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Electoral Reform California Initiative Watch: Schwarzenegger Cool To Initiative
Graphic Courtesy of California Majority Report
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said yesterday “In principle, I don’t like to change the rules in the middle of the game” with regards to the Electoral Reform California Initiative which is now being circulated.Although he added he wasn’t versed in details of the ballot proposal and stressed he wasn’t taking a definitive position his lack of enthusiasm may damper fundraising efforts.
Also, there is another electoral college reform initiative pending in the Attorney General’s office. And this initiative is created by governor’s former attorney Thomas Hiltachk and ex-advisor Marty Wilson.
The “Presidential Election Reform Act” is here.Is the Governor remaining non-committal because he favors the “OTHER” initiative or using both as bargaining chips over the Democrat controlled Legislature for redistricting reform?
In any case, the Democrats are not sitting still and have submitted a counter-initiative, “National Popular Vote” counter-initiative, which would have the state’s electoral votes go to whoever wins the national popular vote.
If you are afraid you cannot defeat a measure directly at the polls, why not create confusion where both measures go down to defeat – a long-time used tactic in California Initiative politics. This is the apparent strategy here.
The Presidential Election Reform Act is due to be reported out of the Attorney General’s office on September 5th and begin circulation for signatures.
Stay tuned…….
Previous:
Electoral Reform California Initiative Watch: Field Poll – 47% Favor vs. 35% Oppose
Electoral Reform California Initiative Could Split California Presidential Votes Part II
Electoral Reform California Initiative Could Split California Presidential Votes
North Carolina Ready to Change Electoral College Presidential Selection Rules for 2008
Technorati Tags: Electoral Reform California, Electoral College, GOP, Democrats
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California, California Election 2008, California Republican Party, Electoral Reform California Initiative
Electoral Reform California Initiative Could Split California Presidential Votes Part III – Opposition Forms
Opposition to the California Electoral Reform Initiative is forming.The Electoral Reform California Website is here.
Flap receives this e-mail today:
Hi all—
FYI, we’re working on the campaign to oppose the likely Republican-funded initiative scheme that would radically change the way California awards electoral votes, moving away from the “winner-take-all” approach (that currently means 55 electoral votes for the Democratic nominee) and towards an allocation based on Congressional district (which could throw as many as 20 electoral votes to the Republican nominee) — potentially throwing the entire presidential election to the Republicans.
Our placeholder site just launched today. Any support you can provide for this effort would really be appreciated:
http://www.FairElectionReform.com
The Republicans are beginning to raise money to try to qualify the initiative for the June ballot. If it passes, it would go into effect for 2008. We’ve got quite a bit of work to do to fight back against what many voters, at first blush, may think is a “fair” solution — because this concept taps into a lot of disenchantment that people feel about the electoral college as a whole.
We can’t let the Republicans get away with this pure, partisan power grab – and instead, we need to be reforming the system nationwide in a fair, comprehensive way (like moving to a national popular vote), rather than this kind of piecemeal approach that disproportionately swings electoral votes to one party or another.
Senator Boxer blogged about this at Huffington Post today:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sen-barbara-boxer/stop-the-gop-electoral-co_b_60728.html
Rick Jacobs, Todd Beeton, and the folks at the Courage Campaign are going to be doing a ton of online advocacy around this, so be sure to check them out too:
http://www.couragecampaign.org
Thanks for your help on this.
Flap wonders how much each party will contribute to this initiative? Or their surrogates?
Flap receives this e-mail about the California lefty blogosphere actively opposing the initiative:
Many folks have already been writing and blogging about this, including Steven Maviglio over at the California Majority Report, Dave Dayen at Calitics, Bill Cavala at California Progress Report, and plenty of others. Links to their great pieces here:
http://camajorityreport.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&aid=2179&ptid=9
http://camajorityreport.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&aid=2128&ptid=9
http://www.calitics.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3482
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2007/07/changing_the_ru.html
I’m sure I’ve missed others, and apologies in advance for that. Thanks all!
