Radio Smart Talk for Monday, April 4:
I have a quadrennial fascination with curling.
Seriously. Every four years, during the winter Olympics, I watch the curling matches. I can't get enough of them. The curlers reading the ice, the strategic placement, the sweepers guiding the stone to the four foot, the sense that, if I wanted to, I could devote the next four years of my life to curling and probably make the U.S. Olympic team...I'm just plain fascinated by it.
And then, as soon as the Olympics are over, I forget curling exists for another four years.
There's a similar pattern, for some, associated with Presidential elections. Every four years, someone, somewhere, remembers the idiosyncrasies of our Electoral College system and thinks, "there has to be a better way to do this." Someone else calls for a Constitutional Amendment abolishing the Electoral College in favor of Presidential elections based on the popular vote. And then, whatever slight momentum surrounding the idea goes away, until the next election.
Yet, here we are, a full year and a half away from the next Presidential election, and a group called National Popular Vote is trying to change how each state votes for President, by getting states nationwide to agree to a compact to elect the President by popular vote.
We'll find out what they have in mind on Monday's Radio Smart Talk. We'll also learn about other election reform efforts here in Pennsylvania.
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On a semi-related subject, ask your guests to explain why the sixty million people in Italy, who nearly all practice the same religion and speak the same language have six major political parties but the United States with its diverse population of over three hundred million, only gets two?
Michael Ember, Dillsburg
With modern technology, candidates can have "Town Meetings" all across the nation/state, all at once, or back-to-back, WITHOUT having to travel....
Also, IF the "public airways" are TRULY "public," should candidates have to PAY to air campaign ads???????
is it's aim to decide elections only when the electoral and popular vote are at odds, like in 2000.
Simply remove winner take all in the "sovereign" states.
By the way do these Republicans realize Gore would have won in 2000 and Roberts and Alito would not be on the court?
Go with the popular vote.
Mandate voting-----if you're a citizen, you have to vote. I know there would be a lot of people merely pulling a lever, but eventually it WOULD increase a sense of participation. Couple it to driver licensing or SSecurity candidacy or the like------forcing the issue.
I'm all for mandating citizens to become more involved in the process of how they are represented.. . . much as I favor individual rights, we are all Americans and should share in the that.
ONLY public funding for Presidential elections. Shorten the campaign time and give all candidates free air time on TV debates, not just Dems and Repubs.
Span Pres. elections over 3 or 4 days so everyone has time to vote.
AND, A Constitutional Amendment to replace every other man with a woman so we have gender parity is a great idea.
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