Posted on 11/16/2008 2:45:18 PM PST by presidio9
How would you like to have your state's vote count a little differently when it comes to presidential elections?
Under a recent proposal sponsored by New York state Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Rome, the country’s popular vote would be the deciding factor of where some states’ Electoral College votes would go when it comes to choosing future U.S. presidents.
The National Popular Vote bill, which has been introduced into both the New York state Assembly and Senate, would guarantee that the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states will win the presidency, Griffo said. Any state that is part of this compact would give their electoral votes to whoever won the country-wide popular vote, he said.
“We in New York know how it feels to be treated as if we were politically irrelevant — an entire state and its voters are ignored by one party and taken for granted by the other,” he said. “That’s not the democracy I want to leave as my legacy to the future.”
Griffo recently called for New York state to support the National Popular Vote Bill as part of his reform effort to ensure that people’s voices are heard at every level of government and that the popular vote is given more clout.
Deansboro resident Gary Ford said the proposal isn’t in the best interest of the state. If New York’s Electoral College votes go toward the country’s popular vote, even if that’s not what the state voted for, it takes away the purpose of voting, he said.
“Why are even bothering to vote?” asked Ford. “Our votes are supposed to reflect the best interest of the country and our region, and they are supposed to gel.”
Not a big impact
While in theory, this concept may be a good idea, it likely wouldn’t have that big of an impact overall, said Hamilton College professor Philip Klinkner.
“At the end of the day, it wouldn’t make much of a difference,” he said. “In most presidential elections, the popular vote winner wins the Electoral College.”
That backfired in the 2000 presidential election between Democrat Al Gore and Republican George Bush, when Gore won the popular vote but Bush won the Electoral College. However, that was the first time that’s happened in more than 100 years, Klinkner said.
“I’m not sure that there’s a big problem there,” he said.
Support of the National Popular Vote bill is gaining ground, Griffo said. Bills to create the National Popular Vote passed 11 legislative chambers last year, he said.
Spending more time and money visiting many of the states that were considered throwaways before would definitely change the way campaigning is done, Griffo said. That could also be considered a downside of the bill, he said, since it would make campaigning more costly.
Klinkner agreed it could change the way candidates campaign and put more focus on New York.
“Republicans might be a little more tempted to campaign upstate — you might see more visits by presidential candidates,” he said. “Maybe it helps a little, but maybe it hurts a little.”
Future action; concerns
Another one of the questions still unanswered is whether this type of binding compact could be upheld by law. Regarding constitutional issues, Griffo said there are none he’s aware of, but it’s likely that point will be raised or litigated.
More than 25 states have taken some sort of action toward enacting a law of this nature, he said. Concerns also come from traditionalists who question changing a process that seems to work well most of the time.
“It’s the lack of familiarization — it’s new, so people are kind of fearful,” he said.
The ideal situation would be to get this plan in place for the 2012 election, Griffo said. That way, there will be four years to make people understand the concept, debate it and discuss it.
“I don’t see that we’ll pass it this year, maybe it will take longer. I think it could work or I wouldn’t support it,” he said. “There are many challenges facing the state … this is only one element of things we’re dealing with. I recognize there are more significant issues.”
The founding fathers were wise to develop the Electoral College and the system seems to work quite well.
Senator Griffo typifies the kind of Republicans we have in the People’s Republic of New York—those who resemble thick skinned four legged animals with a prominent horn—a RhINO.
if new york is in favor of it, you can bet that it’s designed to increase the influence of . . . new york.
the protections of the electoral college are crucial to the republic and to the voice of those of us who do not live in cities or on the coasts and who nevertheless have the temerity to think that it’s our country, too.
Stands about as much a chance as a snow ball in hell!!
It’s too bad that it will eventually be abolished asap, thanks to the ongoing leftist political dominance at the federal level and, soon, at the judicial level as well. Sad.
And this bill furthers the irrelevancy.
Why would either party come to New York, except, of course, to raise money from the millionaires that live here?
I don't like the idea at all -- even though it would give the GOP a shot and winning New York.
The Constitution needs to stay AS IS. If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it.
Senator Griffo... while it would be nice to have the red majority of NY’s voice heard, I would rather it be heard by REAL REPUBLICANS (oxymoron?) who have enough respect for the CONSTITUTION(remember THAT?) to leave things ALONE.
PowerHungry Democrats and Worthless, Spineless RINO’s Scare the HELL out of ME when they start talking like they understand the Constitution better than the Founding Fathers did.
The only thing I’d change about the Electoral College system would be to allocate the votes by Congressional district, not “winner take all.”
The Electoral College worked out quite well for the Liberals this year. Obama only won the popular vote by 5% but won the Electoral College by more than 2:1.
My guess is that the leftists like the Electoral College now that their man won by a Landslide.
People may want to take a look at this before deciding. It makes sense. http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa102200a.htm
States with smaller population than NY and California would be less than enthusiastic about this proposal.
frankly, i'd favor a republican party rule that allowed delegates from the states reflecting the outcome of the last three presidential elections in those states, as well. rounding up, of course, so somebody from rhode island could attend.
I agree with the Congressional seats being able to get an electoral vote although it wouldn’t have made a difference in OK as all our counties went for McCain. That would still give the state two electoral votes for statewide but it would make a difference in states with huge cities versus Inland areas of placed like CA.
“The only thing I’d change about the Electoral College system would be to allocate the votes by Congressional district, not ‘winner take all.’”
I fully concurr.
Once you begin changing the US Constitution for political expediency, you have stepped on the slippery slope and may be surprised how quickly other changes happen. Changes you may not like.
If the Republican party wants to win an election they should run a candidate that is not just Democrat Lite...
Give American a real Conservative and the will vote them in over a liberal or socialist everytime..
I fully concurr.
That could happen by a vote of the legislatures in each of the states. Two states (IIRC, Maine and Nebraska) already use this system. It either has not been challenged or has withstood any challenges on constitutional grounds.
The determination as to how electors are to be chosen was specifically left to the states. Nothing in the US Constitution requires that a winner-take-all system be used.
I think a couple of states already award the EC vote based upon CD winner and the two Senator votes on statewide winner. Maine and Nebraska?
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