Virginia AG Cuccinelli Opposes GOP Electoral Vote Reapportionment

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said on Saturday that he opposes an RNC-backed plan to reapportion electoral votes by congressional district, effectively tipping the scale against Democratic presidential nominees in the future.

"I don't like breaking up states," he told reporters at the National Review Institute summit in Washington. "I think winner-take-all is part of how a state matters. Our side would have gotten more votes this go-around but you know I want people to want to fight to win the whole state. It makes the state as a state matter more. It's one more thing that whittles down the role of states independently of the people who live in them. We need to build them up and not to Balkanize America. It's the states that created the federal government and not the other way around."

While momentum for the idea waned on Friday after key Republicans signaled their disapproval, one conservative hero also in attendance at the summit appeared to be giving it some more thought.

"It's an interesting idea," said Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), a state that voted for President Obama in November. "I haven't committed one way or another. I think you have to be very careful with changes like that but I think it's worth looking at," he added.

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Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/virginia-ag-cuccinelli-opposes-gop-electoral-vote-reapportionment

[judesedit]

1. Anyone who listens to one word coming from Walker is not for the people in his state or the country.

GET RID OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE! WE DON'T WANT OR NEED THEM ANYMORE.

[Indyfan53]

2. Where's the outrage?

Isn't there anything the DOJ or the President can do? My hope is that we can do what we can. We must vote and make sure the swing voters don't fall for the teabagger BS. We were outspent in 2012, but we won with effective grassroots techniques. We need to do it again in the next election cycles for 2013, 2014 and beyond.

[leftynyc]

3. Pretty sure the DOJ has to wait

until something is actually passed. I'm finding it interesting that a wingnut like Cuccinelli is against it.

[atreides1]

6. He had to come out against it

McDonnell and at least 2 Republicans in the State Senate spoke against doing this...Crazy Ken didn't have a choice!

Also, remember that he's running for governor and his support for something like this would only give the Democrats fodder to use against him!

[freedom fighter jh]

7. Their general idea is probably legal.

Two states, Maine and Nebraska, allocate electoral votes that way already. I don't know how long they've been doing it.

I think Kooch is correct that winner-take-all gives each state more of a voice. Not sure I agree that that's a good thing, even though as he says it was the states that formed the federal government and not the other way around.

I hope this gets stopped within Virginia. But if it doesn't, I doubt that the feds can do anything.

[Faygo Kid]

4. Good grief, I agree with Cuccinelli

I think I have the vapors.

[wordpix]

11. can you believe it? I have the same feeling---faint...

[broadcaster75201]

5. It would instantly delegitimize the Federal Government

Gerrymandering has almost done so. This would be a Constitutional, Governmental, National crisis of a proportion not seen since the Civil War. It may even exceed that if any of these major States try and pull this.

[Nanjing to Seoul]

8. remember in 2008 when obama won one electoral vote in Nebraska and the GOP

went apeshit, changing the law saw "that the will of the entire state would not be broken by a part." They got their clocks cleaned. in 2012, they got their clocks cleaned with winner take all.

if you can't win, stack the deck.

[samsingh]

9. repug plans to change the votes are countered is the final admission

that they cannot win fairly. How would we react to any other country that changed voting rules the way repugs do?

and the fact that so many of their leaders are in support of it shows the party has become anti-democracy and pro-dictatorship.

[wordpix]

12. this could backfire big time, which is why Cooch may be against it

VA is rapidly changing. There is a large Hispanic population that's growing, a large African American constituency and many well educated voters, some from the North who are settling in VA for the nice climate and proximity to DC. These groups tipped the scale for Obama and they're not going away. Maybe in 2012 a Balkanized VA would have gone for R$ with electoral votes, but it's not a given that would happen in 4 yrs.

Anyhow, Cooch does not want to alienate these voters when he runs for gov.