GOP battle plan: If you can’t compete, cheat
Taking its cue from the likes of Lance Armstrong, dozens of Atlanta Public School teachers and Bernie Madoff, the Republican Party is embracing a bold new solution to its political problems:
If you can’t compete, cheat.
And cheat big.
In Virginia, for example, Barack Obama has carried the state and its 13 electoral votes in the last two elections, becoming the first Democrat to carry the state back-to-back since Franklin Roosevelt. But rather than work harder to win back the state, or adopt policies more relevant to the needs of its voters, Republicans are advancing another solution.
Under a bill passed out of a state Senate subcommittee this week, Virginia would no longer award its electoral votes to the candidate who won the most votes. Instead, the state’s electoral votes would be allocated by congressional district, which are heavily gerrymandered to favor the GOP.*
Had the bill been law in November, Barack Obama would have been awarded just four of the state’s 13 electoral votes, even though he carried the state.
Mitt Romney, who lost the state, would have won nine electoral votes, more than twice as many as the winner. As one observer put it, Virginia is in the process of moving from a winner-takes-all system to a loser-takes-most system.
The bill now moves to a Senate committee, where Republicans hold a 10-5 advantage. It would then be voted on by the entire Senate, which is split 20-20 between the parties. A tie would be broken by the lieutenant governor, a Republican. Republicans control the Virginia House and governor’s office.
But as one GOP senator assured the Richmond Times-Dispatch, “There’s no partisan ax to grind here.”
Presumably, there is also no partisan ax-grinding underway in five other large states won by Obama, where Republicans are pushing similar legislation.
The scheme is so blatant in its election-stealing intent that it has pushed Larry Sabato, the well-known and nonpartisan elections expert at the University of Virginia, to condemn it in unusually harsh terms. The plan is “a corrupt and cynical maneuver to frustrate popular will and put a heavy thumb — the whole hand, in fact — on the scale for future Republican candidates.”
(BTW, the sheer gall of this effort adds credence to Democratic claims that the GOP has been trying to game the system in other ways, such as restricting access to the ballot box.)
The Republican Party faces a choice, Sabato writes. It can choose the Reaganesque, optimistic approach, “convinced that it can win the future by embracing it.” Or it can turn to a Nixonian attitude in which “it sees enemies everywhere, feels overwhelmed by electoral trends, and thinks it can win only by cheating, by subverting the system and stacking the deck in its favor.”
Sabato also cites the work of a colleague and fellow political scientist, Alan Abramovitz of Emory University, who has studied the potential impact of the GOP scheme. As Abramovitz notes, Obama won the popular vote, and thus the electoral votes, in Virginia, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida and Wisconsin. In all six states, Republicans are eying passage of some version of the Virginia plan.
Had it been in place in 2012, Abramovitz concludes, the Virginia plan would have given Obama just 45 electoral votes in those states, while Romney would have reaped 61. And again, Obama carried all six states.
Abramovitz writes:
“Under current circumstances, the congressional district system could well result in a Republican victory even if the Democratic candidate were to win the popular vote by a substantial margin. Such a situation would undoubtedly lead to widespread questioning of the legitimacy of the election and, potentially, a public backlash against the victorious Republican candidate and the GOP itself. Before engaging in a cynical attempt to rig the electoral system, Republican leaders and strategists should consider the potential harm that their actions could do to our democratic form of government and to their own party.”
Once upon a time, such a scheme would have been unthinkable. Once upon a time, no major political party would have dared to be associated with it, because the bald-faced thievery is too obvious. Even Nixon would be appalled at the shamelessness of it all.
But in these times, Republican National Chairman Reince Priebus has publicly endorsed the election-stealing plan. “I think it’s something that a lot of states that have been consistently blue that are fully controlled red ought to be looking at,” he said this month.
Such is the desperation and moral bankruptcy of the party that he leads.
