The Calif. ballot proposal that could mean a GOP President in 2008 -- Has Swift Boat backers

[Douglas Carpenter]

If this GOP initiative succeeds it could very well mean a Republican rather than a Democratic President elected in 2008. That is the only movtivation for this initiative. Previously California was considered a safe Republican state in Presidential elections (1968 - 1988). Since 1992 California has been considered a fairly safe Democratic state (1992 - 2004) in Presidential elections

link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070904/ap_on_el_pr/california_votes

"By MICHAEL R. BLOOD, Associated Press Writer
Tue Sep 4, 9:35 AM ET

LOS ANGELES - Lawyers behind a California ballot proposal that could benefit the 2008 Republican presidential nominee have ties to a Texas homebuilder who financed attacks on Democrat John Kerry's Vietnam War record in the 2004 presidential campaign.

Charles H. Bell and Thomas Hiltachk's law firm banked nearly $65,000 in fees from a California-based political committee funded almost solely by Bob J. Perry that targeted Democrats in 2006. Perry, a major Republican donor, contributed nearly $4.5 million to the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth that made unsubstantiated but damaging attacks on Kerry three years ago.

Hiltachk has been pushing a proposal to revamp the way California awards its electoral votes, a change Democrats claim would rig the 2008 race. He and Bell are the sole officers of a new political committee, Californians for Equal Representation, that is raising money to place the plan on the ballot in June."

snip:"The push to alter the division of electoral votes in California — a change with national implications — "is nothing more than an attempt by right-wing Republicans to change the rules in ways that benefits them," said the spokesman, Roger Salazar."

snip:"Like most states, California awards all 55 of its electoral votes to the statewide winner in presidential elections — the largest single prize in the nation.

Under the ballot proposal, the statewide winner would get only two electoral votes. The rest would be distributed to the winning candidate in each of the state's congressional districts.

In effect that would create 53 races, each with one electoral vote up for grabs. President Bush carried 22 of those districts in 2004, while losing the statewide vote by double digits"

link to full article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070904/ap_on_el_pr/california_votes

.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. There's enough publicity out there already...

I think this doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of passing...

Once the electorate gets wind of it, they will see it as the unabashed vote grab that it is.

We will fight it tooth and nail!

[Douglas Carpenter]

2. I certainly hope so. Initial polls though did show the initiative passing

however, it is quite possible that the public had not yet realized who was behind it and why and what the implications meant.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. I've seen those polls too...

and I'm quite sure the public had no idea what was really behind it...

Once they find out.......it's history...

And believe me...

They will find out!

[DeepModem Mom]

4. This, and Bob Perry -- vile!

Thanks for posting.

[Douglas Carpenter]

5. kik