Showing posts with label Electoral College. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Electoral College. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

November Electoral College vote up for grabs?


It's arcane, outdated, the antique of American democracy. But, it elected Donald Trump in 2016, and threatens to do an encore in 2020.

Image result for What Is a Electoral College

T-rump lost the 2016 popular vote in a landslide for Hillary Clinton, 3-million more, but she lost the election. Common sense would tell us, if three-million more Americans wanted Clinton for president than wanted Trump, she should be sitting in the Oval Office now. I preferred Bernie Sanders but sure as hell didn't want Donald Trump. The year started off right for Trump but his gross incompetence in handling COVID-19 has opened the eyes of many,

CNN, The Point, adds in connection with that...
"two of the most prominent non-partisan political analysts in the country have released new projections that show presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden with a clear edge over President Donald Trump in the Electoral College map."
Now, what is the Electoral College?...


The count today is 232 electoral votes for Joe Biden, 204 for Donald Trump. States not included here because they are toss-ups today include: Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska's 2nd district. Those six represent 102 votes, which could be a big turning point for either candidate. The flip side is Biden appears to be getting stronger with the issues like health care, climate change, guns and economic fairness.

The other flip side is the new support of college-educated whites -- especially white women with college degrees, an area where Trump did well in 2016. And no one wants to have the devastation of American citizens account for election results, but it looks like Trump's incompetence in the handling of the coronavirus pandemic will cost him votes in the industrial belt in states like Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Gerrymandering and the Electoral College...


Here's an excuse for the Electoral Electors that almost makes sense. The framers were concerned that the public would not have adequate knowledge to intelligently vote for a candidate, thus, the electors who are supposed to intelligently cast the votes. Although the latter is questionable, it still does not consider the fact that the Electoral College has become completely partisan with the Republican gerrymandering in the last few years. That is the problem.

As the Recent Supreme Court sessions have revealed, constitutional text, history and structure do support that "electors were meant to vote freely." This, of course, could go either way in November, but, again, the direction seems likely to be GOP-sided considering the current structure of state voting districts, which are in favor of Republicans. But with the positive news, above, from two known political handicappers, lookin' good on the left.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Donald Trump turns conspiracy theories into an "art"



August 15, 2019: DAILY NEWS BYTES

PROGRESSIVE STREET...Where Liberals Walk
  
The minute the Oval Office lunatic took on the mantle of white supremacy
, thinking it would please many of his followers, he started diving in the polls, and it doesn't look like this trend is abating. As an example, a new poll from Quinnipiac University cites the fact that "Most Americans think Trump is racist." Although that may appeal to some of his supporters, most don't accept it.

And harking back to his 2016 win in the Electoral College--not the popular vote--2020 doesn't look good. In "six NBC News/Wall Street Journal polls spanning January-July 2019. And in all but one of them, Trump’s approval is 'underwater among suburban residents.'” 

Conspiracy theories have been with us in U.S. politics for years; remember JFK's death? But it has taken a moron like Donald Trump to move this "art" into, well, the 22nd century. In 2018, yes, even a year ago, Simon Maloy of Media Matters has compiled some of T-rump's best. Like when Trump pressured DOJ to "start an investigation into their own department’s investigation of Trump’s campaign." MSNBC’s Chris Hayes said...
“The president has now crossed one of the brightest red lines in the American rule of law: demanding the Department of Justice open a politically motivated investigation designed to sabotage the criminal and counterintelligence probe into the president’s own campaign. ”
CNN's Anderson Cooper takes on Trump conspiracy theories...


Here's a headline for ya, "White Nationalist Terrorism Is a Problem. Trump Is a Bigger One." This a statement from the Intelligencer's Eric Levitz. And then...
"Four days after a white nationalist targeted Latinos in a mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso — and three weeks after the director of the FBI confirmed that white supremacist ideology is the leading driver of domestic terrorism in the U.S. — the Fox News host assured his viewers that white supremacy was a 'hoax.'”
That was one of Fox's mentally challenged reporters, Tucker Carlson. But the network says his job is safe for now. Why not, as long as he comes up with disinformation like this, he is right at home.

 Raw Story says that there are 20 different ways Donald Trump mirrors Hitler. A new book, "When at Times the Mob Is Swayed: A Citizen’s Guide to Defending Our Republic" by Burt Neuborne, he "describes how America’s constitutional checks and balances are being pushed to the brink by a president who is consciously following Adolf Hitler’s extremist propaganda and policy template from the early 1930s—when the Nazis took power in Germany."

