[Winona Online Democracy]
While I may agree with you that each person is more important than any
geographical boundaries, let us remember that we began this country as a
confederation of independent states (separate countries, if you will). The
constitution was an agreement among several sovereign states to band
together on certain things. The 10th amendment reserved to the states all
things not granted to the Federal Government. Changing the constitution is
difficult because we have to get 2/3 of the state legislatures to agree by a
2/3 majority in each state. The smaller states (not unlike the rural
counties in the State of Minnesota) jealously guard their power (whatever it
is) and are reluctant to give it up. As pointed out in other messages, the
candidates tend to ignore the small states now even though they have extra
power from the electoral college. The process of change is worth embarking
on, but always remember that there are often unintended consequences to any
change. Let's just keep that in mind.
Duane M. Peterson
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dwayne Voegeli" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, November 10, 2000 12:22 PM
Subject: [Winona] Small States Issue
> [Winona Online Democracy]
>
> Hello Glen,
>
> Wow!
>
> What great information and great points about the combined populations in
> the biggest 15 and smallest 35 states.
>
> That concern is one of the biggest obstacles to overturning the Electoral
> College.
>
> Here are some quick responses:
>
> 1. The candidates already ignore many states because of the Electoral
> College. Gore and Bush spent most of their time in the states where the
> Electoral College vote was going to be close. (Only Ralph Nader visited
> all 50 states in his campaign.)
>
> 2. To be real blunt, afterall, what is a state? The most important
> political body is a person. The largest states have more sway because
they
> have more people in them. We shouldn't count cows, corn fields, or sage
> brush. The geographical and city/rural splits could be worked about my
> other methods.
>
> 3. There are better ways to focus attention on all the areas of the
country.
>
> What do you think?
>
> Dwayne
>
> =================
>
> >From: "Glen & Diane Schumann" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >To: "Winona Online Democracy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Subject: RE: [Winona] Electoral College
> >Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2000 21:50:19 -0600
> >MIME-Version: 1.0
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> >
> >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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> >Attachment converted: Macintosh HD:Glen Schumann.vcf 2 (TEXT/ttxt)
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> >
>
>
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