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Group's ad slams McConnell for opposing a change to how presidential races are decided [EC]
cn2 Pure Politics ^ | March 06, 2012 | Ryan Alessi

Posted on 03/07/2012 8:50:43 AM PST by Republican Wildcat

(UPDATED WITH ADDITIONAL VIDEO) A national group that wants the popular vote — not the electoral college — to decide presidential races began airing an ad in Kentucky cable markets targeting U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate GOP leader.

The 30-second spot paid for by the group Support Popular Vote urges Kentuckians to “send Mitch a message” because McConnell has opposed the concept of moving to a national popular vote system for the presidential race.

The ad is airing in Time Warner markets across Kentucky. cn|2 is a division of Time Warner.

During a December speech to the Heritage Foundation, McConnell called it “dangerous and absurd” because it could result in triggering an expensive recount across all 50 states if the vote tallies are close, according to MSNBC.

The ad began airing Tuesday — just as state Rep. Ruth Ann Palumbo, D-Lexington, was set to testify in front of a state House committee about her bill that would add Kentucky to the list of eight states and Washington, D.C., that would decide the presidential race by total votes, not electoral college votes.

The popular vote system would prevail once states with at least 270 of the 538 electoral votes sign on.

The Support Popular Vote has attracted bipartisan support. Among its co-chairs are McConnell’s former Republican U.S. Senate colleague Fred Thompson and Chet Culver, the former Democratic governor of Iowa.

It is headed up by Tom Golisano, a New York businessman and former owner of the Buffalo Sabres, who visited Kentucky last spring to meet with Palumbo and others, including Gov. Steve Beshear, to drum up support for the effort.

Golisano and proponents of the movement say a popular vote would force presidential candidates to campaign in more states instead of the dozen or so swing states, such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida that have been key battlegrounds in recent presidential races.

In addition, the group points to the four presidential races, in which the candidate with the most total votes across the country failed to win because the electoral college math favored the other candidate.

Golisano said during the interview that there could be three different effects of moving to a popular vote on how campaigns would be run

http://mycn2.com/politics/group-s-ad-slams-mcconnell-for-opposing-a-change-to-how-presidential-races-are-decided?commented=0#txpCommentInputForm


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: Kentucky
KEYWORDS: electoralcollege; electoralvote; electoralvotes; mcconnell; nationalpopularvote; popularvote
This isn't about McConnell as much as it is about the Electoral College.

You can find a link to the ad on the original article.

The rationale provided is completely absurd on face - as though anyone would care about the votes of the people of Kentucky when large cities engulf its entire population and those of other entire states. Also completely ignores the fact we are a nation of states, and the President is the President of all of the states - hence why he/she is elected by the states and we vote as citizens of our respective states in separate state elections.

1 posted on 03/07/2012 8:50:52 AM PST by Republican Wildcat
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To: Republican Wildcat

They want mob rule.


2 posted on 03/07/2012 8:52:26 AM PST by grobdriver
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To: grobdriver

>>>Golisano and proponents of the movement say a popular vote would force presidential candidates to campaign in more states instead of the dozen or so swing states, such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida that have been key battlegrounds in recent presidential races.<<<

I can’t decide whether this guy and his supporters are fools or just plain stupid. A popular vote would mean that a candidate would just have to campaign and gather votes in a few areas of concentrated population while leaving the rest of us to rot. The guy above me who said they want mob rule is 100 percent correct.


3 posted on 03/07/2012 8:57:00 AM PST by redpoll
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To: Republican Wildcat
Michigan's former GOP chair (Saul Anuzis/Romney supporter) is another one of the scumbags pushing this popular vote crap. Fred Thompson is also pimping this popular vote crap.

We know why he voted to change the rules of delegate apportionment after the vote.

The Michigan Republican Party (MRP) Credentials Committee voted 4-2 last night to give Mitt Romney both of the state's at-large delegates, State Policy Committee Chair Mike Cox told MIRS today.

Cox was one of two "no" votes on the committee which met via telephone, along with attorney Eric Doster The "yes" votes included GOP National Committeeman Saul Anuzis, a Romney supporter, and MRP Chair Bobby Schostak.