The fight for California’s Electoral College votes in Presidential Race 2008 has just begun.
The initiative is here.
Stay tuned……….Graphic Courtesy of California Majority Report
Previous:
Electoral Reform California Initiative Could Split California Presidential Votes Part II
Electoral Reform California Initiative Could Split California Presidential Votes
North Carolina Ready to Change Electoral College Presidential Selection Rules for 2008
Technorati Tags: Electoral Reform California, Electoral College, GOP, Democrats
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California, California Election 2008, California Republican Party, Electoral Reform California Initiative
Electoral Reform California Initiative Could Split California Presidential Votes Part II
Little noticed except among election 2008 compulsives, the California Electoral Reform Initiative is making a big splash in the Christian Science Monitor today.
Soren has more on the North Carolina change in delegate selection process that Flap mentioned here.
Should this initiative qualify, it may well determine whether Hillary or Rudy is the next President.
Anyone want to bet the Democrats drop the effort in North Carolina?
Well, NO, they won’t.
The California Initiative will pass.
In California, the measure’s passage would probably be determined by voter turnout, and that could favor Republicans, experts say.
“The state will have just voted in February, and there is no US Senate race so June turnout will likely be low, which works against the Democrats,” says Quinn. Democrats, who usually argue for more fairness in elections and the end of the electoral college system, are in a quandary over how to fight this, he says.
“The Democrats are being hoisted on their own petards,” says Quinn. “They say, ‘Let’s make elections fairer,’ and Republicans are saying, ‘Okay, let’s do it this way,’ and Democrats are beside themselves because they know what it will likely do.”
But, watch California Attorney General, Jerry Brown and other California pols use the courts to derail the initiative and try to keep it off the June 2008 ballot.
Previous:
Electoral Reform California Initiative Could Split California Presidential Votes
North Carolina Ready to Change Electoral College Presidential Selection Rules for 2008
Technorati Tags: Electoral Reform California, Electoral College, GOP, Democrats
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Electoral Reform California Initiative Could Split California Presidential Votes
California’s Congressional Districts
A few days ago, Flap wrote that North Carolina appears to be changing their electoral college Presidential selection system just in time for the 2008 election.
And, Flap, wondered about a change in California’s system.
Dave G over at race42008 posts a piece that clarifies the issue in California.
The Electoral Reform California Initiative is already circulating to change California’s apportionment of Presidential electors to the Electoral College.
Here is the California Secretary of States summary and details of the initiative.
Requirements for Presidential Electors. Statute.
Summary Date: 7/2/07 Circulation Deadline: 11/29/07 Signatures Required: 433,971
Proponent: Anthony F. Andrade Jr. (916) 230-2123
Requires political parties to nominate a presidential elector from each congressional district and two additional statewide electors. Requires presidential electors to pledge that they will cast their ballots for the presidential and vice-presidential candidates who receive the plurality of votes in their congressional districts or, in the case of the statewide electors, for the candidates who receive the plurality of votes in the state. Eliminates compensation and reimbursement for travel expenses for presidential electors. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Reduced state expenses of less than $10,000 every four years. (Initiative 07-0016.)The full text of the initiative is here.
So, will this affect the 2008 race for the Presidency in California?
A Republican-backed ballot proposal could split left-leaning California between the Democratic and GOP nominees, tilting the 2008 presidential election in favor of the Republicans.
California awards its cache of 55 electoral votes to the statewide winner in presidential elections _ the largest single prize in the nation. But a prominent Republican lawyer wants to put a proposal on the ballot that would award the statewide winner only two electoral votes.
The rest would be distributed to the winning candidate in each of the state’s congressional districts. In effect, that would create 53 races, each with one electoral vote up for grabs.
