Comments on: Senator Bill Nelson: Abolish The Electoral College http://www.chrisweigant.com/2008/06/09/senator-bill-nelson-abolish-the-electoral-college/ Reality-based political commentary Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:35:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Thatcher http://www.chrisweigant.com/2008/06/09/senator-bill-nelson-abolish-the-electoral-college/#comment-2579 Thatcher Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:06:46 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/index.php/2008/06/09/senator-bill-nelson-abolish-the-electoral-college/#comment-2579 As for the rotational primaries: I don't believe a law would pass on this. Do I believe that something needs to be done? yes. However, I believe there are enough "smaller" state Senator and Representatives to stop this from allowing smaller states the ability to be nearer the front (whether it is Iowa, NH, etc) ... the key should be to rotate smaller states in the front end ... so that name recognition and "war chests" can't determine the nominee (else we would be having Guiliani and Clinton right now - and we never would have had Clinton in 1992 nor others who were given the chance to become known over the years due to putting smaller states first - but we would probably have had Reagan in 1976). As for abolishing the Electoral College and a constitutional amendment - it won't pass. The end. We seem to forget that we are a united government of 50 separate states. By abolishing the Electoral College - we ignore the framers intent of creating a nation of one out of many. Even if it were to pass on the Hill - expect many, many challenges by states, organizations and individuals. And expect those challenges to win. About the only way to alter the Electoral College is for the states (like several have) modify how Electoral votes are decided. Problem there is - if they don't all modify to a "proportional" style system - 1 for each congressional district won, the two remaining counted as state wide ... then we end up with several states being "president makers" and the rest becoming insignificant. As for the rotational primaries: I don't believe a law would pass on this. Do I believe that something needs to be done? yes. However, I believe there are enough "smaller" state Senator and Representatives to stop this from allowing smaller states the ability to be nearer the front (whether it is Iowa, NH, etc) ... the key should be to rotate smaller states in the front end ... so that name recognition and "war chests" can't determine the nominee (else we would be having Guiliani and Clinton right now - and we never would have had Clinton in 1992 nor others who were given the chance to become known over the years due to putting smaller states first - but we would probably have had Reagan in 1976).

As for abolishing the Electoral College and a constitutional amendment - it won't pass. The end. We seem to forget that we are a united government of 50 separate states. By abolishing the Electoral College - we ignore the framers intent of creating a nation of one out of many. Even if it were to pass on the Hill - expect many, many challenges by states, organizations and individuals. And expect those challenges to win.

About the only way to alter the Electoral College is for the states (like several have) modify how Electoral votes are decided. Problem there is - if they don't all modify to a "proportional" style system - 1 for each congressional district won, the two remaining counted as state wide ... then we end up with several states being "president makers" and the rest becoming insignificant.

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