The American Prospect: Would the National Popular Vote Advantage Red State Republicans? [View All]

[marmar]

Would the National Popular Vote Advantage Red State Republicans?

Republican states seem to suffer the worst from the vicissitudes of the Electoral College, but it is red-state Republican politicians who are the least interested in switching to a national popular vote.

Ben Adler | January 9, 2009 | web only



If you thought the presidential election was decided back in November, you were wrong. On Thursday, Jan. 8, the Electoral College's votes for president were counted by Congress. In theory, those 538 obscure individuals could have decided to make John McCain, or, for that matter, Bob Barr, the next president. They did nothing of the sort. But, just to be on the safe side, perhaps it is time to get rid of this arcane institution?

Shortly before Election Day, The Washington Post published a map of presidential-candidate visits by state. It showed the attention paid to states was not just a reflection of their population. California, Texas, and New York received hardly any love from Barack Obama or John McCain. And while perennial favorites Ohio and Pennsylvania battled for the top slot, relatively tiny states such as New Hampshire received more visits than any of the nation's three largest. Some medium-sized non-swing states, such as Mississippi and Kentucky did not see a single appearance by Obama or McCain. All of this is thanks to the Electoral College.

Ad spending shows a similar trend. Purple Pennsylvania received more than $10 million in spending on campaign advertisements, while its blue neighbor New Jersey received not a single dollar, according to CNN. (This presumably ignores the fact that some South Jersey residents get Philadelphia television and radio stations.) But the contrasts between Republican-leaning states and swing states was every bit as stark. Colorado had more than $10 million in ads while Utah had less than $1 million. Vast swaths of the country such as the Great Plains from Oklahoma to North Dakota, and most of the South and Appalachia, including sizable states such as Tennessee and Louisiana, received less than $1 million in advertising each while every Upper Midwest State, save for Illinois, received more than $5 million, and all of those except Minnesota got more than $10 million.

But, while Republican states seem to suffer the worst from the vicissitudes of the Electoral College, it is red state Republican politicians who are the least interested in the increasingly discussed solution of switching to a national popular vote. While polls show replacing the Electoral College with a national popular vote is as popular in Mississippi as it is in Michigan, the state Houses that have passed bills in support of the switch are dominated by Democrats. That's because the movement to abolish the Electoral College, spearheaded by the National Popular Vote Initiative (NPVI), a California-based nonprofit, is largely associated with the left -- and dismissed by the right as a Democratic power grab. But could it actually benefit red-state Republicans as much or more than blue-state Democrats? And if so, why have so few Republicans and conservatives embraced it? ........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=would_the_national_popular_vote_advantage_red_state_republicans