California has voted Democratic in the last four presidential elections. But the change _ if it qualifies for one of two primary ballots next year and is approved by voters _ would mean that a Republican would be positioned the following November to snatch 20 or more electoral votes in GOP-leaning districts.
That’s a number equal to winning Ohio.
California Democrats will mightily fight this initiative, should it qualify. The result would be at least 20 electoral votes for whomever is the GOP candidate for President. The lock the Democrats have had on California Electoral votes would be broken and broken forever.
Only Maine and Nebraska allocate electoral votes by congressional district. But, California has a REAL chance to change their system.
The arguments to pass the initiative would be the same arguments GOP Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger used to justify the change of California’s Presidential Primary election from June to February 5, 2008 – increasing California’s national political clout and giving Presidential candidates an incentive to campaign in California. Californians might just accept the initiative.
From a partisan perspective, at the very least, the campaign to defeat the initiative by the Democrats would be a costly election year drain on their resources. At the most, the change could elect a Republican President.
Flap says watch this initiative. It may very well determine who is the next President of the United States.
Previous:
North Carolina Ready to Change Electoral College Presidential Selection Rules for 2008
Technorati Tags: Electoral Reform California, Electoral College, GOP, Democrats
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Indian Gambling Compacts Headed To February 5 California Referendum
Pechanga Casino in Temecula
Some of the richest California Indian tribes will be fighting with organized labor and racetrack interests this February 5th when California voters go to the polls to select a Presidential nominee.
Setting the stage for a political firefight, a labor union and racetrack owner yesterday filed ballot measures seeking to overturn expansive new gambling compacts for some of the state’s wealthiest Indian tribes.
Backers of the four referenda will have about 60 days to collect 434,000 signatures for each measure to qualify them for the Feb. 5 presidential primary election.
But everyone involved said they believe there is ample time to gather the necessary signatures.The measures would give California voters an opportunity to pass judgment on compacts that would allow Sycuan of El Cajon, Pechanga of Temecula and two other tribes to build some of the largest casinos in the world.
If everyone thinks that California television airwaves will be blistering with ads from Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton, you have seen nothing yet from the Indian tribes who stand to gain billions in gaming revenue.
The media campaign folks and consultants will make the big bucks as the labor unions portray the gaming agreements as the “rich getting richer.”
Will the other less affluent Indian tribes become involved?
Probably and it won’t be pretty.
Stay tuned…….
Technorati Tags: Pechanga, Morongo, Hollywood Park, United Here, Indian Gaming, Indian Casinos
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Antonio Villaraigosa, California, California Election 2008, Los Angeles, Mirthala Salinas, Telemundo
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Still A Contender for California Governor in 2008?
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa tells reporters, “I have a relationship with Ms. (Mirthala) Salinas, and I take full responsibility for my actions.†Salinas is an evening anchor for Telemundo, Channel 52.
Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa has an affair with a Telemundo, Channel 52 political reporter who has also had personal relationships with other California politicians (Fabien Nunez and Alex Padilla) she has covered on her political beat. They Mayor’s wife Corrina has filed for divorce and Mayor Villaraigosa is attempting to quell the political scandal.
This Sacramento Bee piece says “NO HARM NO FOUL”: Despite affair, Villaraigosa still seen as 2010 contender
Don’t dismiss Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa from the 2010 governor’s race just because he revealed Tuesday he had an ongoing extramarital relationship, political analysts say.
Many believe Villaraigosa’s revelation will have only a marginal impact on the Democrat’s chances to win the state’s top office in three years. The former Assembly speaker is still considered among the early front-runners in a large field once Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is termed out.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s admission that he has a relationship with TV anchor Mirthala Salinas comes less than a month after he announced his separation from his wife of two decades, Corina Villaraigosa. She filed for divorce the next day.
Villaraigosa said Tuesday he has had a relationship with reporter Mirthala Salinas of the Spanish language network Telemundo that has evolved over time, according to a recording posted online by the Los Angeles Times.
