California businessman Tom Steyer, a Democrat, has filed paperwork to launch an initiative campaign to place the National Popular Vote Plan before California voters. That proposal, if it qualifies, would compete with the Republican plan to elect one elector from each U.S. House district. See here for more about the Steyer plan.
Well, with the amount of attention these intiatives get in the media, I hope the respective campaigns truly explain what makes their proposals different from each other.
California Democrats cannot get the National Popular Vote Plan past the current GOP Govenator, as it would probably hurt the Republicans in 2008 and 2012. They have to go with Governor Hiram W. Johnson’s 1910 voter Initiative route.
Republicans and other Dump Governor Gray Davis types can get the Each Congressional District Plurality scheme through the Govenator’s office, if, and only, if survives the State Assembly and State Senate. They too would have smoother sailing with a public referendem! This second, hybrid, compromise, baby steps procedure would insure some GOP electors and verses NONE from 1988 onward. Now would ‘independents’ be freer to act with the Dems taking a million vote majority every four years, or take a chance with a possible historic but small electorial production.
In fact an initiative cannot be vetoed by the governor, so either plan could become law.
The National Popular Vote Compact is described at http://npv.com
I’m sorry, it’s at http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/
“California Democrats cannot get the National Popular Vote Plan past the current GOP Govenator…they have to go with Governor Hiram W. Johnson’s 1910 voter Initiative route.”
Yes Arthur, you are right, and redundant.