—-
*On Monday, Senate Republicans in Virginia took advantage of the fact that a Democratic colleague — a well-respected veteran of the civil rights movement — had traveled to Washington to attend the inauguration and for MLK Day observances. In his absence, they rushed through a surprise bill redrawing the state’s districts once again, to squeeze still further advantage from the system.
– Jay Bookman
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443 comments Add your comment
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
January 25th, 2013
12:16 pm
curious
January 25th, 2013
11:50 am
I used to believe that as well and now I couldn’t be more against it. Without it, would any candidates have to spend time in states that don’t boast the largest populations? Why bother with rural voters since the elections would be won by urban centers. Electoral college is better for minority participation.
While a simply majority would be politically favorable to DEMS in the recent past, getting rid of it is a form of rigging the system in favor of the most populous states. “A national popular vote would eliminate any need for geographic balance. A candidate could win based on intense support from a narrow region.”
Morality?
January 25th, 2013
12:17 pm
Popular vote’s would all count the same true – but – but – but the larger states would have a dominant influence as they also do now with the electoral college so I just suggest cutting up the larger states in to smaller states to make it more “equal”. How about North California and South California? How about North New York and South New York? Then you would have Nanny Pelosi’s 52 states!
kimmer
January 25th, 2013
12:20 pm
Doggone @ 11:01 “Do you think it’s a good thing that the loser in a state should get more Electoral votes than the winer gets?”
Obama won 48% of the popular vote. He won 61% of the electoral vote. The ‘winner take all’ approach is just as unfair. If dems are truly outraged at the inequity in the electoral system then abolish the winner take all in the states you control the legislature. Until you do shut up about virginia.
detritusUSA @ 11:01. If this validates your belief that the GOP is truly evil then what say you about the numerous examples cited here of dirty tricks employed by democrats? Hmmmm?
Fred ™
January 25th, 2013
12:23 pm
I guess Morality, Jay and……. I forget who I responded to before, my objection is that it completely negates any importance of states with smaller populations. But as you point out Morality, that happens now with the EC.
I dunno, I guess I need to ponder upon it some more.
(Just 90 more minutes until DP weekend strarts for COD Black Ops II starts.)
Morality?
January 25th, 2013
12:28 pm
To hear you Dems talk voting will be irrelevant soon as there will only be ONE party and we will no longer have a democracy. That’s the true dream of CULT OBAMA. Fortunately even in the Land of the Living Dead there were those that reveled in eliminating the overwhelming majority of the brain dead. Since the brain dead do not reproduce voting will eventually even out and return to the norm.
bu2
January 25th, 2013
12:31 pm
Wow! Liberals push for popular vote or rules like Nebraska and Maine, but when Republicans do something like that that might hurt Democrats, its cheating. Look at where voter fraud happens. Its all Democrats. And look at what Democrats keep doing in Florida. Al Gore tried to change the rules after the fact in Florida to change the results in 2000, wanting to recount in heavily Democratic counties. Hillary tried to change the rules after the fact in Florida to change the results in 2008 primaries vs. Obama.
We all should have rules like Nebraska and Maine so that the election isn’t just about a dozen states. A popular vote would also mean a dozen states get all the attention, just different states.
krimsonpage
January 25th, 2013
12:34 pm
@Morality f-o-c-u-s, man. Cult of Obama?….. you need help.
Morality?
January 25th, 2013
12:34 pm
FRED (TM) – I did make another suggestion to remedy the over powering influence of the larger states. Make them smaller in land mass by cutting them in half – South California and North California and North New York and South New York. And you thought I was joking – NO – I am serious. This is the only solution that will work. After all, Southern California and Northern California are far different in political philosophy and I could say the same for New York. This will work.
Joe Hussein Mama
January 25th, 2013
12:37 pm
S. Ray — “It appears the GOP is doing just that.”
Shrug. I don’t see it.
“It’s a fine line. I’m concerned that BO’s sheer arrogance will be his downfall in second term. If he leaves office with the deficit as is and the debt at 20 trillion with no evidence of pressing for spending discipline..the GOP will likely flourish.”
