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I've been a fan of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, a way to get around the electoral college by simply getting enough states to elect a President with their Electoral College votes to agree to all cast their electoral votes for the winner of the national popular vote. Normally, it's thought of in terms of getting enough states to total 270 electoral votes.
This proposal has tremendous latent appeal, as the Electoral College has become quite unpopular of late. But it hasn't progressed as quickly as many, such as I, might have hoped.
One problem, for example, is that it's easily demogoged. For example, when Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the California NPV compact bill, he said:
"It disregards the will of a majority of Californians" [and] "is counter to the tradition of our great nation which honor states rights and the unique pride and identity of each state."
You can always count on the Gropenator for a pompous braindead quip. But, then, there's no shortage of others with similar deficits. Add to that the reluctance of battleground states to reduce their importance, and the slow progress so far becomes quite understandable.
Now, however, U.C. Davis law professor and Findlaw.com columnit Vikram David Amar has advanced a radically modified proposal that just might work. Instead of relying on enough state to cast 270 votes, why not rely on a handful of key states--perhaps as few as just three==that no one can win without? His model suggestion is Ohio, Virginia and Florida, but the precise identity of the states is less important than the concept.
He lists three barriers to the NPV compact, and argues that the 3-state solution could substantially reduce all three. Read about it on the flip....
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