Nevada Democratic governor Sisolak at a rally with Obama
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak received national attention last week for vetoing a bill aimed at reforming the Electoral College. State lawmakers approved a measure that would have added Nevada to the popular vote interstate compact, pledging its six electoral votes to whoever wins the nationwide popular vote. Fourteen states plus the District of Columbia, comprising 189 electoral votes, have signed the compact. Once the compact reaches the threshold of 270 votes, it would theoretically render the Electoral College obsolete.
Sisolak said he opposed the bill because it “could diminish the role of smaller states like Nevada in national electoral contests and force Nevada’s electors to side with whoever wins the nationwide popular vote, rather than the candidate Nevadans choose.” Proponents still weren’t thrilled. New York magazine’s Eric Levitz wrote that it was “rather dispiriting to hear a Democratic governor echo one of the dumbest arguments in contemporary American politics.” ThinkProgress’ Danielle McLean Read the Full Article
This article ricochets off the title of electoral college repair. and fails. The two party system, not envisaged by the founders, buried the electoral college as proved in the last election. The electoral college was conceived as game show host insurance. It should have stopped the current dissassembly of governance from taking place. Yes, it was intended to protect the voice of the small states. It failed that too. We also need to protect rural populations.
Current laws fail us. And to quote a favorite on these pages: “Maybe we have just gotten to a point where democracy is so poorly understood by an ignorant populace that they don’t comprehend what is at risk.”
Election hardware is easily spoofed. Social media is easily spoofed, and soon, with the awesome power of the new apple gear, any video will be easily spoofed. If that isn’t enough to lower your hopes for democracy… then consider that the vast majority our “news” is funded by advertising (read commercial interestes).. the people do not have a dog in the fight.
I hope the guy quoted above begins to cover the Juliana vs the United States case, where children can see themselves deprived of thier future are rubbing that fact against the 5th amendment. In short rubbing capitalism against the constitution: which?
We are spending $20 a day per taxpayer on war, where the constitution requires that Congress declares war, and that has not been done in this retriree’s lifetime. In the sea of cyninacism can democracy float as a lifeboat with this many holes in it? If not… What then.
I just got back from Scotland, the land of William Wallace and have smelled the bracing air of character. This old sailor does not see the institutions being our savior, be it a party or a church. We must find some ideal, like those kids with Juliana and the constitution, and make those ideals real. Like a person” cannot be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.” ….. and if the law makes housing unaffordable for the majority of people… is that in concert the constitution?
I am still hopeful. But I believe the internet must be reinvented, and so must “the press”, with actual citizens paying for it.
I beleive we will revert back to film, for pictures. But what shall stand in for old fashoned trus? A middleman selling that which you share with your friends, or What Jaron Lanier called the Bummer Machine, will not do.
So… tying this roam into a bow, I have this caution: “Beware of the cookie monster”.