Here's its focus...
"how America’s constitutional foundation in 2019—an unrepresentative Congress, the Electoral College and a right-wing Supreme Court majority—is not positioned to withstand Trump’s extreme polarization and GOP power grabs."
There's more...looks like the book is worth reading.

Even back to 2016 election, Trump compared to Hitler...


Is Donald Trump trying to provoke a recession? Salon's Bob Cesca had hoped for an embargo on the Republican Party after the George W. Bush years but instead, laments...we got something much worse...
"Eight years later, 62 million voters recklessly ignored the lessons of 2001 to 2009 by installing an even more incompetent, dangerous and unstable Republican administration in the White House."
Added to that, the lies and misinformation spewing from Fox News convinced Trump's base of double-digits that "the steadily improving economy of the Barack Obama administration was 'American carnage.'” Thus initiating a return to...
"the stewardship of Republicans who had been responsible for a $1.4 trillion deficit, the collapse of the stock market, more than 800,000 jobs lost in a single month and the near disintegration of both the housing market and America’s auto industry."
Donald Trump's contribution...
He "deregulated everything, weakening the post-Great Recession laws meant to curb Wall Street abuses, and punctuated his Bush-era linkage by also authorizing a massive tax cut for the wealthiest Americans without paying for a goddamn cent of it."
But just how much is Donald trump doing to enrich himself and his family, using the American economy to do it? Read this article to find out.

READ MORE: "Wall Street panicking: There’s a 1-in-3 chance of a recession by 2020 thanks to Trump’s trade meddling."

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Radical but needed say Democrats


Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump in the 2016 election by almost 3-million votes. Now to me that signifies there were about 3-million more people who wanted Clinton for president than T-rump. But the Electoral College gave the Oval Office to the idiot. Majority didn't rule and the Trump forces
found a way to manipulate the College. 3-million is no paltry figure and the whole thing should resonate with the voting public. Elizabeth Warren and Beto O'Rourke are in favor of abolishing the Electoral College, other presidential candidates aren't so clear. The EC was dreamed up to give small states equal representation in elections. This concept is, perhaps, outdated today and there is certainly enough evidence to prove the Electoral College is not equitable.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Clinton popular vote surges again




No losing presidential candidate in history has received as many popular votes as did Hillary Clinton against Donald Trump, the president-elect. 2.9 million, up 400,000 since the last count. The election is history but the story is slowly changing from surprise Trump victory to why he won and what is wrong with the system. What's wrong with the system is the Electoral College that put Trump in the White House and how it transcends the power of the people. I railed on this in an earlier post, "Dump the Electoral Party...NOW" that shows the inadequacy of the College.

What bothers me from a CNN article is a statement by Trump, "...that he would have won the popular vote, too, if that had been his focus. Here's his actual comment...
"I would have done even better in the election, if that is possible, if the winner was based on popular vote -- but would campaign differently."
Is the implication here that Hillary Clinton campaigned strictly for the popular vote and let Donald Trump beat her in strategy?  If so, her years spent in politics were wasted. But I don't think that's all, nor is it the primary reason she lost. Clinton claims the Comey letter beat her but many think that was only minor to other faults. High on the list is message, or a real lack of, to reach the white working class, African Americans, young people and Hispanics. They needed more assurance from her and they didn't get it. Too much dependence on political data and not what the grassroots think.

Kellyanne Conway is a sharp political strategist and it is obvious that things started to turn Trump's way when she came on board. I remember her saying early on that her plan was just to let Trump be Trump. You can't argue with this now, and his continued diarrhea of the mouth collected enough uneducated rednecks to elect him. If I didn't know better, I would swear that the Trump campaign found that particular demographic in census data. I talk uneducated rednecks but to the other extreme, doctors respond to his promise to clean up insurance company paperwork.

We could look back some day and call this a "niche" election, and Donald Trump by running off at the mouth with his meandering, chaotic messages, was able to hit just enough people with slots they cared about to win the election. God help us!