Doubtful. None of their announced plans during the recent election season had us at a balanced budget at any time within the next 20 years, and all of them showed debt much higher than that.
Morality?
January 25th, 2013
12:38 pm
krimsonpage – those in the CULT need help – I am neither a member of the Dem CULT or the
Repub CULT. Do you need to be excised?
Hypocrite
January 25th, 2013
12:43 pm
Wow…When the Dems did it the Repubs wanted to sue…
They are the party of contradictions.
1. We want our rights (guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution) to carry our guns – but we are not for gay rights.
2. We are staunch Conservatives with High Moral and Religious values (the bible preaches about taking care of the less fortunate) and yet we want to cut Medicaid, Social Security and we don’t want a government run health care system because it cost too much.
3. Speaking of cost – when the Republicans were in control – they had not problem borrowing money from China to fund not one but two Wars – but can’t seem to find money for the Poor.
4. They are not for granting the current immigrants who are living here illegally amnesty but don’t have a problem putting them to work in their homes and to take care of their lawns.
UNBELIEVABLE…………………….
Morality?
January 25th, 2013
12:44 pm
If the Fed debt is ONE CENT less when Obama leaves office than when it was when he started his 2nd term I will bow down to the chosen one and join CULT OBAMA! As Jay said that is a fool’s bet. So I feel confident that I shall remain clean and pure and not a PARTY LOYALIST.
John
January 25th, 2013
12:49 pm
Cheat? Bookman, have you lost your mind? Must I remind you there are other states who do the exact same thing? You really are a petty and ignorant person.
Morality?
January 25th, 2013
12:49 pm
Personally I do not have any illegal aliens tending my 4 mansions in four different states like the King of D.C. does but I may have inadvertently hired one to cut my grass (I cut it myself most of the time). Heh – I can’t help who the D.C.’ers let in to this country unchecked. That’s their job – not mine.
deegee
January 25th, 2013
12:52 pm
Kayaker, apparently you didn’t get the jobs data yesterday. “Noticeable improvement is underway in the jobs market based on initial jobless claims that, at 330,000 for a 5,000 decline in the January 19 week, are exactly at a five-year low. The four-week average is nearly at a five-year low, down a sizable 8,250 to 351,750 and is trending more than 10,000 below the month-ago level.”
Manufacturing hiring is humming along. Construction is picking up. Technology is close to full employment. As I recall, in 2010 republicans ran and won seats in the House on the “creating jobs” promise. They weren’t very successful at creating jobs over the last two years. They can’t articulate any strategy for creating jobs other than getting the government out of the way or lowering taxes. We have 10 years of experience that tells us that lowering taxes does not create jobs. If we could get government out of the way of business tomorrow they would be screaming over unfair foreign trade practices, lack of regulation over their competitors, losing their subsidies, etc. In other words, business loves government to step in and make nice for them but they have no expectations when it comes to returning the favor.
I am a capitalist and I have been gainfully employed and paying taxes for over 40 years. I am not complaining about capitalism. I am complaining about the trend that American business has been taking over the last 25 years. There is too much emphasis on the short term, no long term strategy, and far too much corporate profit going to overly compensated management that cares little about what the company makes as long as it makes money. Corporate America stopped reinvesting their profits into training for its employees years ago. Now they complain that they can’t find qualified workers in the U.S. to fill skilled and semi-skilled manufacturing jobs. What do they think happened after they shipped manufacturing jobs overseas and used American workers to train overseas workers? I’m sick of hearing CEOs talk about the American workforce as if it’s a scourge. There is a strong relationship between labor and management and it is built on trust. You can’t expect a loyal, dedicated workforce when you consider them to be nothing more than a charge against your bottom line.
Morality?
January 25th, 2013
12:53 pm
If it’s legal is it cheating? I mean it can be legal yet immoral like the current abortion law. So again I ask is it cheating if it’s legal Jay? Gub’ment obviously doesn’t concern itself with immoral or every politician in D.C. would be out of a job.
