"One man, one vote" (or not so much)? Not so fast. "National Popular Vote Interstate Compact" would "allow" you your vote, by fiat, only as long as you agreed with the majority. Have a different opinion, though, and, well, you still vote with the majority. NH's electoral votes will not be her own to delegate. And thus NH voters' votes will not belong to them, either. Your vote will be recorded as whatever CA and NY want. If you like their choice, fine for you. But choose another path, and the record of your preference disappears. Poof! Disenfranchised. Like you never voted at all. All your vote are belong to us. Yours has been assimilated. NH, your vote is simply not recognized anymore. Absolutely no reason to bother spending the time casting one. How's that for "spirit of the Constitution"?
If any of the voters in the states falling for NPV want to know what "yeah, your vote doesn't count" really means, just wait until the NPV -- and thus their own ostensible electors (who haven't gone anywhere, jbtw) -- goes against what they thought they and their state voted for. Yes, that will happen, citizen. "Wait, what?!? That's not fair...!!!" Oh, the outrage and gnashing of teeth that will follow that entirely predictable revelation. But, hey, you told your state to ignore your vote, in favor of what other states wanted...
HB1531, "relative to the release of voting information in a presidential election", before the NH House Election Law Committee, 1/28/2020, seeks to make an effective objection to this "hive mind" movement, by jamming a monkey wrench into the gears that grind so fine.
And another consideration. Dispense with the Electoral College (by ratifying a Constitutional amendment, obviously, right? -- because we don't modify the Constitution by popular vote in this country), and what do you think presidential campaigning would look like then?
First, every stop will look like a "yuge" Trump rally, for one thing, because there's no need (nor ability, functionally, given the following) to go out on the street to face actual voters. Or a highly controlled appearance in a tv studio, because even if you're a decent candidate, that's just what you need to do out in the vast west, and in the high-delegate-count states, in order to reach the whole state.
By contrast, tiny (and politically hyper-active) NH (arguably too-) easily does "retail politics", even for national campaigns. Reporter: "What do you think of the candidate, ma'am?" Voter: "I'm not sure yet: I've only met him 3 or 4 times." Yes. Pols stop at diners and such, hold livingroom "town halls", and go door-to-door. They talk one-on-one with actual (and notably, 'uncommitted', even hostile) voters -- who can often respond with "who the hell are you, and why should I vote for you?" People pose to them real policy questions that they can't avoid. And it's all captured on video, so you, Ms WA voter and Mr. NM citizen, get to learn from it, too. And NH being especially small, everyone in the state can get themselves to any appearance, to inject a frustratingly unscripted moment (like, say, this). We revel in it, actually.
Can, e.g., Californians say the same? Can Californians do the same, just given the geographic expanse of the state? Hell, you could come to NH and join right in -- which is probably at least close to as practical as getting yourself to L.A. or S.F. -- and watching on the big-screen...
But do you think they'd bother to stop at diners in Fresno anyway? No. Major staged rallies before network cameras, in big cities in the half-dozen most delegate-rich states is the only opportunity you'll then have to vet them. Which is, needless to say, no opportunity to vet them at all.
Whether you consider these proportions valid now or not, what do you think this map will look like when -- because there's no longer any reason to talk with you -- CA(55), TX(38), FL(29), NY(29), IL(20), PA(20), OH(18), GA(16) and MI(16) (that's a total only 29 shy of EC victory) are the only states any candidate feels any need to visit -- and then simply broadcast to, in advance of their respective primaries?
Thus, there are really 2 aspects at risk with the National Popular Vote. The first is that your vote is made irrelevant. But the second is more selfless. So you're welcome. For the effect of the Framers' prescient gift, the Electoral College. And for the gratis "due diligence" earnestly exerted by FITN NH -- which, until repeal of the EC leaves them no reason to stop here at all, benefits you at least as much as it benefits us.
Quit your whining, and take advantage of your resources. Or...
We could reclaim all the arrogated power that government has stolen (contrary to not only the "spirit" but to the letter of the Constitution), return it to where it belongs, the individual -- the smallest and most vulnerable minority, right there -- and no one will need to care about any of it anymore. Get on with running your own life. Go in peace...
Press
- National Popular Vote Is Not Electoral Reform - Foundation for Economic Education
- National Popular Vote | Citizen Voices® Report | Citizens Count
- The Sneaky Plan to Subvert the Electoral College for the Next Election - YouTube
- Did The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals Just Save the Electoral College From Meddling Democrats? - Granite Grok
- National Popular Vote Gets Polite Death in NH - Granite Grok
- The Electoral College Defense Act - Rep. Andrew Prout - Granite Grok
- New Hampshire Is Fighting Back to Defend the Electoral College
- New Hampshire Bill to Withhold Presidential Election Results Until After the Electoral College Meets | Ballot Access News
- Illinois Might be More Demographically Representative of America But No One Can Do The FITN Primary Better than NH - Granite Grok (2/23/2024)