Salinas once covered the mayor as a political reporter. About a year ago, Villaraigosa said, the relationship “had grown to a point where it was necessary to inform her management that she shouldn’t cover me. … They agreed,” the Associated Press reported.
The acknowledgment of the relationship came after the mayor separated last month from his wife, Corina, who has since filed for divorce. At the time, Villaraigosa took responsibility for the breakup but refused to answer questions about what he had done to cause it. He acknowledged the relationship Tuesday after the Los Angeles Daily News confirmed his involvement with Salinas through his 88-year-old mother-in-law.
Let’s look at the quotes of the political analysts:
Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a University of Southern California political science professor:
“If it looks like Antonio Villaraigosa has the best chance of taking back the Governor’s Office, California Democrats will be very forgiving. It’s as simple as that.”
The Democrats will NOT be forging with the former California Controller Steve Westly, Attorney General and Former Governor Jerry Brown, Lt. Governor John Garamendi and former State Senator Jackie Speier in the field. There is even talk that former California Treasurer Phil Angelides, defeated by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006 may run.
The Democrats will need a strong candidate to beat either California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner or Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in 2010. Mayor Villaraigosa with these revelations will not be THAT candidate.
Garry South, who ran Democratic gubernatorial campaigns for Davis and former state Controller Steve Westly:
“I don’t think the revelations are helpful, and I think anyone would be a fool to think they would not have an impact when you have to run a high-visibility, high-scrutiny race for governor,” South said. “What kind of person you’ve been will play a factor.”
Agreed. Flap continues to maintain that politically Mayor Villar is DONE – Put a Fork in him.
If the Democrats do not have him for lunch, certainly the GOP will have him for dinner.
Update:
But, although Rudy leads in the polls has he been elected yet? And Antonio is NO Rudy or Reagan!
He is more like Henry Cisneros.
Mirthala Salinas, a Telemundo newswoman, interviews L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at the state Capitol on June 21, 2006. Villaraigosa has now acknowledged that he has “a relationship†with Salinas.
Previous:Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: The End of a Political Career
Technorati Tags: Antonio Villaraigosa, Mirthala Salinas, Telemundo, Steve Westly, Phil Angelides, Jackie Speier, John Garamendi, Steve Poizner, Condoleezza RiceJerry Brown
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Tony Strickland Watch: Strickland Eyes Tom McClintock’s California State Senate Seat in 2008
Readers: Please Vote in Flap’s January 2008 GOP Presidential Poll
GOP Controller candidate and former Simi-Thousand Oaks Assemblyman Tonyt Strickland speaking at the September 2005 California Republican Party Convention.
FlashReport: Tony Strickland looks to follow Tom McClintock into the State Senate
Last night, I had the opportunity to sit next to Tony and Audra Strickland at the wedding reception of a mutual friend. Tony, of course, is a former State Assemblyman and was the GOP nominee for State Controller last year. His wife, Audra, currently represents the 37th Assembly District as a member of the California legislature.
In chatting with Tony, he shared with me that on Friday, he had opened up a campaign committee and will be seeking the Republican nomination to succeed State Senator Tom McClintock in that Ventura County-based district, that stretches up into Santa Barbara County. Needless to say, the Strickland name has become quote familiar to residents in that area, and Tony becomes the immediate front-runner. His recent run for State Controller has helped to keep his name ID ‘current’ in the minds of voters — in addition to having his wife, Audra, serving as the State Assemblywoman for much of the district.
This move by tony Strickland was well-anticipated in Ventura County, California GOP politics.
Strickland is the front-runner and ANY thoughts that Mike Stoker, a field representative for current California State Senator, Tom McClintock are DELUSIONS of GRANDEUR.
Look for an uncontested February 2008 GOP primary election for this seat and for Tony Strickland to be the next State Senator.
Stay tuned…….
California Assemblywoman Audra Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks) and Tony Strickland
Technorati Tags: TonyStrickland, AudraStrickland, TomMcClintock