Morality?
January 25th, 2013
1:01 pm
“Economy is humming along” – that’s not what I hear. Sounds like two engines are shut down and the other is sputtering. I do expect one final weak recovery before the big “D” of 2013 commences and before Obama leaves office. Obama will go down in history as the Herbert Hoover of 2013. Hopefully that will initiate the beginning of a 3rd GREAT Party that will end the Party of the Radical Left We need a PARTY that is LOYAL to the FISCAL health and future of the USA 1st and last. We need to rid our selves of these PARTY LOYALISTS in D.C.
Carol
January 25th, 2013
1:02 pm
Can we say ALEC. The boys on the Right will stop at NOTHING to hold on to what little power they have and attempts to regain the White House. They probably just coming out of the induced coma brought on by the November presidential election results. A bunch of petty sore losers. They want to present themselves as morally upright while doing every underhanded thing possible to regain power.
Morality?
January 25th, 2013
1:02 pm
GOOD DAY !
deegee
January 25th, 2013
1:09 pm
Morality, get some intellectual morality. No one said that the economy is humming along. Manufacturing hiring is at a level that we haven’t seen in years. Fortunately no political party can take credit for that. Wages in Asia are going up, wages in the US are stagnant, and transportation costs are increasing. It’s becoming more attractive to US manufacturers to produce in the US. It will take years to undo the damage that the bubble blowing Alan Greenspan and the Bush presidency did to the US, but we will recover.
Carol
January 25th, 2013
1:14 pm
Mortality?
“Economy is humming along” – that’s not what I hear. Sounds like two engines are shut down and the other is sputtering.
————–
But of course it would require you turning the channel in order to hear anything else. FAUX thanks you.
Bobsie
January 25th, 2013
1:16 pm
Why not go with straight national popular vote. That’s the only fairest way. Not only does Obama still win by over 5 million votes in 2012, but Al Gore would have won in 2000 over Bush.
Jhunt163
January 25th, 2013
1:21 pm
Why not let the states scrap direct voting altogether and let the legislatures select a board of electors.
williebkind
January 25th, 2013
1:23 pm
“Eliminate the EC and let everyone’s vote have equal weight.”
Yeah our forefathers were idiots. They did not want those in the frontiers to have a say so in the government but simply let the masses on the eastern seaboard dictate who would become president. What fools they were after all the heavy populated areas knew what was best for the entire country like NYC and San Fran.
williebkind
January 25th, 2013
1:25 pm
“Can we say ALEC. The boys on the LEFT will stop at NOTHING to hold on to what power they have in the White House.”
there fixed your error
williebkind
January 25th, 2013
1:27 pm
“Why not let the states scrap direct voting altogether and let the legislatures select a board of electors.”
That pesky little constitution just keeps getting in the way of you progressive liberals. How do you stand it?
JamVet
January 25th, 2013
1:28 pm
After sampling the con comments on this thread, one call only conclude that getalife is right.
They’re a bunch of kooks…
Jhunt163
January 25th, 2013
1:30 pm
WilliebKind, I am not a liberal and you have no right to vote for the president. The states through their local constitutions give you that right. I would love to see some states take that popular vote away and appoint a slate of electors. It may make more people take interest in who they are voting for on the local level, and yes there is precedence for this.
John
January 25th, 2013
1:30 pm
Merely distributing the vote across a wider demographic of voters. Obama carries the urban areas due to the fact that most people relying on his programs live in the larger cities.
Fred ™
January 25th, 2013
1:32 pm
John
January 25th, 2013
12:49 pm
Cheat? Bookman, have you lost your mind? Must I remind you there are other states who do the exact same thing? You really are a petty and ignorant person.
++++++++++++++++++++
He’s neither but you certainly are clueless and a bit dull…….
Fred ™
January 25th, 2013
1:33 pm
williebkind
January 25th, 2013
1:27 pm
“Why not let the states scrap direct voting altogether and let the legislatures select a board of electors.”
