Kristol, Dershowitz Slam Effort to Rig Electoral College
Apr 26, 2014 18:57:34 #
Kristol, Dershowitz Slam Effort to Rig Electoral College
Sunday, 20 Apr 2014 07:58 PM Article By / Todd Beamon
Conservatives and leading liberals slammed the campaign to effectively end the Electoral College's role in presidential elections, saying that the National Popular Vote Compact Law circumvents the Constitution, saying it resembled President Barack Obama's abuse of the law through his extensive use of executive orders.
"It is pretty startling," Bill Kristol, founder and editor of The Weekly Standard, told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV this week. "If they want to make the case for the popular election of presidents and a Constitutional amendment, they should make the case.
"But the left these days doesn't make the case, and they don't go the normal route of changing the law if they don't like the law," Kristol added. "They think of gimmicks and evasions and ways to get around the normal popular debate.
"This is all happening kind of quietly. I'm really struck by the way theyre doing it."
Under the National Popular Vote Compact, each state would award its electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote. The effort has been quietly winding its way through state governments, needing 270 votes to take effect.
Once states with electoral votes totaling the magic 270 the number a presidential candidate needs to becomes president pass the law, it immediately takes effect. The new law would mandate that each of the states in the compact must cede their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, even if a particular state were to give a majority to the loser of the popular vote.
Put another way, if Florida has been a member of such a compact in the 2000 presidential year, it would have had to cede its electoral votes to Al Gore, making him president, since he won the popular vote nation-wide, though he lost in the state of Florida.
The compact has been attacked by Republican strategist Dick Morris, who charged in an exclusive Newsmax column that the effort is ripe for voter fraud and would guarantee that Democrats win the White House every four years.
This week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pledged the Empire State's 29 electoral votes to the effort, which now has 165 votes. New York is the 10th state to come aboard. The District of Columbia, with three electoral votes, has also signed the agreement.
The other states are Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Vermont, California, Rhode Island, and Washington.
Morris said all of the jurisdictions supporting the compact backed President Barack Obama in the 2012 election.
It also has been approved by at least one legislative body in these states: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Oregon.
The states total 78 electoral votes, and eight of them voted for Obama, Morris said.
Other conservatives echoed Morris, saying that "the stealth way" going through the states was doing an end-run around the Constitution.
"It's a serious discussion. It's a debate worth having," former Michigan Rep. Pete Hoekstra told Malzberg. "If we're going to change it, let's do it the appropriate way: get the super-majority votes in Congress, have the states ratify it, have a national debate.
"This is again by the left an effort to circumvent the current electoral process, and through a stealth campaign, ensure their electoral dominance moving into the future."
Kevin Jackson, the radio talk-show host and author who was a panelist with Hoekstra, said the Electoral College effort comes as "we're dangerously close to the left having control of the Supreme Court" with the possible retirement of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, 81, and three others in their 70s.
They are Antonin Scalia, 78, and Anthony Kennedy, 77, who were appointed by President Ronald Reagan; and Stephen Breyer, 75, who along with Ginsberg were appointed by President Bill Clinton.
"It's definitely trying to get around the system," Jackson said of the vote compact.
Even such liberals as Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz and Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf blasted the campaign.
"It's nuts," Sheinkopf told Malzberg. "Here's a case of where they're trying to go around the Constitution, around the law, to do something that's patently illegal and wrong. It's the same way the Obama administration issues executive orders.
"Our Constitution, that's worked very well for 200 years, is now being tampered with. A bad move.
"This system was put in place to ensure that crazy people couldn't get control of the government," Sheinkopf added. "And that's why it works.
"Dont change something that shouldnt be changed for the purpose of making some people happy."
Dershowitz said the compact "certainly violates the spirit of the Constitution. Plainly, the founders of the Constitution did not intend for there to be a conspiracy among certain states to essentially abolish the Electoral College."
He, too, called for a Constitutional amendment. The Electoral College was established by the Founding Fathers during the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
"The amendment probably would not succeed, but to use this method of circumvention, it seems to me would encourage other states to use other methods of circumventing the Constitution when it came to racial equality or other things," Dershowitz told Malzberg.
"I think it is quite short-sighted," he added. "I do not support it."