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Dump the Electoral Party...NOW



It's happened twice now, during the last three elections, the popular vote winner loses the election. It was made official yesterday by an antiquated system called the Electoral College. Donald Trump with 306 votes, Hillary Clinton with 232--hardly a landslide--Clinton ending up with more than 2.5 million popular votes than Trump. The nation did not elect Donald Trump, the college did. And that is what is wrong. NBC reports on efforts, post-election...
"A handful of Democrats and even a few Republican electors have embarked on an unusual effort to deny Trump the victory — or at the very least, raise the specter of changing the election."
And more...
"Electors in three states have gone to court seeking the chance to vote their mind; another resigned to avoid the vote altogether. One Republican elector in Texas has publicly said he will not vote for Trump, although his state voted overwhelmingly for the GOP candidate."
Here's a quote from The Nation, a leading Progressive publication...
"The Electoral College is an abomination: an antidemocratic relic of the unconscionable compromises made during America’s founding that should never have been allowed to linger into the 21st century." 
As an example of the inadequacy of the Electoral College, Donald Trump took Michigan with less than 11,000 votes out of a total of 4.8 million cast, .0023%. Supporters of the College claim it protects the smaller states from being overrun by the larger ones. When, in fact, five of the 10 smallest states, Vermont, Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Maine, as well as the District of Columbia had Clinton leading Trump. As I understand it, this is one of the major reasons the Founding Fathers concocted this nuisance. 

And here is something that is almost as frightening as Donald Trump being elected President. The Nation surmises "that GOP strategists will again try to implement schemes that would distribute electoral votes based on the popular vote in congressional districts, which would allow partisans to gerrymander both the US House and the Electoral College." Because of the incompetency of the Democratic Nat'l Committee, led by disgraced Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the GOP already leads in state legislatures and governor's offices.

The bipartisan National Popular Vote initiative is making some headway with a compact that says the state electors must cast their votes with the popular vote. Ten states have signed up totaling 165 votes, but the compact can only take effect when more than 270 is reached. Barbara Boxer introduced a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College, but with a Republican Congress, and the GOP already having won the election, its likelihood of getting anywhere is doubtful. In a final note, The Nation commented...
"...something must be done to address the structural absurdity of elections that allow losers to become presidents."
And that could not be more appropriate. 

Friday, December 9, 2016

Drop the College and drop the 2nd Amendment



Never before have I seen a case made so eloquent for ridding ourselves of a "relic" bestowed on us by the Founding Fathers. We have a few but this is one that happens to be in the spotlight now as the bungled finish of the 2016 Presidential election becomes evident. For the second time in 16 years, the out-of-date Electoral College has given the White House to the person with the least popular vote. And this year it is significant: Hillary Clinton has scored over 2.2 million more votes than Donald Trump. John Nichols does an excellent job of making his case in The Nation...
"The Electoral College is an abomination: an antidemocratic relic of the unconscionable compromises made during America’s founding that should never have been allowed to linger into the 21st century."
Now I'll get to the Electoral College in a later post but this one is devoted to just how much Nichols' article applies to the 2nd Amendment. Read it again, but this time substitutiing the 2nd Amendment for Electoral College...
The 2nd Amendment is an abomination: an antidemocratic relic of the unconscionable compromises made during America’s founding that should never have been allowed to linger into the 21st century.
I hear the gun nuts coming out from under their rocks now but even the "antidemocratic" portion, above, can be defended. It is against my democracy to have to be in a public place with some guy or gal who feels it necessary to walk around with an assault rifle on their shoulder, a weapon that belongs only in law enforcement and the military. Yes, they have a right, but that should extend no further than their front door. But even the right to defend yourself in the home shouldn't include assault rifles. Individual rights go just so far and can be limited, as agreed by the Supreme Court.

The fight over guns will go on until enough of the "right" people are killed, and by that I mean those most verbal over gun rights that preclude any responsible  control at all. And by the lunacy of some of their rhetoric, I wonder if even then.

More on the Electoral College later.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Trump goes haywire over Clinton's popular vote


Donald Trump harried
And here is another prime example of Donald Trump's instability; he continues to be riled over the fact that Hillary Clinton is more than 2.3 million ahead of him in the popular vote. Instead of enjoying the fact that the Electoral College deemed him President--although that is currently in contention--and going on with the job of planning his presidency, he broods like some second grader who lost his crayons on the way to school. Here's his tweet:
"In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally."
To begin with, he didn't win the Electoral College in a landslide (306 to 232). Barack Obama won in a landslide in 2008, 365 to McCain's 173. And there is absolutely no evidence the 2016 popular vote was "illegal," although Jill Stein has embarked on a crusade if there were mistakes made or anything intentional favoring Trump in her state recounts. In 2012 Trump made this statement:
"The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy."
Then, a week after the election:
"The Electoral College is actually genius in that it brings all states, including the smaller ones, into play. Campaigning is much different!"
Unstable on the one hand and indecisive on the other. Excellent qualities for a president.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Bernie Sanders on Electoral College: Examine now