That pesky little constitution just keeps getting in the way of you progressive liberals. How do you stand it?
++++++++++++++++++++
So you can cite the part in the US Constitution that backs up your claim? i’ll wait.
Trolls Bane
January 25th, 2013
1:39 pm
If successfull, this could call into question the legitimacy of the federal government … and the executive branch in particular. If a candiate clearly has the popular support of the people ( the election is not close), but still loses due to this scheme, then it calls into question if the government actually represents the will of the people or is a puppet of on party.
kimmer
January 25th, 2013
1:41 pm
From Jay Bookman: .
“I would also hope that Democrats have some remaining sense of shame”
PBBBFFFT….BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!! Dang, now I gotta clean the Coke Zero off my screen.
Jhunt163
January 25th, 2013
1:44 pm
then it calls into question if the government actually represents the will of the people or is a puppet of on party
While Jay frequently posts that we are a Democracy, sadly we are not, but will admit we are alot closer after adoption of the 17th amendment. The founding fathers warned about democracy and intentionally adopted a republican form of government. I know people will quote every living President for the last 30 years including Reagan, but they were wrong.
Conservative Christian
January 25th, 2013
2:05 pm
Fred ™:
Google is your friend….
Fred ™
January 25th, 2013
2:08 pm
Conservative Christian
January 25th, 2013
2:05 pm
Fred ™:
Google is your friend….
+++++++++++++++++++++++
I don’t need google. I’m not the one who made the stupid assed claim. I can’t prove a lie but you Republicans sure like to act like you can. So prove the lie……….
Uh Huh....CHEATING is EASY. The GOP should try something more CHALLENGING like being HONEST
January 25th, 2013
2:58 pm
Barack Obama is an AWESOME MAN.
The CONS have lost their minds all because of a
Black man who OUTSMARTED and OUTWITTED all
of them.
Now they want to play DIRTY with their PETTY politics.
Well guess what……Obama can’t run again so who ever runs
its ON THEM.
Redcoat
January 25th, 2013
3:44 pm
Gop cheats in Va = Obama cheats on recess appointments…..?
Morality?
January 25th, 2013
4:19 pm
Have a Nice Day (smiley face patent applied for )
Atlanta Native
January 25th, 2013
5:09 pm
The Dem’s Plan…LIE….REWRITE HISTORY…LIE SOME MORE
It seems that Democrats today, liberal whites and blacks, forget or refuse to hear who voted for and who was in reality against the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Those who signed the Democrat Southern manifesto were against the Civil Rights Act of 1964, in fact they filibustered in an attempt to stop blacks from having equal rights. It is a fact that Democrats have traditionally fought against Civil Rights Act for black Americans starting way back in the 1860s. Fact is that if it weren’t for Republicans,the Civil Rights Acts would not have been passed. Democrats fail to mention that incredibly huge numbers of Democrats fought tooth and nail against Civil Rights Bills – all to keep segregation in place. And yes, even so far as to swear an oath to fight it.
It is interesting that Black-Americans have so little information when it comes to what political party has really fought for their best interest and the role of Republicans in Black-American Civil Rights. It seems that the majority of blacks in America today have no knowledge of what occurred, our history, in pre and post Civil War America.
Many Americans today refuse to acknowledge that it has been Republicans who have tried to make blacks less dependant on the Federal Government. It has been the Republican Party who in reality has tried to make them equal, independent, and economically successful. And who were these Republicans? You know, those who the New Black Panther Party calls “bootlicking Uncle Toms”? Why are such black men as Clarence Thomas and Herman Cain, who will not pledge loyalty to the Democrat Party, attacked in the liberal media today? It is because the Democrats have traditionally been a racist party that is overtly contemptuous and hostile to poor and working people.” Who belonged to the Republican Party, the political party that originated as an Anti-Slavery Party? Well, it is a fact that besides Black-Americans like Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and successful businessman Herman Caine, there has other prominent names of black Americans which have been, or still are Republicans. Are all of these Black-American Republican men and women, “Bootlicking Uncle Toms” and “Aunt Jemimas”? Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, editor, orator, author, Republican statesman was not. How about Booker T. Washington, civil rights activist, educator, author, Republican, advisor to Republican presidents? Was he what Democrats would call an “UNcle Tom”?
