[Winona Online Democracy]
Glen, This is the best example I've heard to give concrete evidence of the
wisdom to retain the electoral college. Thanks for the information.
Lee Luebbe
-----Original Message-----
From: Glen & Diane Schumann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Winona Online Democracy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Thursday, November 09, 2000 9:46 PM
Subject: RE: [Winona] Electoral College
>The top fifteen states by population (California, Texas, New York, Florida,
>Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey, Georgia, North
>Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts, Indiana, Washington) have a population
>of 180,199,000. The bottom 35 states plus the District of Columbia have
only
>94,436,000. These numbers are from a population estimate document I found
on
>the US Census Bureau website.
>
>Assuming for the moment that these populations are proportional to the
>number of persons eligible to vote, if you won 51% of the vote in the 15
>most populous states you would have 91,901,490 votes. Your opponent would
>have to carry about 97.5% of the vote in the small states to beat you.
>
>What candidate would spend any money or campaign anywhere outside of the 15
>or so most populous states under those conditions?
>
>Popular election of the president is a sure way to concentrate power in the
>most populous states. States ranking less than in the top 20 by population
>would effectively be disenfranchised.
>
>Minnesota is currently number 20, projected to slip to 21 by 2005.
>
>Glen Schumann
>Winona, MN
>
>[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
>H: 507.454.3056 W: 507.453.3567 W FAX: 507.454.1440
>
>Visit my Family Home Page: <http://www.hbci.com/~gschuman/home.htm>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Duane Peterson
>Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2000 7:29 PM
>To: Ed Thompson
>Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: Re: [Winona] Electoral College
>
>
>[Winona Online Democracy]
>
>I listened today to MPR and several experts talking about the difficulty in
>amending the constitution to change the electoral college. The small
states
>get at least 3 electors even though their population would not justify that
>many. Those states usually oppose the change. They usually can kill the
>amendment in the US Senate. At any rate it will be interesting to see how
>it develops this year. Look to see which senators oppose amending the
>constitution.
>Duane M. Peterson
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Ed Thompson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2000 5:26 PM
>Subject: [Winona] Electoral College
>
>
>> [Winona Online Democracy]
>>
>> Just to get another interesting discussion going: I just heard on the
>radio
>> that Senator Arlen Specter (R, PA) will be proposing a constitutional
>> amendment to eliminate the electoral college and have voters directly
>elect
>> the president. There is, of course, precedence for this: The seventeenth
>> amendment, passed in 1913, changed the election of senators from state
>> legislatures to popular vote. So, what do you think? Good idea? Bad
>idea?
>> Why?
>>
>> Ed Thompson
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> A timely witty saying for this week, from Dan Quayle:
>> "A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the
polls."
>>
>>
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>
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