End of Article
Comments;
If you think getting DemocRATS elected to POTUS every 4 years, year after year after year is a "good thing", you may want to visit Detroit, Michigan and take a close look at what DemocRATS in constant control year after year always leads to. After you check out Detroit, jump on I-94 and head over to Chicago and spend a few days there. Again, you'll be looking at the results of what's known as "machine politics"; Granted, Chicago hasn't deteriorated nearly to the extent that Detroit has, (yet ), but it's well on it's way. Having ANY one political party control a big city, year after year, that city will always go into decline. If all politicians, regardless of party affiliation, were to be limited to a maximum of no more than 8 continuous years in office, you'd begin to see a huge difference for the better.
I will say this much for Detroit, over Chicago; at least Detroit has a Police Chief who has enough sense to realize that having more guns in the hands of law-abiding people, and fewer guns in the hands of criminals, and the murder rate will decline precipitously. Chicago's "top cop" still has his head in his rectum and thinks Chicago's high murder rate is due to an over abundance of Republicans with guns! (just kidding! the POS doesn't "think" anything ).......he just "does" what Rahm goodbuddy tells him to do! (Which is seldom good for Chicago, BTW. )
Sunday, 20 Apr 2014 07:58 PM Article By / Todd Beamon
Conservatives and leading liberals slammed the campaign to effectively end the Electoral College's role in presidential elections, saying that the National Popular Vote Compact Law circumvents the Constitution, saying it resembled President Barack Obama's abuse of the law through his extensive use of executive orders.
"It is pretty startling," Bill Kristol, founder and editor of The Weekly Standard, told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV this week. "If they want to make the case for the popular election of presidents and a Constitutional amendment, they should make the case.
"But the left these days doesn't make the case, and they don't go the normal route of changing the law if they don't like the law," Kristol added. "They think of gimmicks and evasions and ways to get around the normal popular debate.
"This is all happening kind of quietly. I'm really struck by the way theyre doing it."
Under the National Popular Vote Compact, each state would award its electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote. The effort has been quietly winding its way through state governments, needing 270 votes to take effect.
Once states with electoral votes totaling the magic 270 the number a presidential candidate needs to becomes president pass the law, it immediately takes effect. The new law would mandate that each of the states in the compact must cede their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, even if a particular state were to give a majority to the loser of the popular vote.
Put another way, if Florida has been a member of such a compact in the 2000 presidential year, it would have had to cede its electoral votes to Al Gore, making him president, since he won the popular vote nation-wide, though he lost in the state of Florida.
The compact has been attacked by Republican strategist Dick Morris, who charged in an exclusive Newsmax column that the effort is ripe for voter fraud and would guarantee that Democrats win the White House every four years.
This week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pledged the Empire State's 29 electoral votes to the effort, which now has 165 votes. New York is the 10th state to come aboard. The District of Columbia, with three electoral votes, has also signed the agreement.
The other states are Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Vermont, California, Rhode Island, and Washington.
Morris said all of the jurisdictions supporting the compact backed President Barack Obama in the 2012 election.
It also has been approved by at least one legislative body in these states: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Oregon.
The states total 78 electoral votes, and eight of them voted for Obama, Morris said.
Other conservatives echoed Morris, saying that "the stealth way" going through the states was doing an end-run around the Constitution.
"It's a serious discussion. It's a debate worth having," former Michigan Rep. Pete Hoekstra told Malzberg. "If we're going to change it, let's do it the appropriate way: get the super-majority votes in Congress, have the states ratify it, have a national debate.
"This is again by the left an effort to circumvent the current electoral process, and through a stealth campaign, ensure their electoral dominance moving into the future."
Kevin Jackson, the radio talk-show host and author who was a panelist with Hoekstra, said the Electoral College effort comes as "we're dangerously close to the left having control of the Supreme Court" with the possible retirement of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, 81, and three others in their 70s.
They are Antonin Scalia, 78, and Anthony Kennedy, 77, who were appointed by President Ronald Reagan; and Stephen Breyer, 75, who along with Ginsberg were appointed by President Bill Clinton.
"It's definitely trying to get around the system," Jackson said of the vote compact.
Even such liberals as Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz and Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf blasted the campaign.
"It's nuts," Sheinkopf told Malzberg. "Here's a case of where they're trying to go around the Constitution, around the law, to do something that's patently illegal and wrong. It's the same way the Obama administration issues executive orders.
"Our Constitution, that's worked very well for 200 years, is now being tampered with. A bad move.
"This system was put in place to ensure that crazy people couldn't get control of the government," Sheinkopf added. "And that's why it works.
