enacted into law in Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, and Maryland. These states have 50 (19%) of the 270 electoral votes needed to bring this legislation into effect. <BR/><BR/>See http://www.NationalPopularVote.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719252574677567989.post-71959156554582171312008-06-15T19:55:00.000-04:002008-06-15T19:55:00.000-04:00Your adjustments bring your maps more in line with...Your adjustments bring your maps more in line with other maps. I think this change is justified. To compare the polls when there was a heavy primary going on is no longer justified.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03379192575044761972noreply@blogger.com