While I agree that the polls are polls but having a 50% approval rating and an 8 percentage point lead on your quickly sinking competition is great news for the Obama/Biden campaign. Their electoral votes are closer 273 to 265 but it can't discounted that Obama has risen risen 5 percentage points in the polls since the convention.
Bad news for the McCain/Palin ticket continues to mount. Palin has a host of problems on her plate between "Troopergate", almost being recalled when she was mayor, a link to the Ted Stevens' scandal, news she was part of a Secessionist Party, being an earmarks beneficiary, a connection to Jack Abramoff, and a corruption investigation.
2 interested person(s)
Actually, Obama has more than 50% support, which is different than how many people approve of him. Still good news! Also, visit fivethirtyeight.com for the best electoral projections, they currently have Obama winning 303 EV in simulations, but advise waiting until next week for the convention to shake out.
The major shortcoming of the current system of electing the President is that presidential candidates concentrate their attention on a handful of closely divided "battleground" states. In 2004 two-thirds of the visits and money were focused in just six states; 88% on 9 states, and 99% of the money went to just 16 states. Two-thirds of the states and people were merely spectators to the presidential election. Candidates have no reason to poll, visit, advertise, organize, campaign, or worry about the voter concerns in states where they are safely ahead or hopelessly behind. The reason for this is the winner-take-all rule under which all of a state's electoral votes are awarded to the candidate who gets the most votes in each separate state.
Another shortcoming of the current system is that a candidate can win the Presidency without winning the most popular votes nationwide.
The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC).
Every vote would be politically relevant and equal in a presidential election.
The bill would take effect only when enacted, in identical form, by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes—that is, enough electoral votes to elect a President (270 of 538). When the bill comes into effect, all the electoral votes from those states would be awarded to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC).
The National Popular Vote bill has passed 21 state legislative chambers, including one house in Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, North Carolina, and Washington, and both houses in California, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The bill has been enacted by Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, and Maryland. These four states possess 50 electoral votes — 19% of the 270 necessary to bring the law into effect.
See http://www.NationalPopularVote.com
susan
Post a Comment