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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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 OPINION 
5

Electoral College Needs Rehab

State-level apportioning is the only viable way towards electing the president by popular vote

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(Newser) – The 538 electors chosen to represent the will of the people cast their ballots for president today, officially ending the contest between Barack Obama and John McCain, writes Randall Lane for the New York Times. The otherwise-predictable ritual included a twist: a Nebraska elector voting for the candidate who won his congressional district (Obama), not the statewide vote (McCain).

A popular-vote system would never fly, but the Electoral College's all-or-nothing rules need tweaking, Lane contends. "Here’s a bipartisan solution: an electoral vote buddy system," he writes. "Red and blue states of similar size should pair up and pass state laws to apportion their electoral votes by district." For example, New York could agree to allow split voting if Texas does the same.

A ballot for Republican Sarah Palin is shown as the Tennessee delegation to the Electoral College votes for president and vice president in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, Dec. 15, 2008.
A ballot for Republican Sarah Palin is shown as the Tennessee delegation to the Electoral College votes for president and vice president in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, Dec. 15, 2008.   (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Election night graphic shows states won in the presidential race, the electoral college vote count and the new balance of power in Congress;
Election night graphic shows states won in the presidential race, the electoral college vote count and the new balance of power in Congress;
Broward County canvassing board member Judge Robert Rosenberg uses a magnifying glass to examine a disputed ballot at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in this Nov. 24, 2000 file photo.
Broward County canvassing board member Judge Robert Rosenberg uses a magnifying glass to examine a disputed ballot at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in this Nov. 24, 2000 file...   (AP Photo/Alan Diaz, File)
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Imagine how different the campaign would have looked if Mr. Obama, rather than making repeat visits to Denver and Dayton, Ohio, had stopped in San Antonio and Houston. - Randall Lane

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5 comments
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Zebraone
Dec 16, 08 2:17 AM CST
It's a bastardized syatem at best~~~ Why don't we roll dice, or hi card wins. How bout a lottery?~~~ OH, you want the one who has the biggest balls aod war cheast!~~~Another novel idea. Let the military decide!~~~ How's that strike ya? ~~~~ maybe an old fashoned coup d' eta! (s)~~~ But you get the drift! Reply
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joanb
Dec 16, 08 5:45 AM CST
System needs eliminated. Not a sould in TN represented my wishes in the electorate. Out of date system. Reply
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timcatblues
Dec 16, 08 7:03 AM CST
The Founding Fathers new what they were doing. Without this system the only people who would matter live in the 15 biggest cities. No one in the interior of the country would ever have a voice in the government again. At least until all the farmers went on strike and starve out the life skill useless city assholes. Reply
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timcatblues
Dec 16, 08 7:06 AM CST
Oh, and of course New York thinks this is a good idea. They think everyone else in the country are red neck interbred losers. Reply
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PaleRider
Dec 16, 08 1:56 PM CST
Under the Buddy system, Obama would have not won the election. Reply
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