Rep. Keith Ellison, (D-MN)
As you know, when Bernie speaks we progressives listen. He spoke, and this time he thinks it's time to "...re-examine the Electoral College..." Bernie Sanders bases his premise on the fact that Hillary Clinton is now over 2 million votes ahead of Donald Trump in the popular vote. Could there be something wrong with this out-of-date institution that has been questioned for years and also stole the vote from Al Gore in 2000. Here's what Bernie said:
"We have one candidate who had two million more votes than the other candidate but she is not going to be sworn in as president, and I think on the surface that's a little bit weird."
Many agree, including Sen. Barbara Boxer from California who has introduced a bill to scrap the Electoral College, which most think has no chance of getting anywhere in a Republican Congress. Progressives have to face this fact head on that liberal issues are going to be on the back burner for four years or at least to when Trump is impeached or resigns. That is, as far as the GOP is concerned. But the hip Democrats and Independents know this is the fight of our lives.

There's plenty of common sense to this thinking if this is a country of "We the people..." Damn the additional efforts to use the popular vote. If our technology will get us to the moon, it certainly should be able to count the votes quickly and accurately following an election. Bernie thinks all this falls in line with where the Democratic Party is going in the future and how it should be led. The Vermont Senator thinks US Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota can do the job.


Thursday, November 17, 2016

Electoral College on trial-Verdict?


Electoral College Votes
Barbara Boxer, one of the feistiest Democratic Senators in Congress, will do her best to get rid of the Electoral College. She introduced a bill Tuesday to put an end to this institution that dates back to the Founding Fathers. One of the myths out there is that the whole concept came into being because the group couldn't make a decision around the idea of the popular vote decision so they settled on the Electoral College. If so, it's time for a change.

Boxer said, "The Electoral College is an outdated, undemocratic system that does not reflect our modern society, and it needs to change immediately. Every American should be guaranteed that their vote counts." CNN also quoted Donald Trump tweeting this in 2012, "The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy." Now he's all for keeping it. It has already chalked up two recent disasters: Gore-Bush in 2070, now Clinton-Trump in 2016.

The problem with the California Senator's bill is that two-thirds of each house of Congress must pass it plus approval in three quarters of states. Finding the states to make the change might not be so hard but convincing an overwhelming conservative Congress is another thing. All 435 House seats are up for reelection in 2018, 33 Senate seats. Hate to say it again,but look forward to 2018. 

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Protesters against Donald Trump election everywhere


Donald Trump election protesters
Thousands hit the streets from San Francisco to Washington, DC, as well as Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Boston; Chicago; Denver; Philadelphia; Portland, Oregon; Seattle. And, it's not letting up, entering the fourth day of demonstrations. CNN reported, "One college student showed CNN a sign that said, 'I still can't believe I have to protest for civil rights.'" Is it fair to say that we have a relatively large proportion of the public unhappy with Donald Trump?

It's bad enough that we have a flawed election process where several people are chosen as electors by the two political parties--but not Independents--sometimes with no relationship to the will of the public. Electoral votes put George W. Bush in office in 2000, and Donald Trump in 2016. In both cases the popular vote elected Al Gore and Hillary Clinton. If you're interested an Electoral College explanation here, why we don't get rid of it here.

On the other hand, Donald Trump talked in extremes during his candidacy saying he would repeal Obamacare, put Hillary Clinton in jail, and send all of the illegals back home. Just to garner the votes of the racists, bigots and radicals in general. It worked. And he added a few others who voted simply for change. I would like to know the percentage of his supporters who voted blind, with no clue to the issues of the Trump campaign.

Had they looked, they still wouldn't have found any. And now these poor souls have learned that that their idol for change is already reversing himself on Obamacare, Hillary Clinton and immigration. One might wonder if these people will have the gumption to stand up to the man who is letting them down. I've said it before and will say it again, it is this kind of profile that rushes to the voting booth with their double-digit IQs, voting accordingly.

The election outcome protesters of the last few days knew the issues of their candidate, Hillary Clinton, and even though many had rather have had Bernie Sanders on the ticket, they voted in protest to keep Donald Trump out of the White House. It didn't work. Or rather it did, but the Electoral College undercut their efforts. Progressives have a lot to do to get this country back in shape.


