Electoral College Reform Idea

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

With regard to gerrymandering helping the Democrats:

Single-member geographic districts (districts that are most prone to gerrymandering) have a funny effect on party strength.

Such districts HELP:
- Small parties that are geographically compact (e.g. Canadian Bloc Quebeqois)
- Large parties that are geographically expansive (e.g. Canadian Liberals, American GOP)

These district HURT:
- Small & medium parties that are geographically expansive (e.g. Canadian NDP, British LibDems)
- Large parties that are geographically compact (e.g. American Dems)

Gerrymandering is hurting the Democrats now, but helped them through the 1980's...for two reasons.  First, the Democrats controlled most of the state legislatures, especially in the South, until the 1990's.  But more importantly, the Democrats have become more geographically compact while the GOP has become more geographically expansive.  

The Dems have lost strength in rural areas and gained stregth in cities.  This has made it easy for the GOP to draw a few districts with huge Democratic majorities, leaving the majority of districts with a moderate Republican lean.  As an example, Al Gore got 80% of the vote in about 20 CDs in 2000...Bush didn't get 80% of the vote in a single district, but won more districts overall.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Great...

On top of following the polls in 10 or 15 battleground states, we'd be following the polls in about 100 battleground CDs:

"Currently Bush has pulled ahead in WI-1, but he's fallen behind now in FL-2, as well as in CA-22.  So currently, we have 120 CDs Strong Bush, 54 more Weak Bush, 76 tossup, 46 Weak Kerry, and 139 Strong Kerry.  There are 6 Strong Kerry states + DC, 7 Weak Kerry states, 15 Tossup states, 7 Weak Bush States, and 15 Strong Bush states.  So in toto, the current the polls are showing:

Strong Bush: 150
Weak Bush: 68
Tossup: 106
Weak Kerry: 60
Strong Kerry: 154"

And could you imagine the election night coverage???  As each CD comes in and fills a gigantic map that you need an HDTV to make sense of?  The two-week wait while those 20 or 30 too-close-to-call CDs have manual recounts?

Great for us political junkies.
Bad for democracy.

That's fine...I have an HDTV!