tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498725671447004370.post977604567180961924..comments2023-10-26T07:19:41.446-05:00Comments on Science Avenger: Updated Future Electoral Map: McCain Takes the LeadScienceAvengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00855046387193200080noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498725671447004370.post-71197786165119506762008-04-12T15:37:00.000-05:002008-04-12T15:37:00.000-05:00I tend to agree. The rules of the game are pretty...I tend to agree. The rules of the game are pretty senseless in our modern era. The boader issue you raise is that we are long overdue for another constitutional convention. That's that thing we had only once that Jefferson thought we should do every generation or so. The founding fathers were no doubt brilliant, but it is unreasonable to expect their document on government structure to anticipate all future contingencies. Eventually basic changes will be needed.<BR/><BR/>But in the meantime, I'm going to report the score of the game according the rules as they are, and await the day the rules are as I would have them.ScienceAvengerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00855046387193200080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498725671447004370.post-65139401688025504082008-04-12T15:20:00.000-05:002008-04-12T15:20:00.000-05:00The real issue is not how well Clinton, Obama, or ...The real issue is not how well Clinton, 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 the presidential election. We should have a national popular vote for President in which the candidate who gets the most votes in all 50 states should win. <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). Every vote would be equal throughout the United States and every vote would be politically relevant. The bill would take effect only when enacted, in identical form, by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes—that is, enough electoral votes to elect a President (270 of 538). When the bill is enacted by states possessing 270 or more electoral votes, 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 National Popular Vote bill It has been signed into law in Maryland, New Jersey, and Illinois. It has been approved by 16 legislative chambers (one house in Colorado, Arkansas, Maine, North Carolina, Vermont, and Washington, and two houses in Maryland, Illinois, Hawaii, and California). <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 under which all of a state’s electoral votes are awarded 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/>See www.NationalPopularVote.comjorekohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15321659318284264784noreply@blogger.com