In every state except Maine and Nebraska, electoral votes are winner-take-all. It makes California, with 55 electoral votes, the nation's top prize -- it has more than one fifth of the votes needed to win the election.
Newsweek's Jonathan Alter notes that a Republican-led effort in the Golden State seeks to change the system, and make it easier for the GOP candidate to take a chunk of California's 55 votes.
Instead of laboring in vain to turn California Red, a clever lawyer for the state Republican Party thought of a gimmicky shortcut. Thomas Hiltachk, who specializes in ballot referenda that try to fool people in the titles and fine print, is sponsoring a ballot initiative for the June 3, 2008, California primary (which now falls four months after the state's presidential primary).
The Presidential Election Reform Act would award the state's electoral votes based on who wins each congressional district. Had this idea been in effect in 2004, Bush would have won 22 electoral votes from California, about the same number awarded the winners of states like Illinois or Pennsylvania. In practical terms, adopting the initiative would mean that the Democratic candidate would likely have to win both Ohio and Florida in 2008 (instead of one or the other) to be elected.
Hiltachk, who is lying low for now, is a former campaign lawyer for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The governor's office says Schwarzenegger has no position on the initiative and "had absolutely nothing to do with its development." But whichever way Schwarzenegger goes, several GOP presidential candidates and their financial backers have already offered to help boost the plan.
Just interested in good government? They've shown a curious lack of interest in backing the same idea in Red States.
1 comment:
Interesting but with some many Republican criminals this isn't a good time.
Arnie isn't saying anything because the only time he will be President is in the Simpson movie. I noticed no one said a word about Arnie being paid for his likeness in the movie. But since Maria lost her job and no ones buying her books they have to find someway to make money. Arnie has already sold one of his homes and closed on of his restaurants. Nice he'll sell himself.
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