What If There Were No Swing States?

[HolyHandgernade]

Hypothetically, what if, barring greatsocial/political upheaval, there were no swing states, or at the very least, one party had enough states he or she could count on each year that it guaranteed that party at least 271 electoral votes?

Do you think they would move to get rid of the electoral college?

If one party held complete sway like that, would it rip the nation apart?

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Isnt this what happened to Gore in 2000? No change...

Yes, change, at least attempted. A lot of blue states signed onto the NPV Interstate Compact. The red states idiotically didn't sign on because their ox wasnt gored (pun intended) and they thought their party was magically immune to getting screwed by the electoral college.

If Obama wins a second term despite losing the popular vote by a full point, Texas will be introducing legislation next year to join the compact.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by HolyHandgernade

Hypothetically, what if, barring greatsocial/political upheaval, there were no swing states, or at the very least, one party had enough states he or she could count on each year that it guaranteed that party at least 271 electoral votes?

Do you think they would move to get rid of the electoral college?

If one party held complete sway like that, would it rip the nation apart?

Have you ever heard anyone ever use the "two lemonade stands on a beach" model to discuss economics? The same holds true with two parties.

Basically, if you have a long stretch of beach, and there are only two competing lemonade stands on the entire beach, the lemonade stands will wind up right next to each other. One gets all the traffic from the right, and the other gets all the traffic from the left. If one moves slightly farther to the right/left, the other will move with it.

[A Salt Weapon]

I bet the one on the right is a more profitable lemonade stand and the one on the left relies on subsidies and handouts to stay afloat.
Posted via Mobile Device

[jiveturkey]

Originally Posted by Saul Too

Yep. The southeast in particular.

Have you seen anything on how this is affecting voting down there?

Are the demographics changing like in Texas?

The growth in the south doesn't really apply to the swing state argument unless some of those states wind up with major electoral gains and remain red or if there is major demo shifts that turn them blue.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by jiveturkey

Have you seen anything on how this is affecting voting down there?

Are the demographics changing like in Texas?

The growth in the south doesn't really apply to the swing state argument unless some of those states wind up with major electoral gains and remain red or if there is major demo shifts that turn them blue.

Old angry white men are dying, and are being replaced by latinos. Romney can still win this year with the angry white guy vote but 8 years from now if not 4, the GOP will have to radically alter their approach to survive.

[Calcountry]

Originally Posted by jiveturkey

I also think it's likely that they would be rolling out some terrible candidates, which would put some weird places in play that might not have been in the past.

Absolutely power would definitely lead to complacency.

Which is the beauty of Federalism. You can move. The electoral college changes every 10 years, and the fourth branch of government, is the final and ultimate check against the tyranny of the other three.

[ClevelandBronco]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Old angry white men are dying, and are being replaced by latinos. Romney can still win this year with the angry white guy vote but 8 years from now if not 4, the GOP will have to radically alter their approach to survive.

I agree with this. Fortunately, I don't give a **** about what happens to the United States anymore.

[whoman69]

I go back to a more representative model in Nebraska and Maine where each congressional district is in play. I would rather see that implemented than a temporary agreement where states give their votes to the winner of the national popular vote despite the voice of their citizens.

[patteeu]

I don't know where all this anti-Electoral College sentiment comes from really.