Educating racists like the New Black Panther Party Chairman Malik Zulu Shabazz, Whoopi Goldberg, John Lewis and their ILK is futile. I would like to also inform the militant jerk weed that in fact none in the above list, none in office today, and none of the many Black-American Republicans and Conservatives in America are “Bootlicking Uncle Toms” – or “Aunt Jamimas”! It as just offensive, or even more so, than if they were called you know what! And certainly, Condoleezza Rice is not some “Aunt Jamima” – though Democrats have tried to paint her as some sort of traitor to her race.
Dem’s always fail to mention the Republican role in the passage of the Civil Rights Bills over the years. They could be honest and said how hard Republicans worked for Civil Rights. I guess they must have forgotten who fought to free Blacks in the history of America. The first Voting Rights and Anti-Segregation acts for black-Americans were in fact passed by Republicans in the 1870s – almost 100 years before the famous 1964 Civil Right Act . Yes, it was a hundred years ahead of its time! It was the Republicans, under the leadership of Senate Republican Leader Everett Dirksen who drafted a very extensive Civil Rights Bill which became the Civil Rights Actl of 1964. It is so easy to forget that not only were there Southern Democrats back then who opposed the kind of legislation, but they also had Northern Democrats who did not want to stop segregation. As for legislative segregation, it is dead in America. But racism is not, and I’m sorry to say that racism has more than just a black thing. Today, blacks like Whoopi Goldberg, John Lewis and Malik Zulu Shabazz are the face of black racism.
When Rep. John Lewis used his convention speech to argue that a Republican victory in November will send African-Americans back to when he and other Africans-Americans were forcibly denied access to restaurants, public transportation, restrooms, and the ballot box. He tried to set race against race for political gain, and that is a form of racism. When he went on and on describing his activism in the Southern states in the 1950 and 1960s, Lewis claimed, “I’ve seen this before, I lived this before!” – he was in fact trying to divide America with lies that he knows damn well are lies. The Democrat delegates went crazy, and then Lewis said, “We were met by an angry mob that beat us and left us lying in a pool of blood. Brothers and sisters, do you want to go back?” He openly lied to the people that night. If he didn’t lie, than he is ignorant of history that he had supposedly lived. It’s a shame that today’s Democrats like Rep John Lewis feels they have to lie to cover-up the truth of what their OWN political party has done. It is a shame really that lies are what they now resort to. John Lewis should apologize for saying that “segregation would return under Mitt Romney” – it was as shameless a statement as could have possibly been made by anyone there. Republicans have worked too hard fighting Democrats to end segregation. Lewis and others want to spread the lie that it has been the other way around when in fact it hasn’t been. And by the way Democrat Rep. John Lewis … who said he was “met by an angry mob that beat us and left us lying in a pool of blood.” I’m sorry to have to inform you that you were beaten up by Democrats.
The GOP’s Electoral Vote Scheme Is Offensive and Wrong – The Atlantic Wire
January 25th, 2013
6:09 pm
[...] Will Weatherford, Florida Republican …Huffington PostW*USA 9 -National Journal -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)all 155 news [...]
Vast Right Wing Conspiracy (aka "Knuckle-Dragger")
January 25th, 2013
6:24 pm
The democrats have already tried this stuff in various states; unlikely to work (I think it was the Eminent Algore, among other democrats, that wanted to do away with the Electoral College entirely). Perhaps the Republicans are just trying to govern like the imperial viceroy – seems to work for him.
Joel Edge
January 26th, 2013
5:55 am
Sounds like a bunch a few years back when they were losing elections. Wanted to award electoral votes by percentages of votes. Wait, it was the Democrat party! Was it cheating then, Jay?