Sarah*H
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,011 
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Post by Sarah*H on Jul 27, 2015 1:19:52 GMT
The Millions of Marginalized Americans
My state was considered a swing state in 2008 but by 2012, we were off the list. If you get rid of the electoral college, it will just come down to a different equation of a few states (mostly reliably Democrat if that makes a difference) and the popular vote hasn't been an issue in longer than Republicans want to think about so that's not the answer either. I don't really have an answer, just thought it was an interesting, if depressing, realization about the power of Cleveland in the course of world events.
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Post by hop2 on Jul 27, 2015 1:51:34 GMT
Geez I knew it was disproportionate but that's rather surprising.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Sept 28, 2024 13:34:21 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2015 3:32:07 GMT
Interesting. My parents are from Ohio and a lot of my family still lives there. They will complain every election about the constant campaign commercials. They will tell us about things and we have zero exposure to it. I lived in a swing state in 2000 and it was pretty crazy. Now I live in a state that is very solid. The last two presidential election I was tempted to just not vote for president. I knew my vote didn't really count. I can understand people being apathetic towards an election. They are actually pretty boring when your state's electoral votes are a sure thing for either party.
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Post by chlerbie on Jul 27, 2015 3:38:14 GMT
When I lived in Ohio, it was crazy the amount of calls, commercials, etc. there. I lived in a county next to Cuyahoga and we were just bombarded with it all. And we knew that our votes were important.
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Post by lucyg on Jul 27, 2015 3:39:35 GMT
I don't mind if the electoral college goes, but it needs to go for the whole country at once, not piecemeal. I'm getting anxiety thinking about the possibilities of doing it one state at a time.
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Dani-Mani
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,709
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Post by Dani-Mani on Jul 27, 2015 3:51:36 GMT
I grew up in VA; live in FL now. Politics are ugly in both states and political ads around election time drive me insane. But I LOVE knowing how important it is to vote in a swing state. It inflates my ego a bit  |
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Post by mommaho on Jul 27, 2015 10:39:14 GMT
Politics are ugly everywhere! I'm in Ohio and received phone surveys, questionnaires, etc. as early as April of this year. The commercials will start soon as the debates get underway.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Jul 27, 2015 11:03:12 GMT
I don't mind if the electoral college goes, but it needs to go for the whole country at once, not piecemeal. I'm getting anxiety thinking about the possibilities of doing it one state at a time. I agree. |
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Deleted
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Sept 28, 2024 13:34:21 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2015 12:34:04 GMT
The electoral college is a central tenent of our entire republic. If it goes, we are a democracy and that was exactly what the founders sought to avoid. A democracy always destroys itself and the voices of the minorities are silenced by the majority. So no, we do not need to get rid of it, we need to reform it. Stop the gerrymandering of the districts so that these situations will be less likely to happen.
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Post by Merge on Jul 27, 2015 12:40:47 GMT
Under the electoral college, the voices of the minorities are silenced in each state. The constitution, not the electoral college, is what protects the rights of minorities.
Our system is broken. Fixing gerrymandering isn't going to help in national elections, is it?
Signed, a Democrat in Texas whose vote never counts for anything.
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Sarah*H
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,011
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Post by Sarah*H on Jul 27, 2015 12:41:26 GMT
I mean that the Presidency should not rest on the amount of dollars spent/turnout in one single American city.
And let this day go down in history because I agree with lynlam about the need to eliminate gerrymandering AND keeping the electoral college. I brought it up only because I know it's been considered in some states. x
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Post by ktdoesntscrap on Jul 27, 2015 12:47:03 GMT
its an interesting read. I think one of the best arguments for keeping the Electoral college is that it gives more power to the small states so that they are not overlooked.
I wonder how that would play out if it was abolished.. it seems Iowa and New Hampshire... might become insignificant.
Personally I would like to see the money come out of politics, so candidates would have to pay more attention to what they say, and less on ads!
I live in North Carolina, we went for Obama in 08 and Romney in 12 ... we get a lot of ads here too. What is interesting to me is living in Western North Carolina, we get some of our local TV stations from South Carolina, the difference in the ads that are shown in the two states is HUGE, they were much uglier, more vicious in South Carolina more pandering to special interests and one issue voters in North Carolina. (This was both candidates)
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Post by ktdoesntscrap on Jul 27, 2015 12:48:30 GMT
Under the electoral college, the voices of the minorities are silenced in each state. The constitution, not the electoral college, is what protects the rights of minorities. Our system is broken. Fixing gerrymandering isn't going to help in national elections, is it? Signed, a Democrat in Texas whose vote never counts for anything. It could make a HUGE difference in the make up of Congress. |
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Sarah*H
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,011
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Post by Sarah*H on Jul 27, 2015 12:55:28 GMT
Eliminating gerrymandering would change things dramatically both in state legislatures and the House of Representatives.
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MerryMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,561
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Post by MerryMom on Jul 27, 2015 13:00:19 GMT
Just one more reason that "Cleveland Rocks", Cleveland Rocks", "Ohio", "Ohio"...
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Post by Merge on Jul 27, 2015 13:03:32 GMT
Eliminating gerrymandering would change things dramatically both in state legislatures and the House of Representatives. Yes, but it does nothing for national elections, which is where the electoral college comes into play. I would like just once for my vote for president to count for something. The electoral college ensures that will never happen. |
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Deleted
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Sept 28, 2024 13:34:21 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2015 13:11:41 GMT
It should criminal to spend the amount of obscene money spent on elections.
For the 2012 election cycle, 3.6 billion was spent on Congressional races and 2.6 billion spent on the Presidential race.
Here's a link that gives numbers going back to 1998.
Can you imagine the GOOD we could do with that money.
www.opensecrets.org/bigpicture/
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Post by lucyg on Jul 27, 2015 14:07:18 GMT
It should criminal to spend the amount of obscene money spent on elections.
For the 2012 election cycle, 3.6 billion was spent on Congressional races and 2.6 billion spent on the Presidential race.
Here's a link that gives numbers going back to 1998.
Can you imagine the GOOD we could do with that money.
www.opensecrets.org/bigpicture/
Hey, we're keeping TV and radio stations, print shops, web designers, the USPS, political consultants and PR people, hotels and restaurants, and large convention venues afloat with our campaign dollars! All that money goes right back into the economy. I'm okay with it. |
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Post by lucyg on Jul 27, 2015 14:11:08 GMT
I don't mind if the electoral college goes, but it needs to go for the whole country at once, not piecemeal. I'm getting anxiety thinking about the possibilities of doing it one state at a time. I woke up this morning thinking I should clarify this statement. I realize the states don't control the existence of the electoral college. I was referring to the states controlling how their electoral college votes are awarded. I don't want some states going with apportioned votes while others stick with winner-takes-all. Since no one yelled at me for being stupid, I'm going to assume you all knew what I meant (instead of what I actually said).  |
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