Comments on: My Thoughts on the Iowa Caucus http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/ Free Minds, Free Markets, Free Booze Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:29:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: bizzybody http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96864 bizzybody Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:15:01 +0000 http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96864 The easiest way to fix the electoral college would be to have each House Representative district's majority go to whichever candidate got the majority in that district. Since Senators from each state are both elected by statewide popular vote, give each state 2 electoral votes that go to whichever candidate gets the statewide majority- in addition to the electoral votes by House district. That would add election power to the low population states and rural areas. If your state only has one or two Representatives, your state basically has zero consequence in a Presidential election. The one and only time each and every state's votes mattered was the 2000 election. If a couple of four vote states that went for Bush had gone for Gore... A direct popular vote for President would put all the control right into the hands of the four largest cities. Do you really want New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston (and their surrounding suburbs and metro areas) deciding who gets to be President? The 2005 pop. estimate for LA was 3,844,829, but back in the mid-80s the whole metro area was somewhere around 12 million. P.S. FYI, the entity that called Florida for Gore an hour before the panhandle polls closed was Voter News Service. VNS was established by the news divisions of ABC, CBS and NBC so they could save money by not running separate polling efforts. When FOX News Channel came along in 1995, they signed up with VNS. Contrary to Michael Moore, it was VNS that reversed its too-early call then when the polls actually closed, called Florida for Bush. FOX just decided to broadcast what VNS reported sooner than the other networks. After the election, nobody called for any investigation of the "mistake" by VNS, an "error" they'd never ever made before. Predictions of election outcomes are not supposed to be made until ALL the polls are closed in the State or other area where the election is being held- so as not to influence the outcome. The easiest way to fix the electoral college would be to have each House Representative district’s majority go to whichever candidate got the majority in that district.

Since Senators from each state are both elected by statewide popular vote, give each state 2 electoral votes that go to whichever candidate gets the statewide majority- in addition to the electoral votes by House district.

That would add election power to the low population states and rural areas. If your state only has one or two Representatives, your state basically has zero consequence in a Presidential election. The one and only time each and every state’s votes mattered was the 2000 election. If a couple of four vote states that went for Bush had gone for Gore…

A direct popular vote for President would put all the control right into the hands of the four largest cities. Do you really want New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston (and their surrounding suburbs and metro areas) deciding who gets to be President? The 2005 pop. estimate for LA was 3,844,829, but back in the mid-80s the whole metro area was somewhere around 12 million.

P.S. FYI, the entity that called Florida for Gore an hour before the panhandle polls closed was Voter News Service. VNS was established by the news divisions of ABC, CBS and NBC so they could save money by not running separate polling efforts. When FOX News Channel came along in 1995, they signed up with VNS. Contrary to Michael Moore, it was VNS that reversed its too-early call then when the polls actually closed, called Florida for Bush. FOX just decided to broadcast what VNS reported sooner than the other networks. After the election, nobody called for any investigation of the “mistake” by VNS, an “error” they’d never ever made before. Predictions of election outcomes are not supposed to be made until ALL the polls are closed in the State or other area where the election is being held- so as not to influence the outcome.

]]> By: Timothy http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96821 Timothy Tue, 08 Jan 2008 01:50:25 +0000 http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96821 I don't want primaries. I actually think primaries are antithetical to gathering a true representation of voter preference, but I spend way too much of my free time thinking about voting systems. I don’t want primaries. I actually think primaries are antithetical to gathering a true representation of voter preference, but I spend way too much of my free time thinking about voting systems.

]]> By: Simmons http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96818 Simmons Mon, 07 Jan 2008 22:48:39 +0000 http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96818 Iowa matters to me. It matters to me! Iowa matters to me. It matters to me!

]]> By: Sean http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96816 Sean Mon, 07 Jan 2008 01:14:53 +0000 http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96816 How about a state that matters? How about a state that matters?

]]> By: Ford http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96812 Ford Sun, 06 Jan 2008 08:28:33 +0000 http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96812 So do you want simultaneous national primaries or what? they have to start somewhere, and except for ag subsidies, iowa seems as good as any. So do you want simultaneous national primaries or what? they have to start somewhere, and except for ag subsidies, iowa seems as good as any.

]]> By: Timothy http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96810 Timothy Sat, 05 Jan 2008 17:17:10 +0000 http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96810 Eh, that's a harder sell. You just trade one set of problems for another, and look where direct election of senators got us. Eh, that’s a harder sell. You just trade one set of problems for another, and look where direct election of senators got us.

]]> By: Chris http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96808 Chris Sat, 05 Jan 2008 02:51:14 +0000 http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96808 You got that right! Fuck Iowa and fuck New Hampshire! I'm sick of those puny-ass little states having so much say in the Presidential election. I hope that all the people living in those states got absolutely bombarded with television ads, phone calls, and visits at the door. That serves them right for thinking they're so important. By the way, Fuck the Electoral College while I'm at it. The outdated piece of garbage needs to get dumped. You got that right! Fuck Iowa and fuck New Hampshire! I’m sick of those puny-ass little states having so much say in the Presidential election.
I hope that all the people living in those states got absolutely bombarded with television ads, phone calls, and visits at the door. That serves them right for thinking they’re so important.

By the way, Fuck the Electoral College while I’m at it. The outdated piece of garbage needs to get dumped.

]]> By: Timothy http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96801 Timothy Fri, 04 Jan 2008 06:17:49 +0000 http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96801 They also picked Huckabee. They are invited to take their corn subsidies and die in a fire. They also picked Huckabee. They are invited to take their corn subsidies and die in a fire.

]]> By: Sakaki http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96799 Sakaki Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:41:23 +0000 http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/01/03/my-thoughts-on-the-iowa-caucus/#comment-96799 Thank you! But can you add one more to the whole thing? Add onto your "fuck you" section, New Hampshire and it's primaries. Thank you! But can you add one more to the whole thing? Add onto your “fuck you” section, New Hampshire and it’s primaries.

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