That would put the delegate split at 16 for Romney and 14 for Rick Santorum, after each candidate won 14 delegates apiece in those divided by Michigan's 14 congressional districts.

As MIRS first reported on Wednesday, the MRP was delaying a final decision on the delegate split until after consulting with attorneys.

Cox said that according to the MRP rules, Santorum and Romney should each get one of Michigan's two at-large delegates based on their take of the popular vote.

"I supported Mitt, but the vote was clearly wrong," Cox said of the Credentials Committee. "It's kind of like Third World voting. We published rules and then we voted to change the rules."


Because The Narrative Cannot Survive A Rewrite

4 posted on 03/07/2012 8:57:54 AM PST by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: grobdriver

It’s so much easier to fake the popular vote when you own the census. You can ignore the conservative states just like Obama ignores congress.
The electoral college was supposed to protect us from idiots. Alibi it has failed a couple of times, we at least don’t have a complete dictatorship, yet.


5 posted on 03/07/2012 8:58:06 AM PST by Steamburg (The contents of your wallet is the only language Politicians understand.)
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To: Republican Wildcat
They want to destroy the REPUBLIC.

They want to rename the President of the United States to the President of America.

They want to change the pledge to say "And to the Nation" from "And to the REPUBLIC"

6 posted on 03/07/2012 8:59:36 AM PST by frogjerk (OBAMA NOV 2012 = HORSEMEAT)
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To: Republican Wildcat

Chances of amending the Constitution to allow this: zero.


7 posted on 03/07/2012 9:00:47 AM PST by pabianice (")
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To: Republican Wildcat

this has to be another George Soros-funded skunkworks operation like the Secretaries of State Project.


8 posted on 03/07/2012 9:01:10 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: redpoll
A popular vote would mean that a candidate would just have to campaign and gather votes in a few areas of concentrated population while leaving the rest of us to rot.

Rush Limbaugh points out that Romney is winning like a liberal (Population centers)

Rush: Romney is winning like a liberal (FR thread)
9 posted on 03/07/2012 9:02:17 AM PST by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: redpoll

Agreed.


10 posted on 03/07/2012 9:12:07 AM PST by Venturer
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To: pabianice
They're already doing it through a constitutional sidestep.

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11 posted on 03/07/2012 9:12:21 AM PST by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: Republican Wildcat

The republic is an outdated concept which needs to adapt.
It should become, “The Republic” and its neighbor, Crapistan. (There might even be some land left over in the west for, Sodomorrha.)


12 posted on 03/07/2012 9:19:07 AM PST by outofsalt ("If History teaches us anything it's that history rarely teaches us anything")
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To: Republican Wildcat
A "National Popular Vote" is a blatant invitation for nationwide voter fraud.

The Electoral College concept firewalls the effects of voter fraud in the large cities to that particular state.

For a mathematical proof of the merits of the Electoral College, read Math Against Tyranny.

13 posted on 03/07/2012 9:31:06 AM PST by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: grobdriver
They want mob rule.

And mob rule they will have.

But it won't be the Skittles and Unicorns they envision.

The Gods of the Copybook Headings, with terror and slaughter return.

14 posted on 03/07/2012 9:36:16 AM PST by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: Steamburg; cripplecreek; DuncanWaring; grobdriver
Why the Electoral College.

Not exactly. Our Framers assumed most elections would end up in the House of Representatives. There is no "crisis" if it ends up there.

Our republic suffers from too much democracy, not too little.

15 posted on 03/07/2012 9:58:31 AM PST by Jacquerie (No court will save us from ourselves.)
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To: DuncanWaring

As it stands NY state has 54 Electoral Votes whether NYC has the 8 Million citizens that live there vote or if 18 Million “voters” show up at the Polls. With the change they are seeking. The phony 10 Million count.


16 posted on 03/07/2012 10:00:04 AM PST by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
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To: cripplecreek

>>They’re already doing it through a constitutional sidestep.

Done what?


17 posted on 03/07/2012 10:09:44 AM PST by pabianice (")
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To: pabianice

Not a “fait accompli” yet, but they’re developing a “National Popular Vote” scam to circumvent the Electoral College.


18 posted on 03/07/2012 10:47:57 AM PST by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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