Al Gore Calls for An End to the Electoral College

yeahisaidit

yeahisaidit

All Star
Joined
Jun 24, 2012
Messages
4,027
Reputation
115
Daps
7,107
Former vice president Al Gore is calling for an end to the Electoral College — the system that cost him the presidency in 2000.

Gore said that many voters who live outside the dozen or so battleground states are cheated by the system that allocates delegates from the state level on a winner-take-all basis. He called for presidential elections to be determined by the popular vote.


“I’ve seen how these states are written off and ignored, and people are effectively disenfranchised in the presidential race. And I really do now think it is time to change that,” Gore said on Current TV, an independent cable network that he co-founded.

A dozen states are generally considered electoral battlegrounds where the 2012 election will be decided. They include Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

The Republican platform approved this week specifically opposes any change to the Electoral College process, constitutional or otherwise.

“We oppose the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact or any other scheme to abolish or distort the procedures of the Electoral College,” the platform reads. “We recognize that an unconstitutional effort to impose “national popular vote” would be a mortal threat to our federal system and a guarantee of corruption as every ballot box in every state would become a chance to steal the presidency.”

Gore said he supported the Electoral College even after the 2000 election, in which he won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College vote by 271-266 to George W. Bush. He has since had a change of heart.

“The logic is it knits the country together and prevents regional conflicts and goes back through our history with some legitimate concerns,” he said.

One proposal to change the system is through a constitutional amendment, which has been suggested numerous times but never gained traction. In the House, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) sponsored legislation that would provide for direct election of the president. It has attracted 29 Democratic co-sponsors but hasn’t made it out of committee.

Gore, on the other hand, said there is another route to take.

“It is always tough to amend the Constitution and risky to do so, but there is a very interesting movement under way that takes it state by state that may really have a chance of succeeding,” he said.

He appeared to be alluding to a system in which multiple states with a majority of electors could individually decide to allocate their votes to the winner of the popular vote, essentially bypassing the Electoral College.

The Electoral College is made up of 538 electors. A majority, or 270, of those electors are needed to become president.

Nine states have already enacted laws to allocate their electors to the winner of the popular vote, according to National Popular Vote, an organization that promotes the cause. They would only take effect after the bill passed enough states to hit the 270 threshold.

Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who also appeared on the Current TV program, said he considered the proposal when he was governor. He said even if states took individual action, the compact could require a vote from Congress.

“The constitutional issue is would this be a interstate compact that would require congressional approval,” he said.
Click to expand...

READ IT HERE


I usually lurk in HL, and I enjoy the discussions that goes on. Since I didn't see a thread on this, I wanted to create it and find out what you guys think...
 
feelosofer

feelosofer

#ninergang
Joined
May 17, 2012
Messages
47,614
Reputation
6,566
Daps
132,627
Reppin
Brick City, NJ
They should though, the President of the United States should be determined through the people choices alone. The electoral college is not indicative of the people's will.
 
the cac mamba

the cac mamba

Veteran
Bushed
Joined
May 21, 2012
Messages
101,441
Reputation
13,396
Daps
296,629
Reppin
NULL
the electoral system is :flabbynsick:

useful when they were fukkin communicating between states by horse, but not in fukkin 2012. we could easily do away with it. the idea of winning a state is fukked when u think about it because it encourages millions not to vote. "well romneys winnin the state anyway so why bother". etc
 
Real N Quotes

Real N Quotes

East Is In The House OMG
Joined
Jun 10, 2012
Messages
8,997
Reputation
-1,286
Daps
15,600
yeahisaidit said:


READ IT HERE


I usually lurk in HL, and I enjoy the discussions that goes on. Since I didn't see a thread on this, I wanted to create it and find out what you guys think...
Click to expand...


Yep...It is time to get rid of the electoral college because the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision by the Supreme Court has essentially made elections a money game.
 
Darts

Darts

Spittin' em
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
5,506
Reputation
830
Daps
13,059
I agree but it can't help but look like "sore loser-ism" when coming from him.
 
daze23

daze23

Siempre Fresco
Joined
Jun 25, 2012
Messages
31,957
Reputation
2,692
Daps
44,026
the cac mamba said:
the electoral system is :flabbynsick:

useful when they were fukkin communicating between states by horse, but not in fukkin 2012. we could easily do away with it. the idea of winning a state is fukked when u think about it because it encourages millions not to vote. "well romneys winnin the state anyway so why bother". etc
Click to expand...

good point
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top