GOP Powergrab Scheme in California Could Swing 2008 Election If It's Not Stopped

Ghost of Karl Rove past

I have to agree with Ms Boxer. Making such a change only in a huge "blue" state and not in the large "red" states is pure chutzpah. No, let me offer a better term. Its pure bullshit. And it isn't the last borderline immoral, illegal, unethical, nasty thing the GOP will do between now and November 2008.

By Barbara Boxer, HuffingtonPost.com.
Just when you thought it was safe to start thinking about having a Democrat in the White House, along comes a cynical power grab by Republican operatives. And unfortunately, it's happening right here in my own state of California.

If you haven't heard already, Republican strategists recently announced plans to begin raising money for a dangerous initiative that would radically change the way California apportions our electoral votes in presidential elections.

Rather than awarding all of California's electoral votes to the candidate that wins the popular vote -- the way it works in every single state except the small states of Maine and Nebraska -- their scheme would divvy up California's electoral votes based on the number of congressional districts each candidate wins.

What does this mean? Well, if the last few elections are any guide, rather than the Democratic nominee winning all 55 of California's electoral votes in 2008, this new partisan scheme could hand 20 of California's electoral votes to the Republican candidate and only 35 to the Democrat.

Don't get me wrong: After the 2000 and 2004 election debacles, I'm a strong advocate for election reform. But it's absolutely wrong for California to go it alone. It's just patently unfair for a large "blue" state like California to change our system for awarding electoral votes while other large states which trend "red" like Texas and Florida don't change their system at the same time.

This isn't reform -- this is a partisan power grab by Republican operatives in the Karl Rove tradition.

However, I will point out that initiatives are the prerogative of the voters. That's part of a democracy. But, like signing statements, they can be abused.

Shouldn't national elections have national rules? Seems fair to me. Either all states do what this initiative is trying to do or none should be allowed to. Just a thought.

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