California Initiative Threat?

by Bob Schacht, Mon Aug 13, 2007 at 08:12:25 PM EST

SemDem over at DailyKos (Breaking: We CAN'T WIN in 2008! (Updated)) has his knickers in a twist about the California initiative. Here's the core of his argument:

A right-wing law firm with very deep pockets are working with GOP reps to steal the election by destroying California's winner-take-all system of electoral votes--they would instead be divided per results in each congressional district.  This gives the GOP presidential ticket at least 20 electoral votes (because of safe GOP districts) that it wouldn't get UNDER ANY RULES IN ANY OTHER LARGE STATE.

Is this true? That is, if the initiative were to pass, would it really doom Democratic chances? MyDD does a very good job of analyzing this sort of question, and it seems like this would have been a better venue for the question than DailyKos, where it has become a "recommended" diary with 574 comments, at last count.

Information, please.

Bob in HI


Poll
Would the California Initiative Doom Democratic chances for the White House?
Yes
Maybe, but only in a close race
No, it won't make any difference
No, but it will open a Pandora's box for other states to follow suit

Votes: 4
Results : Vote Link : Polls


Tags: 2008, California, Presidential politics (all tags)

Display:
Permalink :: 4 Comments :: Post a Comment


Re: California Initiative Threat? (none / 0)

Well, if the Republicans get 20 EV, that's like the state of Ohio, which means Democrats will have to look to the south and Florida will be a must have for DEMs. We could win, but it will be harder.

I'll comment more in a second, but I have to take care of something.


by RJGajadhar on Mon Aug 13, 2007 at 08:22:47 PM EST

Re: California Initiative Threat? (none / 0)

We should stop this but my understanding is the US Constitution reserves to state legislatures the right to determine how a state's electoral votes are counted.  There is a strong case that this initiative is unconstitutional.

But we have to fight it anyway on the off chance the courts rule otherwise, and that is surely the main point, to make us spend in California.


"We live entangled in webs of endless deceit, often self-deceit, but with a little honest effort, it is possible to extricate ourselves from them". -- NC
by Trond Jacobsen on Mon Aug 13, 2007 at 09:57:25 PM EST

Re: California Initiative Threat? (none / 0)

It will only doom us if Hillary is the nominee, because it dooms the trusty 20 state strategy that writes off the south and midwest. (You know the one we used the last two cycles and got our butt kicked with?). This is why we need new blood in the fight, we can be competitive in ANY region of the U.S. IF WE TRY, CLINTON'S team won't.


by ArkansasLib on Mon Aug 13, 2007 at 10:23:30 PM EST

Re: California Initiative Threat? (none / 0)

Washington Monthly has discussed this in detail. It's not going to happen and the sole purpose of this action is to force the democrats to spend millions to make sure.

It's pretty annoying move that'll cost us money but not the elections.


"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman
by Ernst on Tue Aug 14, 2007 at 08:30:58 AM EST


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