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

How the Electoral College works and how the vote might go

Typical Electoral College map
“Each state is assigned a number of electoral votes based on population with the exact number corresponding to the number of senators and House members who represent a given state in Congress,” according to the Voice of America.  Votes range from 3 (Wyoming) to 55 (California).  In two states, Maine and Nebraska, they can split their votes among the two candidates.  In the balance of states, the candidate receiving the popular vote gets all electoral votes.


It's the "swing" states stupid
VOA says the 2012 election will be decided in these states: Ohio, Florida, Virginia, Colorado, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, Wisconsin and North Carolina.  In a Huff Post article, we learn it could come down to only 106 counties, the ones won by George W. Bush in 2004 but voted Obama in 2008.  As an example, political ads have been aimed at Cincinnati, Tampa and northern Virginia.  Also Huff-critical are North Carolina and Nevada.

I did a post on the Electoral College Vote on October 18, providing several sites tracking the election with a wide array of results.  In one instance, Real Clear Politics switched on that date from an Obama lead now to Romney leading.  The balance still favor Obama, some like CNN, Time and Huff Post significantly.  I plan to do another post soon on Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight blog for the New York Times, named appropriately for the number of electoral votes, 538.

Pennsylvania GOP unsuccessfully tries to change Electoral College vote to beat Obama:

Silver has a track record from accurately predicting the 2008 election in every state but Indiana.  It is done through balancing out the polls with comparative demographic data and weighting each poll based on the pollster's historical track record, sample size, and recentness of the poll.  As an example, on Monday the 22nd, he is predicting 288 electoral votes for Obama, 250 for Romney, giving Obama a 67.6% chance of winning, Romney 32.4%. 

According to VOA, without Ohio’s 18 electoral votes, Romney has to win Florida (29 electoral votes), Virginia (13), North Carolina (15), Colorado (9), Iowa (6), Nevada (6) and New Hampshire (4).  With Ohio, Obama would only have to win Iowa.  Right now FiveThirtyEight is predicting Iowa 49.0 Obama, 46.1 Romney; Ohio 48.2 Obama, 45.2 Romney.  A lot depends on the Monday debate, according to some political pundits, so the number could change quickly.

But what happens if there is an Electoral College tie?  Some political analysts are predicting this, with each candidate winning 269 votes.  Many experts don’t expect this to happen, unless the third debate is a complete disaster for Obama, also unlikely.  The President is going to have to address foreign policy questions on Iran, a situation which seems to be in his favor, but the Benghazi, Libya incident could be real trouble if Obama doesn’t have firm answer.

If you are still thoroughly confused about just how the Electoral College Vote works, go to Wikipedia for a good explanation.  In the meantime, there is rebellion going on within the Electoral College with Republicans indicating they may not follow the popular vote.  More on that later.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

It’s the Electoral College Vote, stupid

Some of us are enamored by polls, but many either don’t get the real significance of them or simply don’t believe they are accurate.  Actually most are at least close to right, but only at the moment they are taken.  How they hold up is based almost entirely on the political events of the day, particularly those of the candidates.  Example: Romney’s surge can be attributed to his performance in the first presidential debate.  Obama had a small jump after the second debate.

But the real numbers are found in political analysts’ stance on where candidates stand on electoral votes by state, and predictions over where the “Leaning” and “Tossup” votes will land, again by states.  There are a total of 538 electoral votes and 270 are needed to win.  As an example, Ohio, the “must-win state,” has 18 electoral votes and serves as the “how Ohio goes, so goes the country” state.  Iowa with only 6 votes but a lot of attention shows just how close this race is.

But, and this rankles some on either side of the political spectrum, you can win the popular vote and lose the election. Al Gore lost in 2000 running against George W. Bush.  The Electoral College is an indirect election meaning the people of each state elect a select group of people who pledge their vote to make that choice.  It was designed to preserve Federalism.  The popular vote is to instruct the electors from your state to cast their votes for the same candidate.

Sometimes it doesn’t always come out that way, as in 2000.  In some cases the elector changes his or her vote at the last minute.  If you are thinking that surge put Romney over the top to beat Obama in November, think again.  The challenger really has a long way to go.  Here’s the lineup of where the Electoral College Vote stands today:


Obama 201             Romney 191            Undecided 146

This site also has a probability rating of the candidates reaching 270

Obama 71%            Romney 28%           Tie 1%



Obama 237             Romney 191            Undecided 110

This site has a lineup by state of particulars on voters.



Obama 201             Romney 191            Undecided 146

There is also a rundown on this site by candidate in key states.