"Dont change something that shouldnt be changed for the purpose of making some people happy."
Dershowitz said the compact "certainly violates the spirit of the Constitution. Plainly, the founders of the Constitution did not intend for there to be a conspiracy among certain states to essentially abolish the Electoral College."
He, too, called for a Constitutional amendment. The Electoral College was established by the Founding Fathers during the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
"The amendment probably would not succeed, but to use this method of circumvention, it seems to me would encourage other states to use other methods of circumventing the Constitution when it came to racial equality or other things," Dershowitz told Malzberg.
"I think it is quite short-sighted," he added. "I do not support it."
End of Article
Comments;
If you think getting DemocRATS elected to POTUS every 4 years, year after year after year is a "good thing", you may want to visit Detroit, Michigan and take a close look at what DemocRATS in constant control year after year always leads to. After you check out Detroit, jump on I-94 and head over to Chicago and spend a few days there. Again, you'll be looking at the results of what's known as "machine politics"; Granted, Chicago hasn't deteriorated nearly to the extent that Detroit has, (yet ), but it's well on it's way. Having ANY one political party control a big city, year after year, that city will always go into decline. If all politicians, regardless of party affiliation, were to be limited to a maximum of no more than 8 continuous years in office, you'd begin to see a huge difference for the better.
I will say this much for Detroit, over Chicago; at least Detroit has a Police Chief who has enough sense to realize that having more guns in the hands of law-abiding people, and fewer guns in the hands of criminals, and the murder rate will decline precipitously. Chicago's "top cop" still has his head in his rectum and thinks Chicago's high murder rate is due to an over abundance of Republicans with guns! (just kidding! the POS doesn't "think" anything ).......he just "does" what Rahm goodbuddy tells him to do! (Which is seldom good for Chicago, BTW. )
First Parasite, Moochelle
You're About To Enter "The Speculation Zone"
Apr 27, 2014 17:43:08 #
If they are successful, voting will not only be marginalized but no longer necessary in small towns or cities without influence. Major cities would control all the votes. Rural areas, small towns, even large areas will be absolutely meaningless in the voting scheme. The nation would be done.
Apr 27, 2014 19:20:42 #
Gitzo, I've been thinking about it and shouldn't have made a snarky comment yesterday about your kids respecting you. There was no reason for me to do that and I apologize.
Donna
Donna
Apr 29, 2014 15:10:41 #
Anna M-W
Loc: New York City
dljen wrote:
Gitzo, I've been thinking about it and shouldn't have made a snarky comment yesterday about your kids respecting you. There was no reason for me to do that and I apologize.
Donna
Donna
Honestly Donna he is so rude to everyone else.
I think he would think it a compliment if he could think that is.
Apr 30, 2014 02:12:24 #
Anna M-W wrote:
Honestly Donna he is so rude to everyone else.
I think he would think it a compliment if he could think that is.
I think he would think it a compliment if he could think that is.
Annie........What's with all of the & [/quote] ? Is that hieroglyphics, or what?
BTW........How are you liking your new dictator / mayor?
Apr 30, 2014 13:41:19 #
Anna M-W
Loc: New York City
Gitzo wrote:
? Is that hieroglyphics, or what?
BTW........How are you liking your new dictator / mayor?
BTW........How are you liking your new dictator / mayor?
I don't understand what you mean by hieroglyphics please explain
I quite like the new mayor as I did the last one was sort of a liberal Democrat who ran the city like a corporation.
Why do you use the word dictator to describe him the new mayor he has no more power than the previous mayor in fact he has less because he has not got the political clout that Bloomberg had within the Council.
I suspect that it's just if you think somebody has a different opinion other than your own they must be a dictator.
Apr 30, 2014 13:54:01 #
Anna M-W wrote:
I don't understand what you mean by hieroglyphics ... (show quote)
Anna, I just ignore ppl who have nothing to do except call ppl names and can't contribute intelligently to a conversation. They just waste my time. He wants to start trouble.
Apr 30, 2014 14:11:40 #
Gitzo wrote:
Kristol, Dershowitz Slam Effort to Rig Electoral C... (show quote)
The Founders were very mush afraid of the tyranny of the majority. Thats why they formed a representative republic and formed the electoral college.If this were to be circumvented the presidency would be chosen by only a very small number of citizens. The country would be reduced to a kind of monarchy. As a result there could be a President elected with a very small popular vote. It could result in a revolt if such a thing actually happened.
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