CNN: California could sway 2008

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

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Yeah, Californians are going to vote for such a proposal.

Not going to pass.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Bush would've won by a larger margin in 2000 with this. Do you want it in place in every state with current gerrymandering? Just take a look at Florida or Ohio.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

It beats having California's huge stash of electoral votes being decided by a bunch of San Francisco crack head pot smoking dope addicts every time.

I think the GOP loses California not because of San Fran but because Southern Cal isn't as Republican friendly as it used to be.

Indeed. The Bay Area and LA county have trended hard left in the 1990's. I mean, LA County's the only thing keeping SoCal from voting Republican.

California voted Republican at the presidential level until the 80s, and the Bay Area was just as liberal then as it is now, if not more so.

Not even close.

1988:


2004:


It voted Democratic, but note the shading. Hell Bush, Sr. got over 25% in San Francisco even. And Dukakis won Contra Costa county by less than 4 points, which Kerry won by over 25 points.

Also note the shading of Los Angeles County, which Dukakis only won by about 5 points, and Kerry won by almost 30 points.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Defining the Bay Area as Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, here's how it voted:

1988:
Dukakis - 58.48%
Bush - 40.19%

2004:
Kerry - 70.43%
Bush - 28.12%

In 1988 that's about 26 points more Democratic than the national average, while in 2004 that's almost 45 points more Democratic than the national average. HUGE swing.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

We need a Constitutional amendment to change the popular vote to prevent this kind of idiocy about changing how the electors are determined every year. Of course the least populated 13 states, with their 5% or whatever of the US's population will block it.

A compact to get 270 EV of states to give their votes to the popular vote winner (or the winner of the states in the compact) would work. The California legislature passed such a law, but Arnold vetoed it because he hates CalEEEFornia.

Maryland passed it at least.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The NJ plan was basically a compromise plan that protected all the incumbents including the recently elected and at the time vulnerable Rush Holt and Rodney Ferguson. The Democrats agreed to it to protect Holt figuring they had maxed out. It was pretty stupid in hindsight, but whatever.

And Minnesota's districts are not drawn by an independent commission.