Obama 196             Romney191             Undecided 153



Obama 237             Romney 191            Undecided 110



Obama 236             Romney 236            Undecided 66

This site’s prediction:

Obama 280             Romney 258



Obama 277             Romney 239            Undecided 22



Obama 271             Romney 191            Undecided 76



Obama 277             Romney 206            Undecided 55

If you want to draw comparisons between the 2008 and 2012 elections, go here.

I urge you to visit all the sites for a wealth of information that will tell you what the political pulse of the country is.  You can even do your own projections on some of the sites and set up specific scenarios.  This isn’t a “Who should you vote for?” but rather several measures of where the Presidential race stands today where it matters.  There will be changes, one likely based on the Romney remark in the second debate re. his “whole binders full of women” comment.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Are the wackos against womens’ rights the same as those against gun control?

Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl, the do-nothing guy we will soon be rid of, told reporters recently that the equal-pay bill, sponsored by the Democrats to prevent pay discrimination against females, will be blocked by Republicans.  Kyl, who was probably chosen to make the announcement because he has decided not to run again, says the bill is “…politically inspired and would reward trial lawyers at the expense of employers.”  Always…business over the consumer.

This kind of thinking would employ the same warped mind that would rather see more guns on the streets in the hands of anyone who wants them.  Since Kyl is speaking for Republicans in general, I guess I’ve answered my own question.  It is definitely the same breed, and they are as dangerous in this matter as they are on weapons. 

It is a fact that in the 2008 presidential election, women voted 56 percent to 42 percent for Barack Obama over John McCain?  This division was almost even in the 2010 election but at that time there was no president to vote for.  And Congress was and still is a completely incompetent gang of self-centered losers that would make it tough for anyone to decide who to vote for. 

But this is a presidential election coming up in November and GOP apparent nominee Mitt Romney has certainly not endeared himself to the ladies.  Republicans may even think at this point that they have lost the female vote.

In the latest USA Today/Gallup poll, the President leads Romney by 18 points in the womens’ vote.  Obama leads by 20 points in the most recent Pew Research poll.  I doubt seriously if this support is all due to Barack Obama’s support of womens’ rights, but the Democratic Party, although it has strayed from its liberal roots, is still far more in the corner of equality than the GOP and still favors the individual’s rights over business. 

It was a shocker, at least for me, when Maine Republican senator Olympia Snowe called the Democrats bill, "regrettable" and an "overreach." 

The legislation was designed to “…close loopholes in the 1963 Equal Pay Act, would require employers to prove that differences in pay were related to job performance, not gender; would prevent employers from forbidding employees from sharing salary information with each other; and would allow women who believe they were discriminated against to sue for damages.  Regardless of the outcome, the Dems will definitely make gains with its proposal.

For years I have wondered why any self respecting male could justify making more money than a female in the exact same position.  Same goes for any promotions that are given based on gender.  Since 1917, when Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana became the first woman to serve in Congress, many more have served but currently in the 112th Congress, in the House, there are currently 362 men 76 women. In the Senate, 17 women and 83 men.

The first woman was actually appointed to the Senate by Georgia's Democratic Governor Thomas Hardwick in 1922.  After that, women weren’t elected in number to the Senate until 1992; that’s 70 years.  This supposedly august body has always been identified as a haven for the good old boys.  It is terminology like this that harkens over to the bubbas of the gun rights movement whose masculinity is challenged if they can’t walk around with a gun in their pocket.

Studies have found that men are much more fickle than women when it comes to voting, and have a decision making process that is more in keeping with pragmatism and what’s best for the country.  On the other hand, men tend to side with “bubba” issues, certainly favoring big business over the ladies.  And many vote with their guns, probably using the muzzle to actually push the voting machine lever.  It is an NRA mandate to defeat Obama in November.

Currently on the electoral map, President Obama has cinched 247 votes to Romney’s 206, on the way to 270 to win.  Leaning Obama are another 51 which along with the 247 is a win.  Leaning Romney is another 47 votes which brings his total to 253, 17 short.  The obvious key to the election are the remaining 85 toss up votes which include the states of Ohio and Florida, both of which are in the 12 swing states. 

The female vote is critical in November, as are the Independents and Latinos.  Barack Obama carried independents by an eight-point margin in the 2008 exit poll, but the GOP carried them by a 19-point margin in the 2010 midterms.  Well, at least two out of three in President Obama’s corner isn’t bad odds.

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