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What exactly does Delaware hope to accomplish?

MrWonka

MrWonka

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First Colorado and now Delaware are advancing legislation that would give all of their states electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote of the entire country. That's lovely and all, but if only traditionally liberal states do this it will have the effect of making a Republican president look like he has more support than he does if they should ever manage to win a popular vote. So long as the Red States don't do something similar this is irrelevant. Maybe if it was Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin or Florida I could see this helping, but we all know they won't.

These types of changes need to be made at the federal level. When states try and do it on their own they end up handicapping themselves in a fight where they can't afford to.
 
It's almost as if if it is a ridiculous system to begin with.
 
The EC should be ended federally.
 
MrWonka said:
First Colorado and now Delaware are advancing legislation that would give all of their states electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote of the entire country. That's lovely and all, but if only traditionally liberal states do this it will have the effect of making a Republican president look like he has more support than he does if they should ever manage to win a popular vote. So long as the Red States don't do something similar this is irrelevant. Maybe if it was Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin or Florida I could see this helping, but we all know they won't.

These types of changes need to be made at the federal level. When states try and do it on their own they end up handicapping themselves in a fight where they can't afford to.
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The states can do whatever they want in terms of choosing how to split up their EC votes, but this doesn't seem like an improvement.

It potentially subverts the will of the state voters, potentially giving the EC votes to the candidate that didn't win in the state election based on their nationwide popularity. I guess it's a bid to draw campaign visits, since their vote will in theory always be relevent, but it undermines the entire idea of a state vote. Might as well not hold an election at all if you're just going to award your EC votes based on other state's elections.

I guess I don't expect these ideas to go anywhere. I know if I was a voter under such rules, and we voted clearly for one candidate, and then our EC vote when to the other candidate because he was more popular in other states, I wouldn't feel my wishes as a voter were properly represented.

I expect voters in those state will see the same.
 
Roadvirus said:
So Democrat candidates can win by default? No thanks.
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no, so that the popular vote picks the candidate. if Republicans can't get more votes, then TS.
 
WillyPete said:
I guess I don't expect these ideas to go anywhere. I know if I was a voter under such rules, and we voted clearly for one candidate, and then our EC vote when to the other candidate because he was more popular in other states, I wouldn't feel my wishes as a voter were properly represented.

I expect voters in those state will see the same.
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It'd be like that ranked choice voting horse**** in Maine
 
MrWonka said:
First Colorado and now Delaware are advancing legislation that would give all of their states electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote of the entire country. That's lovely and all, but if only traditionally liberal states do this it will have the effect of making a Republican president look like he has more support than he does if they should ever manage to win a popular vote. So long as the Red States don't do something similar this is irrelevant.
Click to expand...
Colorado and Delaware aren't the first. 10 or 11 other states have already passed this pledge into law. It only actually takes effect if states that represent 270 electoral votes join the pact.

The idea is to illuminate the problems of the Electoral College, and possibly work around it. It's not clear if this is entirely constitutional.

What Colorado joining shows is that "Purple" states are starting to get on board with the plan. That could be significant, as it's necessary in order to reach 270 votes.
 
apdst said:
Until a Republican wins, then you all will be screaming for it to be reinstated.
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nah, i'd say that it has run its course. part of the reason that it was enacted in the first place was to act as a stopgap in case voters got huckstered into electing someone who is dangerously unfit for office. now that this has happened with the orange fool, it appears that the EC is no longer willing to play that role. it's time to move to a popular vote system.
 
Helix said:
nah, i'd say that it has run its course. part of the reason that it was enacted in the first place was to act as a stopgap in case voters got huckstered into electing someone who is dangerously unfit for office. now that this has happened with the orange fool, it appears that the EC is no longer willing to play that role. it's time to move to a popular vote system.
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That's what impeachment is for. The EC exists as a safeguard against mob rule.
 
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Roadvirus said:
So Democrat candidates can win by default? No thanks.
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How exactly would that enable Democrats to win by default? Maybe it is a problem with the Republican party if they can no longer win the support of a majority of the electorate.
 
MrWonka said:
First Colorado and now Delaware are advancing legislation that would give all of their states electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote of the entire country. That's lovely and all, but if only traditionally liberal states do this it will have the effect of making a Republican president look like he has more support than he does if they should ever manage to win a popular vote. So long as the Red States don't do something similar this is irrelevant. Maybe if it was Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin or Florida I could see this helping, but we all know they won't.

These types of changes need to be made at the federal level. When states try and do it on their own they end up handicapping themselves in a fight where they can't afford to.
Click to expand...

It doesn't do anything until a large enough number of states actually join the compact.
 
apdst said:
That's what impeachment is for. The EC exists as a safeguard against mob rule.
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it didn't work. time for it to go.
 
apdst said:
That's what impeachment is for. The EC exists as a safeguard against mob rule.
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It just switches one mob for another and makes people's vote matter less or more depending on where they live.
 
Carjosse said:
It just switches one mob for another and makes people's vote matter less or more depending on where they live.
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The EC gives everyone's vote equal value.

The United States is a constitutional republic, not a democracy. We enjoy equal representation.
 
MrWonka said:
First Colorado and now Delaware are advancing legislation that would give all of their states electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote of the entire country. That's lovely and all, but if only traditionally liberal states do this it will have the effect of making a Republican president look like he has more support than he does if they should ever manage to win a popular vote. So long as the Red States don't do something similar this is irrelevant. Maybe if it was Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin or Florida I could see this helping, but we all know they won't.

These types of changes need to be made at the federal level. When states try and do it on their own they end up handicapping themselves in a fight where they can't afford to.
Click to expand...

My understanding of this, and I might be wrong, is these changes only take effect once enough states to equal or surpass 270 electoral votes have passed similar, binding, legislation. So it wouldn't change anything until that many states sign on. Now, they may not get enough states, but in the meantime it doesn't put any party at a disadvantage. And if they DO get enough states then it will basically make the electoral college obsolete and the winner would always mirror the popular vote winner.
 
apdst said:
The EC gives everyone's vote equal value.

The United States is a constitutional republic, not a democracy. We enjoy equal representation.
Click to expand...

Uh no the EC does not give everyone's vote equal value.
 
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