Oh my: Pennsylvania weighing bill to allocate electoral votes by congressional district

Hot Air ^ | 13 Sep 2011 | Allahpundit

[mandaladon]

There are 20 EVs at stake, all of which have gone to Democrats in the last five presidential elections. So this is, to paraphrase Joe Biden, a big effing deal.

Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi is trying to gather support to change the state’s “winner-takes-all” approach for awarding electoral votes. Instead, he’s suggesting that Pennsylvania dole them out based on which candidate wins each of the 18 congressional districts, with the final two going to the contender with the most votes statewide.

So far, the idea has received support from colleagues of the Delaware County Republican in the state House and from Republican Gov. Tom Corbett. But Democrats, who have carried the state in presidential contests since 1992, said the shift would erode Pennsylvania’s clout…

An analysis by the online news service Capitolwire noted that had the proposed distribution process been in place in Pennsylvania in 2008 before the state lost one congressional district due to a population decline in the 2010 census, Mr. Obama would have won only 11 of the state’s 21 votes.

[mandaladon]

One nice thing about doing it this way, though, is that each voter’s vote will count more. Tonight’s special election in NY-9 is proof enough of that: Ain’t no way no how no chance New York State is going red next year, but if NYS followed Pennsylvania’s lead, there’d be a very good chance of the GOP picking up a few EVs here and there by district. Exit question: Are there any other states in Pennsylvania’s strange situation, where the state’s broken for one party consistently in presidential votes but is now totally controlled by the other party? I can’t think of one offhand................It seems like a fair way of doing it.

[Vigilanteman]

Michigan and Wisconsin.

[cripplecreek]

I’d certainly be more willing to do something like this than the popular vote.

Funny thing is, I’m not so sure Obama can win Michigan now.

[God luvs America]

the rats would never let this happen- it would kill them in states like Ca, NY, Il....granted- this is the best way to do it....

[Alberta's Child]

I loathe the idea of a national popular vote for President, but I actually like this idea. I believe Nebraska and Maine already do this, but in their cases there's really only one or two electoral votes at stake one way or another. Maine has four electoral votes, so every race must be either a 4-0 or a 3-1 split. Nebraska has five electoral votes, so every election must be a 5-0, 4-0, or perhaps in very rare cases, 3-2 (i.e., the winning candidate loses in two of the three House districts but wins the other one so convincingly that he gets both of the "at large" electoral votes).

The thought of extending this concept to a state with a lot of electoral votes is pretty intriguing.

[Alberta's Child]

Correction, make that 5-0 or 4-1 for Nebraska . . .

[rfp1234]

That might minimize the New Black Panthers’ vote intimidation.

[Joe 6-pack]

"...the rats would never let this happen- it would kill them in states like Ca, NY, Il....granted- this is the best way to do it...."

The rats would also be in a catch-22 when it came to Gerrymandering. This abomination, for example was the district that had been carved out for John Murtha...

Now, that would be a safe dem electoral vote from that district, but look how much turf they'd have to cede which would be more likely to go Republican or at least stay in a contestable swing status. They can either 'mander a safe congressional district / electoral vote, but in so doing they'd be surrendering their ability to influence other districts.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Many states would split the vote because so many have one or two cities that go hard liberal and their numbers cause the whole state to go to the Rats even though everywhere outside of the cities goes GOP.

[cripplecreek]

Michigan is far more conservative than statewide voting indicates. Conservative congressmen aren’t a rarity but senate and presidential races are tough.

That may change with our new secretary of state being a real fraud fighter. She’s trying to purge the dead and illegals from our voter rolls but the feds won’t help her.

[Disambiguator]

If California did this, it would be a big-time game changer. It should have been done 45 years ago. Nowadays there is no chance at all.

[Blood of Tyrants]

A Rat controlled legislature doesn’t help because they get to shape the districts and they will do their best to make sure Rats are elected in as many districts as possible.

[Alberta's Child]

Right — but state legislatures already do this anyway.

[scrabblehack]

Actually as I recall Bush got 49% in PA-12 in 2004. Murtha won by a much wider margin than Kerry did of course.

[rfp1234]

Correction: spreading out PA's EVs might minimize the effects of the New Black Panthers’ voter intimidation in Philly and similar Rat-led efforts in urban areas.

Zero might lose PA anyway, but if this goes through the GOP would be able to spend needed $$$ in the other swing states.

[cripplecreek]

Fortunately Michigan is firmly in GOP hands for now.

Teacher Right-to-Work Looking Like a Done Deal

http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/15709

[Sylvester McMonkey McBean]

Sounds similar to a state level electoral college. Excellent way to hamstring the Philly fraud machine and put the red T on equal footing.

[Tribune7]

ping

[TNCMAXQ]

This could hurt the GOP candidate in 2012 though, no? If 0bama really falls and loses the state, then the Republican would have picked up all the EV’s. Now it is possible he will lose votes.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Excellent. They have the chance to undo decades of Rat entrenchment.